Matius 4:1--25:46
Konteks4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness 1 to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. 2 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” 3 4:4 But he answered, 4 “It is written, ‘Man 5 does not live 6 by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 7 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, 8 had him stand 9 on the highest point 10 of the temple, 4:6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ 11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. 14 4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship 15 me.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, 16 Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 17 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels 18 came and began ministering to his needs.
4:12 Now when Jesus 19 heard that John had been imprisoned, 20 he went into Galilee. 4:13 While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth 21 to make his home in Capernaum 22 by the sea, 23 in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 4:14 so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: 24
4:15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles –
4:16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.” 25
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach this message: 26 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
4:18 As 27 he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). 28 4:19 He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” 29 4:20 They 30 left their nets immediately and followed him. 31 4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat 32 with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then 33 he called them. 4:22 They 34 immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
4:23 Jesus 35 went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, 36 preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. 4:24 So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People 37 brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, 38 paralytics, and those possessed by demons, 39 and he healed them. 4:25 And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, 40 Jerusalem, 41 Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. 42
5:1 When 43 he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 44 After he sat down his disciples came to him. 5:2 Then 45 he began to teach 46 them by saying:
5:3 “Blessed 47 are the poor in spirit, 48 for the kingdom of heaven belongs 49 to them.
5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 50
5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger 51 and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children 52 of God.
5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
5:11 “Blessed are you when people 53 insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely 54 on account of me. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
5:13 “You are the salt 55 of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, 56 how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 5:15 People 57 do not light a lamp and put it under a basket 58 but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.
5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. 59 5:18 I 60 tell you the truth, 61 until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter 62 will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others 63 to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law 64 and the Pharisees, 65 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 66 ‘Do not murder,’ 67 and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother 68 will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults 69 a brother will be brought before 70 the council, 71 and whoever says ‘Fool’ 72 will be sent 73 to fiery hell. 74 5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement 75 quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, 76 or he 77 may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth, 78 you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 79
5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 80 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 81 5:30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
5:31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ 82 5:32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
5:33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 83 ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 84 5:34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, 85 because it is the city of the great King. 5:36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 5:37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one. 86
5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 87 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. 88 But whoever strikes you on the 89 right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, 90 give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, 91 go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, 92 and do not reject 93 the one who wants to borrow from you.
5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ 94 and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and 95 pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like 96 your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors 97 do the same, don’t they? 5:47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? 5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 98
6:1 “Be 99 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. 100 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, 101 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues 102 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, 103 they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 104
6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues 105 and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, 106 close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 107 6:7 When 108 you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do 109 not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: 110
Our Father 111 in heaven, may your name be honored, 112
6:10 may your kingdom come, 113
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us today our daily bread, 114
6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves 115 have forgiven our debtors.
6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, 116 but deliver us from the evil one. 117
6:14 “For if you forgive others 118 their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
6:16 “When 119 you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive 120 so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, 121 they have their reward. 6:17 When 122 you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 123 and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 6:21 For where your 124 treasure 125 is, there your heart will be also.
6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, 126 your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is diseased, 127 your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate 128 the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 129 the other. You cannot serve God and money. 130
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry 131 about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: 132 They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds 133 them. Aren’t you more valuable 134 than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? 135 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers 136 of the field grow; they do not work 137 or spin. 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, 138 which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, 139 won’t he clothe you even more, 140 you people of little faith? 6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 6:32 For the unconverted 141 pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom 142 and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. 143
7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 144 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 145 7:3 Why 146 do you see the speck 147 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 148 the beam of wood 149 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say 150 to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. 151
7:7 “Ask 152 and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door 153 will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks 154 receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is 155 there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 156 7:11 If you then, although you are evil, 157 know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts 158 to those who ask him! 7:12 In 159 everything, treat others as you would want them 160 to treat you, 161 for this fulfills 162 the law and the prophets.
7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 163 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 164 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 165 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 166 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 167 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do 168 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 169
7:24 “Everyone 170 who hears these words of mine and does them is like 171 a wise man 172 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood 173 came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 174
7:28 When 175 Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 7:29 because he taught them like one who had authority, 176 not like their experts in the law. 177
8:1 After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 8:2 And a leper 178 approached, and bowed low before him, saying, 179 “Lord, if 180 you are willing, you can make me clean.” 8:3 He stretched out his hand and touched 181 him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone, 182 but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering 183 that Moses commanded, 184 as a testimony to them.” 185
8:5 When he entered Capernaum, 186 a centurion 187 came to him asking for help: 188 8:6 “Lord, 189 my servant 190 is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish.” 8:7 Jesus 191 said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8:8 But the centurion replied, 192 “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed. 8:9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. 193 I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, 194 and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave 195 ‘Do this’ and he does it.” 196 8:10 When 197 Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth, 198 I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel! 8:11 I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet 199 with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 200 in the kingdom of heaven, 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 201 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; just as you believed, it will be done for you.” And the servant 202 was healed at that hour.
8:14 Now 203 when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, 204 sick with a fever. 8:15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then 205 she got up and began to serve them. 8:16 When it was evening, many demon-possessed people were brought to him. He drove out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. 206 8:17 In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: 207
“He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” 208
8:18 Now when Jesus saw a large crowd 209 around him, he gave orders to go to the other side of the lake. 210 8:19 Then 211 an expert in the law 212 came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 213 8:20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky 214 have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 215 8:21 Another 216 of the 217 disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” 218
8:23 As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 219 8:24 And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. 8:25 So they came 220 and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” 8:26 But 221 he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked 222 the winds and the sea, 223 and it was dead calm. 8:27 And the men 224 were amazed and said, 225 “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” 226
8:28 When he came to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, 227 two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were extremely violent, so that no one was able to pass by that way. 8:29 They 228 cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! 229 Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 230 8:30 A 231 large herd of pigs was feeding some distance from them. 8:31 Then the demons begged him, 232 “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 8:32 And he said, 233 “Go!” So 234 they came out and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned in the water. 8:33 The 235 herdsmen ran off, went into the town, 236 and told everything that had happened to the demon-possessed men. 8:34 Then 237 the entire town 238 came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
9:1 After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town. 239 9:2 Just then 240 some people 241 brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. 242 When Jesus saw their 243 faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.” 244 9:3 Then 245 some of the experts in the law 246 said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” 247 9:4 When Jesus saw their reaction he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? 9:5 Which is easier, 248 to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 9:6 But so that you may know 249 that the Son of Man 250 has authority on earth to forgive sins” – then he said to the paralytic 251 – “Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 252 9:7 And he stood up and went home. 253 9:8 When 254 the crowd saw this, they were afraid 255 and honored God who had given such authority to men. 256
9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. 257 “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 9:10 As 258 Jesus 259 was having a meal 260 in Matthew’s 261 house, many tax collectors 262 and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees 263 saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 264 9:12 When 265 Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 266 9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ 267 For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
9:14 Then John’s 268 disciples came to Jesus 269 and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees 270 fast often, 271 but your disciples don’t fast?” 9:15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests 272 cannot mourn while the bridegroom 273 is with them, can they? But the days 274 are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, 275 and then they will fast. 9:16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse. 9:17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; 276 otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins 277 and both are preserved.”
9:18 As he was saying these things, a ruler came, bowed low before him, and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.” 9:19 Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him. 9:20 But 278 a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage 279 for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge 280 of his cloak. 281 9:21 For she kept saying to herself, 282 “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 283 9:22 But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” 284 And the woman was healed 285 from that hour. 9:23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, 9:24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him. 286 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 9:26 And the news of this spread throughout that region. 287
9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, 288 “Have mercy 289 on us, Son of David!” 290 9:28 When 291 he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus 292 said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 9:29 Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 9:30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this.” 9:31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region. 293
9:32 As 294 they were going away, 295 a man who could not talk and was demon-possessed was brought to him. 9:33 After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!” 9:34 But the Pharisees 296 said, “By the ruler 297 of demons he casts out demons.” 298
9:35 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns 299 and villages, teaching in their synagogues, 300 preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. 301 9:36 When 302 he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, 303 like sheep without a shepherd. 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 9:38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest 304 to send out 305 workers into his harvest.”
10:1 Jesus 306 called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits 307 so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness. 308 10:2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: 309 first, Simon 310 (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother; 10:3 Philip and Bartholomew; 311 Thomas 312 and Matthew the tax collector; 313 James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 314 10:4 Simon the Zealot 315 and Judas Iscariot, 316 who betrayed him. 317
10:5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: 318 “Do not go to Gentile regions 319 and do not enter any Samaritan town. 320 10:6 Go 321 instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 10:7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, 322 cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 10:9 Do not take gold, silver, or copper in your belts, 10:10 no bag 323 for the journey, or an extra tunic, 324 or sandals or staff, 325 for the worker deserves his provisions. 10:11 Whenever 326 you enter a town or village, 327 find out who is worthy there 328 and stay with them 329 until you leave. 10:12 As you enter the house, give it greetings. 330 10:13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 331 10:14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off 332 your feet as you leave that house or that town. 10:15 I tell you the truth, 333 it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah 334 on the day of judgment than for that town!
10:16 “I 335 am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, 336 so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 10:17 Beware 337 of people, because they will hand you over to councils 338 and flog 339 you in their synagogues. 340 10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings 341 because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever 342 they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, 343 for what you should say will be given to you at that time. 344 10:20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
10:21 “Brother 345 will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against 346 parents and have them put to death. 10:22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 10:23 Whenever 347 they persecute you in one place, 348 flee to another. I tell you the truth, 349 you will not finish going through all the towns 350 of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
10:24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave 351 greater than his master. 10:25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!
10:26 “Do 352 not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden 353 that will not be revealed, 354 and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 10:27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, 355 proclaim from the housetops. 356 10:28 Do 357 not be afraid of those who kill the body 358 but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 359 10:29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? 360 Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 361 10:30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. 10:31 So do not be afraid; 362 you are more valuable than many sparrows.
10:32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges 363 me before people, I will acknowledge 364 before my Father in heaven. 10:33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring 365 peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 10:36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 366
10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And whoever does not take up his cross 367 and follow me is not worthy of me. 10:39 Whoever finds his life 368 will lose it, 369 and whoever loses his life because of me 370 will find it.
10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 371 10:41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever 372 receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 10:42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, 373 he will never lose his reward.”
11:1 When 374 Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
11:2 Now when John 375 heard in prison about the deeds Christ 376 had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question: 377 11:3 “Are you the one who is to come, 378 or should we look for another?” 11:4 Jesus answered them, 379 “Go tell John what you hear and see: 380 11:5 The blind see, the 381 lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 11:6 Blessed is anyone 382 who takes no offense at me.”
