Matius 18:1--19:30
Konteks18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 18:2 He called a child, had him stand among them, 18:3 and said, “I tell you the truth, 1 unless you turn around and become like little children, 2 you will never 3 enter the kingdom of heaven! 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 18:5 And whoever welcomes 4 a child like this in my name welcomes me.
18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 5 it would be better for him to have a huge millstone 6 hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. 7 18:7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It 8 is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come. 18:8 If 9 your hand or your foot causes you to sin, 10 cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have 11 two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 18:9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have 12 two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell. 13
18:10 “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 18:11 [[EMPTY]] 14 18:12 What do you think? If someone 15 owns a hundred 16 sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? 17 18:13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, 18 he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 18:14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.
18:15 “If 19 your brother 20 sins, 21 go and show him his fault 22 when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. 18:16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 23 18:17 If 24 he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If 25 he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like 26 a Gentile 27 or a tax collector. 28
18:18 “I tell you the truth, 29 whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. 18:19 Again, I tell you the truth, 30 if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 31 18:20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”
18:21 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother 32 who sins against me? As many as seven times?” 18:22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times! 33
18:23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 34 18:24 As 35 he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents 36 was brought to him. 18:25 Because 37 he was not able to repay it, 38 the lord ordered him to be sold, along with 39 his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. 18:26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground 40 before him, saying, 41 ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ 18:27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. 18:28 After 42 he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. 43 So 44 he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, 45 saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 46 18:29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 47 ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 18:30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. 18:31 When 48 his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. 18:32 Then his lord called the first slave 49 and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! 18:33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ 18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him 50 until he repaid all he owed. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your 51 brother 52 from your heart.”
19:1 Now when 53 Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River. 54 19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
19:3 Then some Pharisees 55 came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful 56 to divorce a wife for any cause?” 57 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female, 58 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 59 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 19:7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” 60 19:8 Jesus 61 said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, 62 but from the beginning it was not this way. 19:9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” 19:10 The 63 disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 19:11 He 64 said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, 65 and some who were made eunuchs 66 by others, 67 and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”
19:13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. 68 But the disciples scolded those who brought them. 69 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 70 19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way. 71
19:16 Now 72 someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” 19:17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19:19 honor your father and mother, 73 and love your neighbor as yourself.” 74 19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed 75 all these laws. 76 What do I still lack?” 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money 77 to the poor, and you will have treasure 78 in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. 79
19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, 80 it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! 19:24 Again I say, 81 it is easier for a camel 82 to go through the eye of a needle 83 than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 19:25 The 84 disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?” 85 19:26 Jesus 86 looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, 87 but for God all things are possible.” 19:27 Then Peter said 88 to him, “Look, 89 we have left everything to follow you! 90 What then will there be for us?” 19:28 Jesus 91 said to them, “I tell you the truth: 92 In the age when all things are renewed, 93 when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging 94 the twelve tribes of Israel. 19:29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much 95 and will inherit eternal life. 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
[18:3] 1 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:3] 2 sn The point of the comparison become like little children has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit, as well as willingness to be dependent and receive from others, than any inherent humility the child might possess.
[18:3] 3 tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.
[18:5] 4 tn This verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).
[18:6] 5 tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”
[18:6] 6 tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.
[18:6] sn The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.
[18:6] 7 tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”
[18:7] 8 tn Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[18:8] 9 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:8] 10 sn In Greek there is a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in English here. The verb translated “causes…to sin” (σκανδαλίζω, skandalizw) comes from the same root as the word translated “stumbling blocks” (σκάνδαλον, skandalon) in the previous verse.
[18:8] 11 tn Grk “than having.”
[18:9] 12 tn Grk “than having.”
[18:9] 13 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”
[18:9] sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[18:11] 14 tc The most important
[18:12] 15 tn Grk “a certain man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
[18:12] 16 sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
[18:12] 17 sn Look for the one that went astray. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.
[18:13] 18 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:15] 19 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated. All the “if” clauses in this paragraph are third class conditions in Greek.
[18:15] 20 tn The Greek term “brother” can mean “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a) whether male or female. It can also refer to siblings, though here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God. Therefore, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).
[18:15] 21 tc ‡ The earliest and best witnesses lack “against you” after “if your brother sins.” It is quite possible that the shorter reading in these witnesses (א B, as well as 0281 Ë1 579 pc sa) occurred when scribes either intentionally changed the text (to make it more universal in application) or unintentionally changed the text (owing to the similar sound of the end of the verb ἁμαρτήσῃ [Jamarthsh] and the prepositional phrase εἰς σέ [eis se]). However, if the
[18:15] 22 tn Grk “go reprove him.”
[18:16] 23 sn A quotation from Deut 19:15.
[18:17] 24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:17] 25 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:17] 26 tn Grk “let him be to you as.”
[18:17] 28 sn To treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector means not to associate with such a person. See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[18:18] 29 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:19] 30 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:19] 31 tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.