11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 383 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 384 11:8 What 385 did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? 386 Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! 387 11:9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more 388 than a prophet. 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written:
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, 389
who will prepare your way before you.’ 390
11:11 “I tell you the truth, 391 among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least 392 in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 11:12 From 393 the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. 394 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. 395 11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 11:15 The one who has ears had better listen! 396
11:16 “To 397 what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, 398
11:17 ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; 399
we wailed in mourning, 400 yet you did not weep.’
11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 401 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, 402 a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors 403 and sinners!’ 404 But wisdom is vindicated 405 by her deeds.” 406
11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities 407 in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! 408 Woe to you, Bethsaida! If 409 the miracles 410 done in you had been done in Tyre 411 and Sidon, 412 they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! 11:23 And you, Capernaum, 413 will you be exalted to heaven? 414 No, you will be thrown down to Hades! 415 For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom 416 on the day of judgment than for you!”
11:25 At that time Jesus said, 417 “I praise 418 you, Father, Lord 419 of heaven and earth, because 420 you have hidden these things from the wise 421 and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. 11:26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 422 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 423 No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides 424 to reveal him. 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke 425 on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His 426 disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat 427 and eat them. 12:2 But when the Pharisees 428 saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 He 429 said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate 430 the sacred bread, 431 which was against the law 432 for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? 433 12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 12:6 I 434 tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 12:7 If 435 you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ 436 you would not have condemned the innocent. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord 437 of the Sabbath.”
12:9 Then 438 Jesus 439 left that place and entered their synagogue. 440 12:10 A 441 man was there who had a withered 442 hand. And they asked Jesus, 443 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 444 so that they could accuse him. 12:11 He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? 12:12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored, 445 as healthy as the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate 446 him.
12:15 Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great 447 crowds 448 followed him, and he healed them all. 12:16 But he sternly warned them not to make him known. 12:17 This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet: 449
12:18 “Here is 450 my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I take great delight. 451
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,
until he brings justice to victory.
12:21 And in his name the Gentiles 452 will hope.” 453
12:22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus 454 healed him so that he could speak and see. 455 12:23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees 456 heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, 457 the ruler 458 of demons!” 12:25 Now when Jesus 459 realized what they were thinking, he said to them, 460 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 461 and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if 462 Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons 463 cast them 464 out? For this reason they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God 465 has already overtaken 466 you. 12:29 How 467 else can someone enter a strong man’s 468 house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. 469 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, 470 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 471 12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, 472 but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. 473 But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 474 either in this age or in the age to come.
12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad 475 and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 12:35 The good person 476 brings good things out of his 477 good treasury, 478 and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 12:36 I 479 tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
12:38 Then some of the experts in the law 480 along with some Pharisees 481 answered him, 482 “Teacher, we want to see a sign 483 from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, 484 “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish 485 for three days and three nights, 486 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people 487 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 488 – and now, 489 something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South 490 will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 491 something greater than Solomon is here!
12:43 “When 492 an unclean spirit 493 goes out of a person, 494 it passes through waterless places 495 looking for rest but 496 does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 497 When it returns, 498 it finds the house 499 empty, swept clean, and put in order. 500 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 501 the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
12:46 While Jesus 502 was still speaking to the crowds, 503 his mother and brothers 504 came and 505 stood outside, asking 506 to speak to him. 12:47 507 Someone 508 told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting 509 to speak to you.” 12:48 To the one who had said this, Jesus 510 replied, 511 “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 12:49 And pointing 512 toward his disciples he said, “Here 513 are my mother and my brothers! 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is 514 my brother and sister and mother.”
13:1 On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake. 13:2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while 515 the whole crowd stood on the shore. 13:3 He 516 told them many things in parables, 517 saying: “Listen! 518 A sower went out to sow. 519 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds 520 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other 521 seeds fell on rocky ground 522 where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 523 13:6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 13:7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, 524 and they grew up and choked them. 525 13:8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!” 526
13:10 Then 527 the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, 528 “You have been given 529 the opportunity to know 530 the secrets 531 of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 532 13:13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will listen carefully 533 yet will never understand,
you will look closely 534 yet will never comprehend.
13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’ 535
13:16 “But your eyes are blessed 536 because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 For I tell you the truth, 537 many prophets and righteous people longed to see 538 what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
13:18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one 539 comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; 540 this is the seed sown along the path. 13:20 The 541 seed sown on rocky ground 542 is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 13:21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; 543 when 544 trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 The 545 seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth 546 choke the word, 547 so it produces nothing. 13:23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” 548
13:24 He presented them with another parable: 549 “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds 550 among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When 551 the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves 552 of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 13:28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So 553 the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ 13:29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At 554 harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then 555 gather 556 the wheat into my barn.”’”
13:31 He gave 557 them another parable: 558 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed 559 that a man took and sowed in his field. 13:32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, 560 so that the wild birds 561 come and nest in its branches.” 562
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with 563 three measures 564 of flour until all the dough had risen.” 565
13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. 13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: 566
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 567
13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 13:37 He 568 answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 13:38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people 569 of the kingdom. The weeds are the people 570 of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 As 571 the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. 572 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, 573 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 574 The one who has ears had better listen! 575
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 13:46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 13:48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, 576 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” 13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law 577 who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
13:53 Now when 578 Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there. 13:54 Then 579 he came to his hometown 580 and began to teach the people 581 in their synagogue. 582 They 583 were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? 13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? 584 And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 13:56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?” 585 13:57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch 586 heard reports about Jesus, 14:2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 14:3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, 587 and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 14:4 because John had repeatedly told 588 him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 589 14:5 Although 590 Herod 591 wanted to kill John, 592 he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 14:6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 14:7 so much that he promised with an oath 593 to give her whatever she asked. 14:8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 14:9 Although it grieved the king, 594 because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 14:10 So 595 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 14:11 His 596 head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 14:12 Then John’s 597 disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.
14:13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it, 598 they followed him on foot from the towns. 599 14:14 As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 14:15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place 600 and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 14:16 But he 601 replied, “They don’t need to go. You 602 give them something to eat.” 14:17 They 603 said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 14:18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied. 14:19 Then 604 he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, 605 who in turn gave them to the crowds. 606 14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full. 14:21 Not counting women and children, there were about five thousand men who ate.
14:22 Immediately Jesus 607 made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 14:23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 14:24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, 608 was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 14:25 As the night was ending, 609 Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 610 14:26 When 611 the disciples saw him walking on the water 612 they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 14:27 But immediately Jesus 613 spoke to them: 614 “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 14:28 Peter 615 said to him, 616 “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 14:29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, 617 “Lord, save me!” 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 14:32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 14:33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
14:34 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 618 14:35 When the people 619 there recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding area, and they brought all their sick to him. 14:36 They begged him if 620 they could only touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
15:1 Then Pharisees 621 and experts in the law 622 came from Jerusalem 623 to Jesus and said, 624 15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their 625 hands when they eat.” 626 15:3 He answered them, 627 “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, 628 ‘Honor your father and mother’ 629 and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 630 15:5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” 631 15:6 he does not need to honor his father.’ 632 You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. 15:7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said,
15:8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart 633 is far from me,
15:9 and they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” 634
15:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, 635 “Listen and understand. 15:11 What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what 636 comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.” 15:12 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that when the Pharisees 637 heard this saying they were offended?” 15:13 And he replied, 638 “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 15:14 Leave them! They are blind guides. 639 If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, 640 both will fall into a pit.” 15:15 But Peter 641 said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 15:16 Jesus 642 said, “Even after all this, are you still so foolish? 15:17 Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer? 643 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. 15:19 For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 15:20 These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person.” 644
15:21 After going out from there, Jesus went to the region of Tyre 645 and Sidon. 646 15:22 A 647 Canaanite woman from that area came 648 and cried out, 649 “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!” 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. Then 650 his disciples came and begged him, 651 “Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us.” 15:24 So 652 he answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 15:25 But she came and bowed down 653 before him and said, 654 “Lord, help me!” 15:26 “It is not right 655 to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” 656 he said. 657 15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, 658 “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 15:28 Then 659 Jesus answered her, “Woman, 660 your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
15:29 When he left there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain, where he sat down. 15:30 Then 661 large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They 662 laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 15:31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
15:32 Then Jesus called the 663 disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.” 15:33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?” 15:34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven – and a few small fish.” 15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. 664 15:37 They 665 all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 15:38 Not counting children and women, 666 there were four thousand men who ate. 667 15:39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. 668
16:1 Now when the Pharisees 669 and Sadducees 670 came to test Jesus, 671 they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 672 16:2 He 673 said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ 674 You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, 675 but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then 676 he left them and went away.
16:5 When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread. 16:6 “Watch out,” Jesus said to them, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees 677 and Sadducees.” 678 16:7 So 679 they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “It is because we brought no bread.” 16:8 When Jesus learned of this, 680 he said, “You who have such little faith! 681 Why are you arguing 682 among yourselves about having no bread? 16:9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 16:10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? 16:11 How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” 16:12 Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
16:13 When 683 Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, 684 he asked his disciples, 685 “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 16:14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, 686 and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter answered, 687 “You are the Christ, 688 the Son of the living God.” 16:17 And Jesus answered him, 689 “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood 690 did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades 691 will not overpower it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 16:20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 692
16:21 From that time on 693 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem 694 and suffer 695 many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, 696 and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 16:22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: 697 “God forbid, 698 Lord! This must not happen to you!” 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” 699 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, 700 he must deny 701 himself, take up his cross, 702 and follow me. 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life 703 will lose it, 704 but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 16:26 For what does it benefit a person 705 if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life? 16:27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 706 16:28 I tell you the truth, 707 there are some standing here who will not 708 experience 709 death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” 710
17:1 Six days later 711 Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, 712 and led them privately up a high mountain. 17:2 And he was transfigured before them. 713 His 714 face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 17:3 Then Moses 715 and Elijah 716 also appeared before them, talking with him. 17:4 So 717 Peter said 718 to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make 719 three shelters 720 – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 17:5 While he was still speaking, a 721 bright cloud 722 overshadowed 723 them, and a voice from the cloud said, 724 “This is my one dear Son, 725 in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” 726 17:6 When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. 727 17:7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.” 17:8 When 728 they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.
17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, 729 “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 17:10 The disciples asked him, 730 “Why then do the experts in the law 731 say that Elijah must come first?” 17:11 He 732 answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. 17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In 733 the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
17:14 When 734 they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 17:15 and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures 735 and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water. 17:16 I brought him to your disciples, but 736 they were not able to heal him.” 17:17 Jesus answered, 737 “You 738 unbelieving 739 and perverse generation! How much longer 740 must I be with you? How much longer must I endure 741 you? 742 Bring him here to me.” 17:18 Then 743 Jesus rebuked 744 the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment. 17:19 Then the disciples came 745 to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 17:20 He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, 746 if you have faith the size of 747 a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing 748 will be impossible for you.”
17:21 [[EMPTY]] 74917:22 When 750 they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 751 17:23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they became greatly distressed.
17:24 After 752 they arrived in Capernaum, 753 the collectors of the temple tax 754 came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?” 17:25 He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, 755 “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons 756 or from foreigners?” 17:26 After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons 757 are free. 17:27 But so that we don’t offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin. 758 Take that and give it to them for me and you.”
18:1 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, 759 unless you turn around and become like little children, 760 you will never 761 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 762 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, 763 it would be better for him to have a huge millstone 764 hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. 765 18:7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It 766 is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come. 18:8 If 767 your hand or your foot causes you to sin, 768 cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have 769 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 770 two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell. 771
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]] 772 18:12 What do you think? If someone 773 owns a hundred 774 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? 775 18:13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, 776 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 777 your brother 778 sins, 779 go and show him his fault 780 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. 781 18:17 If 782 he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If 783 he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like 784 a Gentile 785 or a tax collector. 786
18:18 “I tell you the truth, 787 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, 788 if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 789 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 790 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! 791
18:23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 792 18:24 As 793 he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents 794 was brought to him. 18:25 Because 795 he was not able to repay it, 796 the lord ordered him to be sold, along with 797 his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. 18:26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground 798 before him, saying, 799 ‘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 800 he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. 801 So 802 he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, 803 saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 804 18:29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 805 ‘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 806 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 807 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 808 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 809 brother 810 from your heart.”
19:1 Now when 811 Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River. 812 19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
19:3 Then some Pharisees 813 came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful 814 to divorce a wife for any cause?” 815 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female, 816 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’? 817 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?” 818 19:8 Jesus 819 said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, 820 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 821 disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 19:11 He 822 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, 823 and some who were made eunuchs 824 by others, 825 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. 826 But the disciples scolded those who brought them. 827 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.” 828 19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way. 829
19:16 Now 830 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, 831 and love your neighbor as yourself.” 832 19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed 833 all these laws. 834 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 835 to the poor, and you will have treasure 836 in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. 837
19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, 838 it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! 19:24 Again I say, 839 it is easier for a camel 840 to go through the eye of a needle 841 than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 19:25 The 842 disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?” 843 19:26 Jesus 844 looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, 845 but for God all things are possible.” 19:27 Then Peter said 846 to him, “Look, 847 we have left everything to follow you! 848 What then will there be for us?” 19:28 Jesus 849 said to them, “I tell you the truth: 850 In the age when all things are renewed, 851 when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging 852 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 853 and will inherit eternal life. 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner 854 who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 20:2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, 855 he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, 856 he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 20:4 He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 20:5 So they went. When 857 he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, 858 he did the same thing. 20:6 And about five o’clock that afternoon 859 he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ 20:7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ 20:8 When 860 it was evening 861 the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay 862 starting with the last hired until the first.’ 20:9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay. 863 20:10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 20:11 When 864 they received it, they began to complain 865 against the landowner, 20:12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 20:13 And the landowner 866 replied to one of them, 867 ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? 868 20:14 Take what is yours and go. I 869 want to give to this last man 870 the same as I gave to you. 20:15 Am I not 871 permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 872 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, 873 he took the twelve 874 aside privately and said to them on the way, 20:18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. 875 They will condemn him to death, 20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely 876 and crucified. 877 Yet 878 on the third day, he will be raised.”
20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. 879 20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, 880 “Permit 881 these two sons of mine to sit, one at your 882 right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 20:22 Jesus 883 answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! 884 Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” 885 They said to him, “We are able.” 886 20:23 He told them, “You will drink my cup, 887 but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
20:24 Now 888 when the other ten 889 heard this, 890 they were angry with the two brothers. 20:25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 20:26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave 891 – 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom 892 for many.”
20:29 As they were leaving Jericho, 893 a large crowd followed them. 20:30 Two 894 blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, 895 “Have mercy 896 on us, Lord, Son of David!” 897 20:31 The 898 crowd scolded 899 them to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Lord, have mercy on us, 900 Son of David!” 20:32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 20:33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 20:34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
21:1 Now 901 when they approached Jerusalem 902 and came to Bethphage, 903 at the Mount of Olives, 904 Jesus sent two disciples, 21:2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. 905 Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 21:3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ 906 and he will send them at once.” 21:4 This 907 took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: 908
21:5 “Tell the people of Zion, 909
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 910
21:6 So 911 the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks 912 on them, and he sat on them. 21:8 A 913 very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, 914 “Hosanna 915 to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 916 Hosanna in the highest!” 21:10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, 917 saying, “Who is this?” 21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth 918 in Galilee.”
21:12 Then 919 Jesus entered the temple area 920 and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, 921 and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ 922 but you are turning it into a den 923 of robbers!” 924
21:14 The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them. 21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law 925 saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, 926 “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 21:16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?” 927 21:17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
21:18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 21:19 After noticing a fig tree 928 by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once. 21:20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21:21 Jesus 929 answered them, “I tell you the truth, 930 if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, 931 you will receive.”
21:23 Now after Jesus 932 entered the temple courts, 933 the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority 934 are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus 935 answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” 936 They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 21:26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.” 21:27 So 937 they answered Jesus, 938 “We don’t know.” 939 Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you 940 by what authority 941 I am doing these things.
21:28 “What 942 do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 21:29 The boy answered, 943 ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart 944 and went. 21:30 The father 945 went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, 946 ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” 947 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 948 tax collectors 949 and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although 950 you saw this, you did not later change your minds 951 and believe him.
21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner 952 who planted a vineyard. 953 He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then 954 he leased it to tenant farmers 955 and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves 956 to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 957 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, 958 killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, 959 saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39 So 960 they seized him, 961 threw him out of the vineyard, 962 and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 963
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 964
21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people 965 who will produce its fruit. 21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” 966 21:45 When 967 the chief priests and the Pharisees 968 heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds 969 regarded him as a prophet.
22:1 Jesus spoke 970 to them again in parables, saying: 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 22:3 He sent his slaves 971 to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 22:4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. 972 My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 22:5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 22:6 The 973 rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 22:7 The 974 king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death 975 and set their city 976 on fire. 22:8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 22:9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 22:10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 22:11 But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 22:12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say. 977 22:13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
22:15 Then the Pharisees 978 went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. 979 22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, 980 saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 981 You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. 982 22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right 983 to pay taxes 984 to Caesar 985 or not?”
22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 22:19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” So 986 they brought him a denarius. 987 22:20 Jesus 988 said to them, “Whose image 989 is this, and whose inscription?” 22:21 They replied, 990 “Caesar’s.” He said to them, 991 “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 992 22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned, 993 and they left him and went away.
22:23 The same day Sadducees 994 (who say there is no resurrection) 995 came to him and asked him, 996 22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children 997 for his brother.’ 998 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. 22:26 The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. 22:27 Last 999 of all, the woman died. 22:28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” 1000 22:29 Jesus 1001 answered them, “You are deceived, 1002 because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God. 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels 1003 in heaven. 22:31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, 1004 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 1005 He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” 1006 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
22:34 Now when the Pharisees 1007 heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, 1008 they assembled together. 1009 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, 1010 asked him a question to test 1011 him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 1012 22:37 Jesus 1013 said to him, “‘Love 1014 the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 1015 22:38 This is the first and greatest 1016 commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 1017 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend 1018 on these two commandments.”
22:41 While 1019 the Pharisees 1020 were assembled, Jesus asked them a question: 1021 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ? 1022 Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.” 1023 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,
22:44 ‘The Lord said to my lord, 1024
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 1025
22:45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 1026 22:46 No one 1027 was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.
23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 23:2 “The 1028 experts in the law 1029 and the Pharisees 1030 sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 1031 23:4 They 1032 tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They 1033 do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries 1034 wide and their tassels 1035 long. 23:6 They 1036 love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues 1037 23:7 and elaborate greetings 1038 in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. 1039 23:11 The 1040 greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law 1041 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! 1042 You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! 1043 For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.
23:14 [[EMPTY]] 104423:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law 1045 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, 1046 and when you get one, 1047 you make him twice as much a child of hell 1048 as yourselves!
23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. 1049 But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. 1050 But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law 1051 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth 1052 of mint, dill, and cumin, 1053 yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You 1054 should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! 1055
23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law 1056 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, 1057 so that the outside may become clean too!
23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law 1058 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 1059 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law 1060 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You 1061 build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves 1062 of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, 1063 we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 1064
23:34 “For this reason I 1065 am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, 1066 some of whom you will kill and crucify, 1067 and some you will flog 1068 in your synagogues 1069 and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, 1070 whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, 1071 this generation will be held responsible for all these things! 1072
23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 1073 you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! 1074 How often I have longed 1075 to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but 1076 you would have none of it! 1077 23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” 1078
24:1 Now 1079 as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. 1080 24:2 And he said to them, 1081 “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, 1082 not one stone will be left on another. 1083 All will be torn down!” 1084
24:3 As 1085 he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things 1086 happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 24:4 Jesus answered them, 1087 “Watch out 1088 that no one misleads you. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ 1089 and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 1090 24:7 For nation will rise up in arms 1091 against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines 1092 and earthquakes 1093 in various places. 24:8 All 1094 these things are the beginning of birth pains.
24:9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations 1095 because of my name. 1096 24:10 Then many will be led into sin, 1097 and they will betray one another and hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive 1098 many, 24:12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 1099 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, 1100 and then the end will come.
24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation 1101 – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 24:16 then those in Judea must flee 1102 to the mountains. 24:17 The one on the roof 1103 must not come down 1104 to take anything out of his house, 24:18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 24:19 Woe 1105 to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 24:20 Pray 1106 that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 24:21 For then there will be great suffering 1107 unlike anything that has happened 1108 from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 24:23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ 1109 or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24:24 For false messiahs 1110 and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 24:25 Remember, 1111 I have told you ahead of time. 24:26 So then, if someone 1112 says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ 1113 do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. 24:27 For just like the lightning 1114 comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures 1115 will gather. 1116
24:29 “Immediately 1117 after the suffering 1118 of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 1119 24:30 Then 1120 the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 1121 and 1122 all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They 1123 will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven 1124 with power and great glory. 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven 1125 to the other.
24:32 “Learn 1126 this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 24:33 So also you, when you see all these things, know 1127 that he is near, right at the door. 24:34 I tell you the truth, 1128 this generation 1129 will not pass away until all these things take place. 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 1130
24:36 “But as for that day and hour no one knows it – not even the angels in heaven 1131 – except the Father alone. 24:37 For just like the days of Noah 1132 were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:38 For in those days before the flood, people 1133 were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 24:39 And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. 1134 It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man. 1135 24:40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. 1136 24:41 There will be two women grinding grain with a mill; 1137 one will be taken and one left.