[18:21] 32 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.
[18:22] 33 tn Or “seventy times seven,” i.e., an unlimited number of times. See L&N 60.74 and 60.77 for the two possible translations of the phrase.
[18:23] 34 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[18:24] 35 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:24] 36 sn A talent was a huge sum of money, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarius was the usual day’s wage for a worker. L&N 6.82 states, “a Greek monetary unit (also a unit of weight) with a value which fluctuated, depending upon the particular monetary system which prevailed at a particular period of time (a silver talent was worth approximately six thousand denarii with gold talents worth at least thirty times that much).”
[18:25] 37 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:25] 38 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[18:25] 39 tn Grk “and his wife.”
[18:26] 40 tn Grk “falling therefore the slave bowed down to the ground.” The redundancy of this expression signals the desperation of the slave in begging for mercy.
[18:26] 41 tc The majority of
[18:28] 42 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:28] 43 tn Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.
[18:28] 44 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[18:28] 45 tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”
[18:28] 46 tn The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[18:29] 47 tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[18:31] 48 tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[18:32] 49 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:34] 50 tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.
[18:35] 51 tn Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).
[18:35] 52 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.
[19:1] 53 tn Grk “it happened when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[19:1] 54 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).
[19:3] 55 tn Grk “And Pharisees.”
[19:3] sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[19:3] 56 tc ‡ Most
[19:3] 57 sn The question of the Pharisees was anything but sincere; they were asking it to test him. Jesus was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea and beyond the Jordan) and it is likely that the Pharisees were hoping he might answer the question of divorce in a way similar to John the Baptist and so suffer the same fate as John, i.e., death at the hands of Herod (cf. 14:1-12). Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic custom and the debate over Deut 24:1, but rather from the account of creation and God’s original design.
[19:4] 58 sn A quotation from Gen 1:27; 5:2.
[19:5] 59 sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.
[19:7] 60 tc ‡ Although the majority of witnesses (B C W 078 087 Ë13 33 Ï syp,h) have αὐτήν (authn, “her”) after the infinitive ἀπολῦσαι (apolusai, “to divorce”), a variant lacks the αὐτήν. This shorter reading may be due to assimilation to the Markan parallel, but since it is attested in early and diverse witnesses (א D L Z Θ Ë1 579 700 pc lat) and since the parallel verse (Mark 10:4) already departs at many points, the shorter reading seems more likely to be original. The pronoun has been included in the translation, however, for clarity. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations regarding its authenticity.
[19:7] sn A quotation from Deut 24:1. The Pharisees were all in agreement that the OT permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce his wife (not vice-versa) and that remarriage was therefore sanctioned. But the two rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel differed on the grounds for divorce. Shammai was much stricter than Hillel and permitted divorce only in the case of sexual immorality. Hillel permitted divorce for almost any reason (cf. the Mishnah, m. Gittin 9.10).
[19:8] 61 tc A few important
[19:8] tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:8] 62 tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).
[19:10] 63 tc ‡ Some significant witnesses, along with the majority of later
[19:11] 64 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:12] 65 tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).
[19:12] 66 tn The verb εὐνουχίζω occurs twice in this verse, translated the first time as “made eunuchs” and the second time as “became eunuchs.” The term literally refers to castration. The second occurrence of the word in this verse is most likely figurative, though, referring to those who willingly maintain a life of celibacy for the furtherance of the kingdom (see W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, Matthew [ICC], 3:23).
[19:13] 68 tn Grk “so that he would lay his hands on them and pray.”
[19:13] 69 tn Grk “the disciples scolded them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples scolded the children rather than their parents who brought them.
[19:14] 70 sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.
[19:15] 71 tn Grk “went from there.”
[19:16] 72 tn Grk “And behold one came.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[19:19] 73 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.
[19:19] 74 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[19:20] 75 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
[19:20] 76 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:20] sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command – to give away all he had – revealed that internally he loved money more than God.
[19:21] 77 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[19:21] 78 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
[19:22] 79 tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, kthma) is often used for land as a possession.
[19:23] 80 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[19:24] 81 tn Grk “I say to you.”
[19:24] 82 tc A few late witnesses (579 1424 pc) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamhlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.
[19:24] 83 sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle. (The gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” was built during the middle ages and was not in existence in Jesus’ day.) Jesus was saying rhetorically that it is impossible for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom, unless God (v. 26) intervenes.
[19:25] 84 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:25] 85 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
[19:26] 86 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:26] 87 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anqrwpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men, but for God all things are possible”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” in v. 28.
[19:27] 88 tn Grk “Then answering, Peter said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
[19:27] 89 sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice have been noticed.
[19:27] 90 tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
[19:28] 91 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:28] 92 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[19:28] 93 sn The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (παλιγγενεσία, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).
[19:28] 94 sn The statement you…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.
[19:29] 95 sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (a hundred times as much) and (2) eternal life will be given.