24:42 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day 1138 your Lord will come. 24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief 1139 was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. 24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 1140
24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, 1141 whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves 1142 their food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work 1143 when he comes. 24:47 I tell you the truth, 1144 the master 1145 will put him in charge of all his possessions. 24:48 But if 1146 that evil slave should say to himself, 1147 ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 24:49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 24:50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, 24:51 and will cut him in two, 1148 and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five 1149 of the virgins 1150 were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When 1151 the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra 1152 olive oil 1153 with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When 1154 the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 1155 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The 1156 foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. 1157 ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then 1158 the door was shut. 25:11 Later, 1159 the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 1160 25:12 But he replied, 1161 ‘I tell you the truth, 1162 I do not know you!’ 25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 1163
25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves 1164 and entrusted his property to them. 25:15 To 1165 one he gave five talents, 1166 to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work 1167 and gained five more. 25:17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 25:18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 25:19 After 1168 a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The 1169 one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, 1170 you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, 1171 ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:22 The 1172 one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25:25 so 1173 I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 25:26 But his master answered, 1174 ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, 1175 and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 1176 25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 1177 25:29 For the one who has will be given more, 1178 and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 1179 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
25:31 “When 1180 the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All 1181 the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He 1182 will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 1183 ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When 1184 did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When 1185 did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, 1186 ‘I tell you the truth, 1187 just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters 1188 of mine, you did it for me.’
25:41 “Then he will say 1189 to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 25:44 Then they too will answer, 1190 ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, 1191 ‘I tell you the truth, 1192 just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
[4:2] 2 tn Grk “and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.”
[4:3] 3 tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”
[4:4] 4 tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.
[4:4] 5 tn Or “a person.” Greek ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.
[4:4] 6 tn Grk “will not live.” The verb in Greek is a future tense, but it is unclear whether it is meant to be taken as a command (also known as an imperatival future) or as a statement of reality (predictive future).
[4:4] 7 sn A quotation from Deut 8:3.
[4:5] 8 sn The order of the second and third temptations differs in Luke’s account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew.
[4:5] 9 tn Grk “and he stood him.”
[4:5] 10 sn The highest point of the temple probably refers to the point on the temple’s southeast corner where it looms directly over a cliff some 450 ft (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.
[4:6] 11 sn A quotation from Ps 91:11. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).
[4:6] 12 sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.
[4:7] 13 sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.
[4:9] 15 tn Grk “if, falling down, you will worship.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
[4:10] 16 tc The majority of later witnesses (C2 D L Z 33 Ï) have “behind me” (ὀπίσω μου; opisw mou) after “Go away.” But since this is the wording in Matt 16:23, where the text is certain, scribes most likely added the words here to conform to the later passage. Further, the shorter reading has superior support (א B C*vid K P W Δ 0233 Ë1,13 565 579* 700 al). Thus, both externally and internally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.
[4:10] 17 sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.
[4:11] 18 tn Grk “and behold, angels.” 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).
[4:12] 20 tn Or “arrested,” “taken into custody” (see L&N 37.12).
[4:13] 21 map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.
[4:13] 22 tn Grk “and leaving Nazareth, he came and took up residence in Capernaum.”
[4:13] sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region, and it became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry.
[4:13] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[4:13] 23 tn Or “by the lake.”
[4:13] sn By the sea refers to the Sea of Galilee.
[4:14] 24 tn The redundant participle λέγοντος (legontos) has not been translated here.
[4:16] 25 sn A quotation from Isa 9:1.
[4:17] 26 tn Grk “and to say.”
[4:18] 27 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[4:18] 28 tn The two phrases in this verse placed in parentheses are explanatory comments by the author, parenthetical in nature.
[4:19] 29 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
[4:19] sn The kind of fishing envisioned was net – not line – fishing (cf. v. 18; cf. also BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμφιβάλλω, ἀμφίβληστρον) which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new “catch” (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment (cf. W. L. Lane, Mark [NICNT], 67). If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life.
[4:20] 30 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[4:20] 31 sn The expression followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.
[4:21] 32 tn Or “their boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do here); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats), while Matthew does not.
[4:21] 33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[4:22] 34 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[4:23] 36 sn Synagogues were places for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
[4:24] 37 tn Grk “And they”; “they” is probably an indefinite plural, referring to people in general rather than to the Syrians (cf. v. 25).
[4:24] 38 tn Grk “those who were moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic” (so NAB), although now the term is generally regarded as referring to some sort of seizure disorder such as epilepsy (L&N 23.169; BDAG 919 s.v. σεληνιάζομαι).
[4:24] 39 tn The translation has adopted a different phrase order here than that in the Greek text. The Greek text reads, “People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those possessed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics.” Even though it is obvious that four separate groups of people are in view here, following the Greek word order could lead to the misconception that certain people were possessed by epileptics and paralytics. The word order adopted in the translation avoids this problem.
[4:25] 40 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the places in the list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[4:25] sn The Decapolis refers to a league of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay across the Jordan River.
[4:25] 41 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:25] 42 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”).
[5:1] 43 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[5:1] 44 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").
[5:1] sn The expression up the mountain here may be idiomatic or generic, much like the English “he went to the hospital” (cf. 15:29), or even intentionally reminiscent of Exod 24:12 (LXX), since the genre of the Sermon on the Mount seems to be that of a new Moses giving a new law.
[5:2] 45 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:2] 46 tn Grk “And opening his mouth he taught them, saying.” The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.
[5:3] 47 sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.
[5:3] 48 sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.
[5:3] 49 sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.
[5:4] 50 sn The promise they will be comforted is the first of several “reversals” noted in these promises. The beatitudes and the reversals that accompany them serve in the sermon as an invitation to enter into God’s care, because one can know God cares for those who turn to him.
[5:6] 51 sn Those who hunger are people like the poor Jesus has already mentioned. The term has OT roots both in conjunction with the poor (Isa 32:6-7; 58:6-7, 9-10; Ezek 18:7, 16) or by itself (Ps 37:16-19; 107:9).
[5:9] 52 tn Grk “sons,” though traditionally English versions have taken this as a generic reference to both males and females, hence “children” (cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT).
[5:11] 53 tn Grk “when they insult you.” The third person pronoun (here implied in the verb ὀνειδίσωσιν [ojneidiswsin]) has no specific referent, but refers to people in general.
[5:11] 54 tc Although ψευδόμενοι (yeudomenoi, “bearing witness falsely”) could be a motivated reading, clarifying that the disciples are unjustly persecuted, its lack in only D it sys Tert does not help its case. Since the Western text is known for numerous free alterations, without corroborative evidence the shorter reading must be judged as secondary.
[5:13] 55 sn Salt was used as seasoning or fertilizer (BDAG 41 s.v. ἅλας a), or as a preservative. If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.
[5:13] 56 sn The difficulty of this saying is understanding how salt could lose its flavor since its chemical properties cannot change. It is thus often assumed that Jesus was referring to chemically impure salt, perhaps a natural salt which, when exposed to the elements, had all the genuine salt leached out, leaving only the sediment or impurities behind. Others have suggested that the background of the saying is the use of salt blocks by Arab bakers to line the floor of their ovens; under the intense heat these blocks would eventually crystallize and undergo a change in chemical composition, finally being thrown out as unserviceable. A saying in the Talmud (b. Bekhorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca.
[5:15] 57 tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.
[5:15] 58 tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).
[5:17] 59 tn Grk “not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Direct objects (“these things,” “them”) were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but have been supplied here to conform to contemporary English style.
[5:18] 60 tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[5:18] 61 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[5:18] 62 tn Grk “Not one iota or one serif.”
[5:18] sn The smallest letter refers to the smallest Hebrew letter (yod) and the stroke of a letter to a serif (a hook or projection on a Hebrew letter).
[5:19] 63 tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).
[5:20] 64 tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[5:20] 65 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[5:21] 66 tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”
[5:21] 67 sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.
[5:22] 68 tc The majority of
[5:22] 69 tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”
[5:22] 70 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
[5:22] 71 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”
[5:22] 72 tn The meaning of the term μωρός (mwros) is somewhat disputed. Most take it to mean, following the Syriac versions, “you fool,” although some have argued that it represents a transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew term מוֹרֵה (moreh) “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20; cf. BDAG 663 s.v. μωρός c).
[5:22] 73 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
[5:22] 74 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”
[5:22] sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
[5:25] 75 tn Grk “Make friends.”
[5:25] 76 tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[5:25] 77 tn Grk “the accuser.”
[5:26] 78 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[5:26] 79 tn Here the English word “penny” is used as opposed to the parallel in Luke 12:59 where “cent” appears since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.
[5:26] sn The penny here was a quadrans, a Roman copper coin worth 1/64 of a denarius (L&N 6.78). The parallel passage in Luke 12:59 mentions the lepton, equal to one-half of a quadrans and thus the smallest coin available.
[5:27] 80 sn A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17.
[5:29] 81 sn On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[5:31] 82 sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
[5:33] 83 tn Grk “the ancient ones.”
[5:33] 84 sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.
[5:35] 85 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:37] 86 tn The term πονηροῦ (ponhrou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified, however, since it is articular (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponhrou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in v. 39, which is the same construction.
[5:38] 87 sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
[5:39] 88 tn The articular πονηρός (ponhro", “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).
[5:39] 89 tc ‡ Many
[5:40] 90 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
[5:41] 91 sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them.
[5:42] 92 sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).
[5:42] 93 tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
[5:43] 94 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[5:44] 95 tc Most
[5:45] 96 tn Grk “be sons of your Father in heaven.” Here, however, the focus is not on attaining a relationship (becoming a child of God) but rather on being the kind of person who shares the characteristics of God himself (a frequent meaning of the Semitic idiom “son of”). See L&N 58.26.
[5:46] 97 sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.
[5:48] 98 sn This remark echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”
[6:1] 99 tc ‡ Several
[6:1] 100 tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”
[6:2] 101 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).
[6:2] 102 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[6:2] 103 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[6:4] 104 tc L W Θ 0250 Ï it read ἐν τῷ φανερῷ (en tw fanerw, “openly”) at the end of this verse, giving a counterweight to what is done in secret. But this reading is suspect because of the obvious literary balance, because of detouring the point of the passage (the focus of vv. 1-4 is not on two kinds of public rewards but on human vs. divine approbation), and because of superior external testimony that lacks this reading (א B D Z Ë1,13 33 al).
[6:5] 105 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[6:6] 106 sn The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).
[6:6] 107 tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.
[6:7] 108 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:8] 109 tn Grk “So do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[6:9] 110 sn Pray this way. What follows, although traditionally known as the Lord’s prayer, is really the disciples’ prayer. It represents how they are to approach God, by acknowledging his uniqueness and their need for his provision and protection.
[6:9] 111 sn God is addressed in terms of intimacy (Father). The original Semitic term here was probably Abba. The term is a little unusual in a personal prayer, especially as it lacks qualification. It is not the exact equivalent of “daddy” (as is sometimes popularly suggested), but it does suggest a close, familial relationship.
[6:9] 112 tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”
[6:10] 113 sn Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God’s promised rule.
[6:11] 114 tn Or “Give us bread today for the coming day,” or “Give us today the bread we need for today.” The term ἐπιούσιος (epiousio") does not occur outside of early Christian literature (other occurrences are in Luke 11:3 and Didache 8:2), so its meaning is difficult to determine. Various suggestions include “daily,” “the coming day,” and “for existence.” See BDAG 376-77 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.
[6:12] 115 tn Or “as even we.” The phrase ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes ἡμεῖς emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.
[6:13] 116 tn Or “into a time of testing.”
[6:13] sn The request do not lead us into temptation is not to suggest God causes temptation, but is a rhetorical way to ask for his protection from sin.
[6:13] 117 tc Most
[6:13] tn The term πονηροῦ (ponhrou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified since it is articular (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponhrou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in 5:39, which is the same construction.
[6:14] 118 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”
[6:16] 119 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:16] 120 tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”
[6:16] 121 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[6:17] 122 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:19] 123 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
[6:21] 124 tn The pronouns in this verse are singular while the pronouns in vv. 19-20 are plural. The change to singular emphasizes personal responsibility as opposed to corporate responsibility; even if others do not listen, the one who hears Jesus’ commands should obey.
[6:21] 125 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so.
[6:22] 126 tn Or “sound” (so L&N 23.132 and most scholars). A few scholars take this word to mean something like “generous” here (L&N 57.107). partly due to the immediate context concerning money, in which case the “eye” is a metonymy for the entire person (“if you are generous”).
[6:23] 127 tn Or “if your eye is sick” (L&N 23.149).
[6:23] sn There may be a slight wordplay here, as this term can also mean “evil,” so the figure uses a term that points to the real meaning of being careful as to what one pays attention to or looks at.
[6:24] 128 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
[6:24] 129 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
[6:24] 130 tn Grk “God and mammon.”
[6:24] sn The term money is used to translate mammon, the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. God must be first, not money or possessions.
[6:25] 131 tn Or “do not be anxious,” and so throughout the rest of this paragraph.
[6:26] 132 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[6:26] 133 tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”
[6:26] 134 tn Grk “of more value.”
[6:27] 135 tn Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, “hour” is usually used [BDAG 812 s.v.] although “day” has been suggested [L&N 67.151]). The term ἡλικία (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as πῆχυς (phcus). Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BDAG 436 s.v. 3 for discussion). Worry about length of life seems a more natural figure than worry about height. However, the point either way is clear: Worrying adds nothing to life span or height.
[6:28] 136 tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.
[6:28] 137 tn Or, traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English reads better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.
[6:30] 138 tn Grk “grass of the field.”
[6:30] 139 tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.
[6:30] sn The oven was most likely a rounded clay oven used for baking bread, which was heated by burning wood and dried grass.
[6:30] 140 sn The phrase even more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.
[6:32] 141 tn Or “unbelievers”; Grk “Gentiles.”
[6:33] 142 tc ‡ Most
[6:33] sn God’s kingdom is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong.
[6:34] 143 tn Grk “Sufficient for the day is its evil.”
[7:1] 144 sn The point of the statement do not judge so that you will not be judged is that the standards we apply to others God applies to us. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.
[7:2] 145 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
[7:3] 146 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[7:3] 147 sn The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see L&N 3.66.
[7:3] 148 tn Or “do not notice.”
[7:3] 149 sn The term beam of wood refers to a very big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (L&N 7.78).
[7:4] 150 tn Grk “how will you say?”
[7:6] 151 tn Or “otherwise the latter will trample them under their feet and the former will turn around and tear you to pieces.” This verse is sometimes understood as a chiasm of the pattern a-b-b-a, in which the first and last clauses belong together (“dogs…turn around and tear you to pieces”) and the second and third clauses belong together (“pigs…trample them under their feet”).
[7:7] 152 sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
[7:7] 153 tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.
[7:8] 154 sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
[7:9] 155 tn Grk “Or is there.”
[7:10] 156 sn The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”
[7:11] 157 tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.
[7:11] 158 sn The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.
[7:12] 159 tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:12] 160 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
[7:12] 161 sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.
[7:15] 163 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
[7:16] 164 tn Grk “They do not gather.” This has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.
[7:16] 165 sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
[7:17] 166 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[7:21] 167 sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.
[7:22] 168 tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:23] 169 tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
[7:24] 170 tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:24] 171 tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
[7:24] 172 tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.
[7:25] 173 tn Grk “the rivers.”
[7:27] 174 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
[7:28] 175 tn Grk “And it happened when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[7:29] 176 sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim; he taught with authority. A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.
[7:29] 177 tn Or “their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[8:2] 178 tn Grk “And behold, a leper 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).
[8:2] sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what we call leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).
[8:2] 179 tn Grk “a leper approaching, bowed low before him, saying.”
[8:2] 180 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
[8:3] 181 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
[8:4] 182 sn The command for silence was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 9:30, 12:16, 16:20, and 17:9 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence concerning him and his ministry.
[8:4] 184 sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
[8:4] 185 tn Or “as an indictment against them.” The pronoun αὐτοῖς (autoi") may be a dative of disadvantage.
[8:5] 186 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
[8:5] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[8:5] 187 sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like the apostle Paul did.
[8:5] 188 sn While in Matthew’s account the centurion came to him asking for help, Luke’s account (7:1-10) mentions that the centurion sent some Jewish elders as emissaries on his behalf.
[8:6] 189 tn Grk “and saying, ‘Lord.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 6 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[8:6] 190 tn The Greek term here is παῖς (pais), often used of a slave who was regarded with some degree of affection, possibly a personal servant (Luke 7:7 uses the more common term δοῦλος, doulos). See L&N 87.77.
[8:7] 191 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:8] 192 tn Grk “But answering, the centurion replied.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:9] 193 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
[8:9] 194 sn I say to this one ‘Go’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
[8:9] 195 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times… in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. 1). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
[8:9] 196 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[8:10] 197 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:10] 198 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[8:11] 199 tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of being among the people of God at the end.
[8:11] sn 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
[8:11] 200 tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[8:12] 201 sn Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a figure for remorse and trauma, which occurs here because of exclusion from God’s promise.
[8:13] 202 tc ‡ Most
[8:14] 203 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[8:14] 204 tn Grk “having been thrown down.” The verb βεβλημένην (beblhmenhn) is a perfect passive participle of the verb βάλλω (ballw, “to throw”). This indicates the severity of her sickness.
[8:15] 205 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
[8:16] 206 sn Note how the author distinguishes healing from exorcism here, implying that the two are not identical.
[8:17] 207 tn Grk “was fulfilled, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:17] 208 sn A quotation from Isa 53:4.
[8:18] 209 tc ‡ Codex B and some Sahidic
[8:18] 210 tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.
[8:19] 211 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
[8:19] 212 tn Or “a scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[8:19] 213 sn The statement I will follow you wherever you go is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.
[8:20] 214 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[8:20] 215 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
[8:21] 216 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:21] 217 tc ‡ Most
[8:22] 218 sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20
[8:23] 219 sn A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.
[8:25] 220 tn The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:26] 221 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[8:26] 222 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
[8:26] 223 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
[8:27] 224 tn It is difficult to know whether ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) should be translated as “men” or “people” (in a generic sense) here. At issue is whether (1) only the Twelve were with Jesus in the boat, as opposed to other disciples (cf. v. 23), and (2) whether any of those other disciples would have been women. The issue is complicated further by the parallel in Mark (4:35-41), where the author writes (4:36) that other boats accompanied them on this journey.
[8:27] 225 tn Grk “the men were amazed, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
[8:27] 226 sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about his identity (What sort of person is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.
[8:28] 227 tc The textual tradition here is quite complicated. A number of
[8:28] sn The region of the Gadarenes would be in Gentile territory on the southeastern side of the Sea of Galilee across from Galilee. Luke 8:26 and Mark 5:1 record this miracle as occurring “in the region of the Gerasenes.” “Irrespective of how one settles this issue, for the [second and] Third Evangelist the chief concern is that Jesus has crossed over into Gentile territory, ‘opposite Galilee’” (J. B. Green, Luke [NICNT], 337). The region of Gadara extended to the Sea of Galilee and included the town of Sennabris on the southern shore – the town that the herdsmen most likely entered after the drowning of the pigs.
[8:29] 228 tn Grk “And behold, they cried out, saying.” 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). The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:29] 229 tn Grk “what to us and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί (ti Jhmin kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his own, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). These nuances were apparently expanded in Greek, but the basic notions of defensive hostility (option 1) and indifference or disengagement (option 2) are still present. BDAG suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Leave me alone! Never mind! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: “Leave us alone….”
[8:29] 230 sn There was an appointed time in which demons would face their judgment, and they seem to have viewed Jesus’ arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God’s plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed.
[8:30] 231 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:31] 232 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[8:32] 233 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[8:32] 234 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
[8:33] 235 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:33] 236 tn Or “city.” But see the sn on “Gadarenes” in 8:28.
[8:34] 237 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. 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).
[9:1] 239 sn His own town refers to Capernaum. It was a town of approximately 1000-1500, though of some significance.
[9:2] 240 tn Grk “And behold, they were bringing.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the people carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher bearers’ appearance.
[9:2] 241 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:2] 242 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinh) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
[9:2] 243 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
[9:2] 244 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
[9:3] 245 tn Grk “And behold.” 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 “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
[9:3] 246 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[9:3] 247 sn Blaspheming meant to say something that dishonored God. To claim divine prerogatives or claim to speak for God when one really does not would be such an act of offense. The remark raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry.
[9:5] 248 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
[9:6] 249 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
[9:6] 250 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
[9:6] 251 sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
[9:6] 252 tn Grk “to your house.”
[9:7] 253 tn Grk “to his house.”
[9:8] 254 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:8] 255 tc Most witnesses (C L Θ 0233 Ë13 Ï) have ἐθαύμασαν (eqaumasan; “marveled, were amazed”) instead of ἐφοβήθησαν (efobhqhsan) here, effectively turning the fearful reaction into one of veneration. But the harder reading is well supported by א B D W 0281 Ë1 33 892 1424 al lat co and thus is surely authentic.
[9:8] 256 tn Grk “people.” The plural of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") usually indicates people in general, but the singular is used in the expression “Son of Man.” There is thus an ironic allusion to Jesus’ statement in v. 6: His self-designation as “Son of Man” is meant to be unique, but the crowd regards it simply as meaning “human, person.” To maintain this connection for the English reader the plural ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated here as “men” rather than as the more generic “people.”
[9:9] 257 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.
[9:9] sn The tax booth was a booth located on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean. The “taxes” were collected on produce and goods brought into the area for sale, and were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices (L&N 57.183). It was here that Jesus met Matthew (also named Levi [see Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27]) who was ultimately employed by the Romans, though perhaps more directly responsible to Herod Antipas. It was his job to collect taxes for Rome and he was thus despised by Jews who undoubtedly regarded him as a traitor.
[9:10] 258 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[9:10] 259 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 260 tn Grk “was reclining at table.”
[9:10] sn As Jesus was having a meal. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
[9:10] 261 tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 262 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[9:11] 263 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[9:11] 264 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.
[9:12] 265 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:12] 266 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
[9:13] 267 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).
[9:14] 268 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[9:14] 269 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:14] 270 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[9:14] 271 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
[9:15] 272 tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
[9:15] 273 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).
[9:15] 275 sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 16:13ff.
[9:17] 276 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
[9:17] 277 sn The meaning of the saying new wine into new wineskins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
[9:20] 278 tn Grk “And behold a woman.” 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).
[9:20] 279 sn Suffering from a hemorrhage. The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage which would make her ritually unclean.
[9:20] 280 sn The edge of his cloak refers to the kraspedon, the blue tassel on the garment that symbolized a Jewish man’s obedience to the law (cf. Num 15:37-41). The woman thus touched the very part of Jesus’ clothing that indicated his ritual purity.
[9:20] 281 tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.
[9:21] 282 tn The imperfect verb is here taken iteratively, for the context suggests that the woman was trying to find the courage to touch Jesus’ cloak.
[9:21] sn In this pericope the author uses a term for being healed (Grk “saved”) that would have spiritual significance to his readers. It may be a double entendre (cf. parallel in Mark 5:28 which uses the same term), since elsewhere he uses verbs that simply mean “heal”: If only the reader would “touch” Jesus, he too would be “saved.”
[9:22] 284 tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the immediate context; it refers only to the woman’s healing.
[9:24] 286 tn Grk “They were laughing at him.” The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
[9:26] 287 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79.
[9:27] 288 tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[9:27] 289 sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.
[9:27] 290 sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).
[9:28] 291 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:28] 292 tn Grk “to him, and Jesus.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[9:31] 293 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79.
[9:32] 294 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:32] 295 tn Grk “away, behold, they brought a man to him.” 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).
[9:34] 296 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[9:34] 298 tc Although codex Cantabrigiensis (D), along with a few other Western versional and patristic witnesses, lacks this verse, virtually all other witnesses have it. The Western text’s reputation for free alterations as well as the heightened climax if v. 33 concludes this pericope explains why these witnesses omitted the verse.
[9:35] 300 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[9:35] 301 tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:36] 302 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:36] 303 tn Or “because they had been bewildered and helpless.” The translational issue is whether the perfect participles are predicate (as in the text) or are pluperfect periphrastic (the alternate translation). If the latter, the implication would seem to be that the crowds had been in such a state until the Great Shepherd arrived.
[9:38] 304 sn The phrase Lord of the harvest recognizes God’s sovereignty over the harvest process.
[9:38] 305 tn Grk “to thrust out.”
[10:1] 307 sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
[10:1] 308 tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[10:2] 309 sn The term apostles is rare in the gospels, found only here, Mark 3:14, and six more times in Luke (6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10).
[10:2] 310 sn In the various lists of the twelve, Simon (that is, Peter) is always mentioned first (see also Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.
[10:3] 311 sn Bartholomew (meaning “son of Tolmai” in Aramaic) could be another name for Nathanael mentioned in John 1:45.
[10:3] 312 sn This is the “doubting Thomas” of John 20:24-29.
[10:3] 313 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[10:3] 314 tc Witnesses differ on the identification of the last disciple mentioned in v. 3: He is called Λεββαῖος (Lebbaio", “Lebbaeus”) in D, Judas Zelotes in it, and not present in sys. The Byzantine text, along with a few others (C[*],2 L W Θ Ë1 33 Ï), conflates earlier readings by calling him “Lebbaeus, who was called Thaddaeus,” while codex 13 pc conflate by way of transposition (“Thaddaeus, who was called Lebbaeus”). But excellent witnesses of the earliest texttypes (א B Ë13 892 pc lat co) call him merely Θαδδαῖος (Qaddaio", “Thaddaeus”), a reading which, because of this support, is most likely correct.
[10:4] 315 tn Grk “the Cananean,” but according to both BDAG 507 s.v. Καναναῖος and L&N 11.88, this term has no relation at all to the geographical terms for Cana or Canaan, but is derived from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast, zealot” (see Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), possibly because of an earlier affiliation with the party of the Zealots. He may not have been technically a member of the particular Jewish nationalistic party known as “Zealots” (since according to some scholars this party had not been organized at that time), but simply someone who was zealous for Jewish independence from Rome, in which case the term would refer to his temperament.
[10:4] 316 sn There is some debate about what the name Iscariot means. It probably alludes to a region in Judea and thus might make Judas the only non-Galilean in the group. Several explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). For further discussion see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 1:546; also D. A. Carson, John, 304.
[10:4] 317 tn Grk “who even betrayed him.”
[10:5] 318 tn Grk “instructing them, saying.”
[10:5] 319 tn Grk “on the road of the Gentiles.” That is, a path that leads to Gentile regions.
[10:5] 320 tn Grk “town [or city] of the Samaritans.”
[10:6] 321 tn Grk “But go.” The Greek μᾶλλον (mallon, “rather, instead”) conveys the adversative nuance here so that δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:8] 322 tc The majority of Byzantine minuscules, along with a few other witnesses (C3 K L Γ Θ 700* al), lack νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε (nekrou" ejgeirete, “raise the dead”), most likely because of oversight due to a string of similar endings (-ετε in the second person imperatives, occurring five times in v. 8). The longer version of this verse is found in several diverse and ancient witnesses such as א B C* (D) N 0281vid Ë1,13 33 565 al lat; P W Δ 348 have a word-order variation, but nevertheless include νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε. Although some Byzantine-text proponents charge the Alexandrian witnesses with theologically-motivated alterations toward heterodoxy, it is interesting to find a variant such as this in which the charge could be reversed (do the Byzantine scribes have something against the miracle of resurrection?). In reality, such charges of wholesale theologically-motivated changes toward heterodoxy are immediately suspect due to lack of evidence of intentional changes (here the change is evidently due to accidental omission).
[10:10] 323 tn Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).
[10:10] 324 tn Grk “two tunics.” See the note on the word “tunic” in Matt 5:40.
[10:10] 325 sn Mark 6:8 allows one staff. It might be that Matthew’s summary (cf. Luke 9:3) means not taking an extra staff or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.
[10:11] 326 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:11] 327 tn Grk “Into whatever town or village you enter.” This acts as a distributive, meaning every town or village they enter; this is expressed more naturally in English as “whenever you enter a town or village.”
[10:11] 328 tn Grk “in it” (referring to the city or village).
[10:11] 329 tn Grk “there.” This was translated as “with them” to avoid redundancy in English and to clarify where the disciples were to stay.
[10:11] sn Jesus telling his disciples to stay with them in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.
[10:12] 330 tn This is a metonymy; the “house” is put for those who live in it.
[10:13] 331 sn The response to these messengers determines how God’s blessing is bestowed – if the messengers are not welcomed, their blessing will return to them. Jesus shows just how important their mission is by this remark.
[10:14] 332 sn To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.
[10:15] 333 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[10:15] 334 sn The allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment.
[10:16] 335 tn Grk “Behold I.” 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).
[10:16] 336 sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.
[10:17] 337 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:17] 338 sn Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.
[10:17] 339 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
[10:17] 340 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[10:18] 341 sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.
[10:19] 342 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:19] 343 tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”
[10:19] 344 tn Grk “in that hour.”
[10:21] 345 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:21] 346 tn Or “will rebel against.”
[10:23] 347 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:23] 348 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”
[10:23] 349 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
[10:23] 350 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.” “Town” was chosen here to emphasize the extensive nature of the disciples’ ministry. The same word is translated earlier in the verse as “place.”
[10:24] 351 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[10:26] 352 tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[10:26] 353 tn Or “concealed.”
[10:26] 354 sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice here and in the next verb see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known.
[10:27] 355 tn Grk “what you hear in the ear,” an idiom.
[10:27] 356 tn The expression “proclaim from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.
[10:28] 357 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[10:28] 358 sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.
[10:28] 359 sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[10:29] 360 sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.
[10:29] 361 tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”
[10:31] 362 sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.
[10:32] 363 tn Or “confesses.”
[10:32] 364 tn Grk “I will acknowledge him also.”
[10:32] sn This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. On Jesus and judgment, see Luke 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.
[10:34] 365 tn Grk “cast.” For βάλλω (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.
[10:36] 366 tn Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.
[10:38] 367 sn It was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion for the prisoner to be made to carry his own cross. Jesus is speaking figuratively here in the context of rejection. If the priority is not one’s allegiance to Jesus, then one will not follow him in the face of possible rejection.
[10:39] 368 tn Grk “his soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
[10:39] 369 sn If there is no willingness to suffer the world’s rejection at this point, then one will not respond to Jesus (which is trying to find life) and then will be subject to this judgment (which is losing it).
[10:39] 370 tn Or “for my sake.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1).
[10:40] 371 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
[10:41] 372 tn Grk “And whoever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[10:42] 373 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[11:1] 374 tn Grk “And it happened when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[11:2] 375 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[11:2] 376 tc The Western codex D and a few other
[11:2] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[11:2] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[11:2] 377 tc Instead of “by his disciples” (see the tn below for the reading of the Greek), the majority of later
[11:2] tn Grk “sending by his disciples he said to him.” The words “a question” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[11:3] 378 sn Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Matt 3:1-12.
[11:4] 379 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[11:4] 380 sn What you hear and see. The following activities all paraphrase various OT descriptions of the time of promised salvation: Isa 35:5-6; 26:19; 29:18-19; 61:1. Jesus is answering not by acknowledging a title, but by pointing to the nature of his works, thus indicating the nature of the time.
[11:5] 381 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. Two other conjunctions are omitted in this series.
[11:7] 384 tn There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.
[11:8] 385 tn Grk “But what.” Here ἀλλά (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated. The same situation occurs at the beginning of v. 9.
[11:8] 386 sn The reference to fancy clothes makes the point that John was not rich or powerful, in that he did not come from the wealthy classes.
[11:9] 388 tn John the Baptist is “more” because he introduces the one (Jesus) who brings the new era. The term is neuter, but may be understood as masculine in this context (BDAG 806 s.v. περισσότερος b).
[11:10] 389 tn Grk “before your face” (an idiom).
[11:10] 390 sn The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.
[11:11] 391 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[11:11] 392 sn After John comes a shift of eras. The new era is so great that the lowest member of it (the one who is least in the kingdom of God) is greater than the greatest one of the previous era.
[11:12] 393 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:12] 394 tn Or “the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent people take hold of it.” For a somewhat different interpretation of this passage, see the note on the phrase “urged to enter in” in Luke 16:16.
[11:13] 395 tn The word “appeared” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[11:15] 396 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[11:16] 397 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:16] 398 tn Grk “who call out to one another, saying.” The participle λέγουσιν (legousin) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[11:17] 399 sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 18-19) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.
[11:17] 400 tn The verb ἐθρηνήσαμεν (eqrhnhsamen) refers to the loud wailing and lamenting used to mourn the dead in public in 1st century Jewish culture.
[11:18] 401 sn John the Baptist was too separatist and ascetic for some, and so he was accused of not being directed by God, but by a demon.
[11:19] 402 tn Grk “Behold a man.”
[11:19] 403 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[11:19] 404 sn Neither were they happy with Jesus (the Son of Man), even though he was the opposite of John and associated freely with people like tax collectors and sinners. Either way, God’s messengers were subject to complaint.
[11:19] 405 tn Or “shown to be right.”
[11:19] 406 tc Most witnesses (B2 C D L Θ Ë1 33 Ï lat) have “children” (τέκνων, teknwn) here instead of “deeds” (ἔργων, ergwn), but since “children” is the reading of the parallel in Luke 7:35, scribes would be motivated to convert the less colorful “deeds” into more animate offspring of wisdom. Further, ἔργων enjoys support from א B* W (Ë13) as well as early versional and patristic support.
[11:20] 407 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.” “Cities” was chosen here to emphasize the size of the places Jesus’ mentions in the following verses.
[11:21] 408 sn Chorazin was a town of Galilee that was probably fairly small in contrast to Bethsaida and is otherwise unattested. Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after
[11:21] 409 tn This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.
[11:21] 410 tn Or “powerful deeds.”
[11:21] 411 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[11:21] 412 sn Tyre and Sidon are two other notorious OT cities (Isa 23; Jer 25:22; 47:4). The remark is a severe rebuke, in effect: “Even the sinners of the old era would have responded to the proclamation of the kingdom, unlike you!”
[11:21] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[11:23] 413 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
[11:23] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[11:23] 414 tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.
[11:23] 415 sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).
[11:24] 416 sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious, and will result in more severe punishment, than the worst sins of the old era. The phrase region of Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
[11:25] 417 tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[11:25] 419 sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.
[11:25] 421 sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.
[11:26] 422 tn Grk “for (to do) thus was well-pleasing before you,” BDAG 325 s.v. ἔμπροσθεν 1.b.δ; speaking of something taking place “before” God is a reverential way of avoiding direct connection of the action to him.
[11:27] 423 sn This verse has been noted for its conceptual similarity to teaching in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined.
[11:27] 424 tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.
[11:29] 425 sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restrictions that a teacher or rabbi would place on his followers.
[12:1] 426 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:1] 427 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).
[12:2] 428 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:3] 429 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:4] 430 tc The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (efagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (Ì70 C D L W Θ Ë1,13 33 Ï latt sy co) in place of ἔφαγον (efagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B pc. ἔφαγεν is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).
[12:4] 431 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”
[12:4] sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5.
[12:4] 432 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
[12:4] 433 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
[12:6] 434 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:7] 435 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:7] 436 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
[12:8] 437 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
[12:8] sn A second point in Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ actions was that his authority as Son of Man also allowed it, since as Son of Man he was lord of the Sabbath.
[12:9] 438 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:9] 439 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:9] 440 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[12:10] 441 tn Grk “And behold.” 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).
[12:10] 442 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
[12:10] 443 tn Grk “and they asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated. The referent of the pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:10] 444 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
[12:13] 445 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
[12:15] 447 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[12:15] 448 tc א B pc lat read only πολλοί (polloi, “many”) here, the first hand of N reads ὄχλοι (ocloi, “crowds”), while virtually all the rest of the witnesses have ὄχλοι πολλοί (ocloi polloi, “great crowds”). In spite of the good quality of both א and B (especially in combination), and the testimony of the Latin witnesses, the longer reading is most likely correct; the shorter readings were probably due to homoioteleuton.
[12:17] 449 tn Grk “so that what was said by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying.” This final clause, however, is part of one sentence in Greek (vv. 15b-17) and is thus not related only to v. 16. The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[12:18] 450 tn Grk “Behold my servant.”
[12:18] 451 tn Grk “in whom my soul is well pleased.”
[12:21] 452 tn Or “the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[12:21] 453 sn Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
[12:22] 454 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:22] 455 tn Grk “demoniac, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
[12:24] 456 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:24] 457 tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”
[12:24] sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
[12:25] 459 tc The majority of
[12:25] 460 sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 25-28) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 29) about tying up the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-11) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 12:31-32).
[12:25] 461 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
[12:26] 462 tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
[12:27] 463 sn Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists (cf. “your followers,” L&N 9.4), but more likely this is a reference to the disciples of Jesus themselves, who are also Jewish and have been healing as well (R. J. Shirock, “Whose Exorcists are they? The Referents of οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19,” JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). If this is a reference to the disciples, then Jesus’ point is that it is not only him, but those associated with him whose power the hearers must assess. The following reference to judging also favors this reading.
[12:27] 464 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:28] 465 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong.
[12:28] 466 tn The phrase ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (efqasen ef’ Juma") is quite important. Does it mean merely “approach” (which would be reflected in a translation like “has come near to you”) or actually “come upon” (as in the translation given above, “has already overtaken you,” which has the added connotation of suddenness)? Is the arrival of the kingdom merely anticipated or already in process? Two factors favor arrival over anticipation here. First, the prepositional phrase ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (ef’ Jumas, “upon you”) in the Greek text suggests arrival (Dan 4:24, 28 Theodotion). Second, the following illustration in v. 29 looks at the healing as portraying Satan being overrun. So the presence of God’s authority has arrived. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of φθάνω (fqanw) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already.”
[12:29] 467 tn Grk “Or how can.”
[12:29] 468 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
[12:29] 469 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
[12:30] 470 sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.
[12:30] 471 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
[12:31] 472 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
[12:32] 473 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
[12:32] 474 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
[12:32] sn Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.
[12:33] 475 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[12:35] 476 tn The Greek text reads here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person.
[12:35] 477 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“his evil treasury”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
[12:35] 478 sn The treasury here is a metaphorical reference to a person’s heart (cf. BDAG 456 s.v. θησαυρός 1.b and the parallel passage in Luke 6:45).
[12:36] 479 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:38] 480 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[12:38] 481 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.
[12:38] sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:38] 482 tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
[12:38] 483 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[12:39] 484 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[12:40] 485 tn Grk “large sea creature.”
[12:40] 486 sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.
[12:41] 487 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[12:41] 488 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[12:42] 490 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
[12:43] 492 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:43] 493 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
[12:43] 494 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
[12:43] 495 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
[12:43] 496 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[12:44] 497 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
[12:44] 499 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
[12:44] 500 sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
[12:45] 501 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
[12:46] 502 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:46] 503 tn Grk “crowds, behold, his mother.” 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).
[12:46] 504 sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.
[12:46] 505 tn “His mother and brothers came and” is a translation of “behold, his mother and brothers came.”
[12:47] 507 tc A few ancient
[12:47] 508 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:48] 510 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:48] 511 tn Grk “And answering, he said to the one who had said this.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) at the beginning of the clause has not been translated.
[12:49] 512 tn Grk “extending his hand.”
[12:49] 513 tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”
[12:50] 514 tn The pleonastic pronoun αὐτός (autos, “he”) which precedes this verb has not been translated.
[13:2] 515 tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
[13:3] 516 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:3] 517 sn Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. the remainder of chapter 13), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.
[13:3] 519 sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable, drawn from a typical scene in the Palestinian countryside, is a field through which a well-worn path runs. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots (Isa 55:10-11). The point of the parable of the sower is to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God.
[13:4] 520 tn In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 (ἅ…αὐτά [Ja…auta]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [epesen]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).
[13:5] 521 tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:5] 522 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
[13:5] 523 tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”
[13:7] 524 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
[13:7] 525 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
[13:9] 526 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[13:10] 527 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[13:11] 528 tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:11] 529 tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).
[13:11] 530 tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.
[13:11] 531 tn Grk “the mysteries.”
[13:11] sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).
[13:12] 532 sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.
[13:14] 533 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
[13:14] 534 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
[13:15] 535 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
[13:16] 536 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
[13:17] 537 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.”
[13:17] 538 sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.
[13:19] 539 sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Mark 4:15 has “Satan,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.
[13:19] 540 sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.
[13:20] 541 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:20] 542 tn Grk “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one.” The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.
[13:21] 543 tn Grk “is temporary.”
[13:21] 544 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 545 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 546 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
[13:22] 547 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
[13:23] 548 tn The Greek is difficult to translate because it switches from a generic “he” to three people within this generic class (thus, something like: “Who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one instance a hundred times, in another, sixty times, in another, thirty times”).
[13:24] 549 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:25] 550 tn Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).
[13:26] 551 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:27] 552 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[13:28] 553 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
[13:30] 554 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:30] 556 tn Grk “burned, but gather.”
[13:31] 557 tn Grk “put before.”
[13:31] 558 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:31] 559 sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
[13:32] 560 sn This is rhetorical hyperbole, since technically a mustard plant is not a tree. This could refer to one of two types of mustard plant popular in Palestine and would be either ten or twenty-five ft (3 or 7.5 m) tall.
[13:32] 561 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[13:32] 562 sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.
[13:33] 564 sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” Three of these was a very large quantity of flour, since a saton is a little over 16 pounds (7 kg) of dry measure (or 13.13 liters). So this was over 47 lbs (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.
[13:33] 565 tn Grk “it was all leavened.”
[13:33] sn The parable of the yeast and the dough teaches that the kingdom of God will start small but eventually grow to permeate everything. Jesus’ point was not to be deceived by its seemingly small start, the same point made in the parable of the mustard seed, which preceded this one.
[13:35] 566 tc A few important
[13:35] tn Grk “was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[13:35] 567 sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
[13:37] 568 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:38] 569 tn Grk “the sons of the kingdom.” This idiom refers to people who should properly be, or were traditionally regarded as, a part of God’s kingdom. L&N 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”
[13:38] 570 tn Grk “the sons of the evil one.” See the preceding note on the phrase “people of the kingdom” earlier in this verse, which is the opposite of this phrase. See also L&N 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.
[13:40] 571 tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[13:41] 572 tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
[13:42] 573 sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.
[13:43] 574 sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
[13:43] 575 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[13:50] 576 sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
[13:52] 577 tn Or “every scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4. It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the author, Matthew, to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe [JSNTSup].
[13:53] 578 tn Grk “Now it happened that when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[13:54] 579 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[13:54] 580 sn Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.
[13:54] 581 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:54] 582 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.
[13:54] 583 tn Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here ὥστε (Jwste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.
[13:55] 584 sn The reference to Jesus as the carpenter’s son is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to his mother…Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1-2; John 4:41; 8:41; 9:29).
[13:56] 585 tn Grk “Where did he get these things?”
[14:1] 586 sn A tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
[14:3] 587 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א2 C D L W Z Θ 0106 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various important witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 pc ff1 h q). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
[14:4] 588 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
[14:4] 589 sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
[14:5] 590 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[14:5] 591 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:5] 592 tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:7] 593 tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (Jomologew); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise with an oath” for certain contexts such as here.
[14:9] 594 tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”
[14:9] sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
[14:10] 595 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[14:11] 596 tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 597 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[14:13] 598 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.
[14:15] 600 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
[14:16] 601 tc ‡ The majority of witnesses read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsous, “Jesus”) here, perhaps to clarify the subject. Although only a few Greek
[14:16] 602 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (Jumeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
[14:17] 603 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:19] 604 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[14:19] 605 tn Grk “And after instructing the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass, after taking the five loaves and the two fish, after looking up to heaven, he gave thanks, and after breaking the loaves he gave them to the disciples.” Although most of the participles are undoubtedly attendant circumstance, there are but two indicative verbs – “he gave thanks” and “he gave.” The structure of the sentence thus seems to focus on these two actions and has been translated accordingly.
[14:19] 606 tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”
[14:22] 607 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:24] 608 tn Grk “The boat was already many stades from the land.” A stade (στάδιον, stadion) was a unit of distance about 607 feet (187 meters) long.
[14:25] 609 tn Grk “In the fourth watch of the night,” that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
[14:25] 610 tn Or “on the lake.”
[14:26] 611 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:26] 612 tn Grk “on the sea”; or “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 25).
[14:27] 613 tc Most witnesses have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsous, “Jesus”), while a few lack the words (א* D 073 892 pc ff1 syc sa bo). Although such additions are often suspect (due to liturgical influences, piety, or for the sake of clarity), in this case it is likely that ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς dropped out accidentally. Apart from a few albeit important witnesses, as noted above, the rest of the tradition has either ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς αὐτοῖς (Jo Ihsous autois) or αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (autois Jo Ihsous). In uncial letters, with Jesus’ name as a nomen sacrum, this would have been written as autoisois_ or ois_autois. Thus homoioteleuton could explain the reason for the omission of Jesus’ name.
[14:27] 614 tn Grk “he said to them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:28] 615 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:28] 616 tn Grk “answering him, Peter said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:30] 617 tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:34] 618 sn Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Mark 6:53). The Sea of Galilee was also sometimes known as the Sea of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).
[14:35] 619 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[14:36] 620 tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”
[15:1] 621 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[15:1] 622 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[15:1] 623 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:1] 624 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.
[15:2] 625 tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 Ë1 579 700 892 1424 pc f g1); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA27 has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[15:2] 626 tn Grk “when they eat bread.”
[15:3] 627 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”
[15:4] 628 tc Most
[15:4] 629 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
[15:4] 630 sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
[15:5] 631 tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.
[15:6] 632 tc The logic of v. 5 would seem to demand that both father and mother are in view in v. 6. Indeed, the majority of
[15:6] tn Grk “he will never honor his father.” Here Jesus is quoting the Pharisees, whose intent is to release the person who is giving his possessions to God from the family obligation of caring for his parents. The verb in this phrase is future tense, and it is negated with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest negation possible in Greek. A literal translation of the phrase does not capture the intended sense of the statement; it would actually make the Pharisees sound as if they agreed with Jesus. Instead, a more interpretive translation has been used to focus upon the release from family obligations that the Pharisees allowed in these circumstances.
[15:6] sn Here Jesus refers to something that has been set aside as a gift to be given to God at some later date, but which is still in the possession of the owner. According to contemporary Jewish tradition, the person who made this claim was absolved from responsibility to support or assist his parents, a clear violation of the Mosaic law to honor one’s parents (v. 4).
[15:8] 633 tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
[15:9] 634 sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.
[15:10] 635 tn Grk “And calling the crowd, he said to them.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as attendant circumstance. The emphasis here is upon Jesus’ speaking to the crowd.
[15:11] 636 tn Grk “but what.”
[15:12] 637 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[15:13] 638 tn Grk “And answering, he said.”
[15:14] 639 tc ‡ Most
[15:14] 640 tn Grk “If blind leads blind.”
[15:15] 641 tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to him.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[15:16] 642 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[15:17] 643 tn Or “into the latrine.”
[15:20] 644 tn Grk “but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
[15:21] 645 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[15:21] 646 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[15:22] 647 tn Grk “And behold a Canaanite.” 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).
[15:22] 648 tn Grk The participle ἐξελθοῦσα (exelqousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.
[15:22] 649 tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:23] 650 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[15:23] 651 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:24] 652 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The construction in Greek is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ request.
[15:25] 653 tn In this context the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew), which often describes worship, probably means simply bowing down to the ground in an act of reverence or supplication (see L&N 17.21).
[15:25] 654 tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.”
[15:26] 655 tn Grk “And answering, he said, ‘It is not right.’” The introductory phrase “answering, he said” has been simplified and placed at the end of the English sentence for stylistic reasons. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[15:26] 656 tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”
[15:26] sn The term dogs does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus’ ministry. The woman’s response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request.
[15:26] 657 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[15:27] 658 tn Grk “she said.”
[15:28] 659 tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.
[15:28] 660 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.
[15:30] 661 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[15:30] 662 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:32] 663 tc ‡ Although the external evidence is not great (א W Θ 700 pc), the internal evidence for the omission of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after “disciples” is fairly strong. The pronoun may have been added by way of clarification. NA27, however, includes the pronoun, on the basis of the much stronger external evidence.
[15:36] 664 tn Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”
[15:37] 665 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:38] 666 tc ‡ Although most witnesses (B C L W Ë13 33 Ï f sys,p,h mae) read “women and children” instead of “children and women,” it is likely that the majority’s reading is a harmonization to Matt 14:21. “Children and women” is found in early and geographically widespread witnesses (e.g., א D [Θ Ë1] 579 lat syc sa bo), and has more compelling internal arguments on its side, suggesting that this is the original reading. NA27, however, agrees with the majority of witnesses.
[15:38] 667 tn Grk “And those eating were four thousand men, apart from children and women.”
[15:39] 668 sn Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.
[16:1] 669 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:1] 670 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:1] 671 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
[16:1] 672 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[16:2] 673 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:3] 674 tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).
[16:3] 675 tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
[16:4] 676 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[16:6] 677 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:6] 678 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:7] 679 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
[16:8] 680 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
[16:8] 681 tn Grk “Those of little faith.”
[16:8] 682 tn Or “discussing.”
[16:13] 683 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:13] 684 map For location see Map1 C1; Map2 F4.
[16:13] 685 tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
[16:14] 686 sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.
[16:16] 687 tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.”
[16:16] 688 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[16:16] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[16:17] 689 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
[16:17] 690 tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.
[16:18] 691 tn Or “and the power of death” (taking the reference to the gates of Hades as a metonymy).
[16:18] sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Matt 11:23; Luke 16:23; Rev 20:13-14). Some translations render this by its modern equivalent, “hell”; others see it as a reference to the power of death.
[16:20] 692 tc Most
[16:20] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[16:20] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[16:21] 693 tn Grk “From then.”
[16:21] 694 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:21] 695 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
[16:21] 696 tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[16:22] 697 tn Grk “began to rebuke him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[16:22] 698 tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (L&N 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”
[16:24] 700 tn Grk “to come after me.”
[16:24] 701 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
[16:24] 702 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.
[16:25] 703 tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).
[16:25] 704 sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.
[16:26] 705 tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
[16:27] 706 sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
[16:28] 707 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[16:28] 708 tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is the strongest possible.
[16:28] 709 tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).
[16:28] 710 sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.
[17:1] 711 tn Grk “And after six days.”
[17:1] 712 tn Grk “John his brother” with “his” referring to James.
[17:2] 713 sn In 1st century Judaism and in the NT, there was the belief that the righteous get new, glorified bodies in order to enter heaven (1 Cor 15:42-49; 2 Cor 5:1-10). This transformation means the righteous will share the glory of God. One recalls the way Moses shared the Lord’s glory after his visit to the mountain in Exod 34. So the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, and they were getting a sneak preview of the great glory that Jesus would have (only his glory is more inherent to him as one who shares in the rule of the kingdom).
[17:2] 714 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[17:3] 715 tn Grk “And behold, Moses.” 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).
[17:3] 716 sn Commentators and scholars discuss why Moses and Elijah are present. The most likely explanation is that Moses represents the prophetic office (Acts 3:18-22) and Elijah pictures the presence of the last days (Mal 4:5-6), the prophet of the eschaton (the end times).
[17:4] 717 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the appearance of Moses and Elijah prompted Peter’s comment.
[17:4] 718 tn Grk “Peter answering said.” This construction is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[17:4] 719 tc Instead of the singular future indicative ποιήσω (poihsw, “I will make”), most witnesses (C3 D L W Θ [Φ] 0281 Ë[1],13 33 Ï lat sy co) have the plural aorist subjunctive ποιήσωμεν (poihswmen, “let us make”). But since ποιήσωμεν is the reading found in the parallel accounts in Mark and Luke, it is almost surely a motivated reading. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, as well as a few others (א B C* 700 pc) have ποιήσω. It is thus more likely that the singular verb is authentic.
[17:4] 720 tn Or “booths,” “dwellings” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).
[17:4] sn Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next verse makes it clear that it was not enough honor.
[17:5] 721 tn Grk “behold, a.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[17:5] 722 sn This cloud is the cloud of God’s presence and the voice is his as well.
[17:5] 723 tn Or “surrounded.”
[17:5] 724 tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
[17:5] 725 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
[17:5] 726 sn The expression listen to him comes from Deut 18:15 and makes two points: 1) Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a leader-prophet, and 2) they have much yet to learn from him.
[17:6] 727 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
[17:8] 728 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[17:9] 729 tn Grk “Jesus commanded them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[17:10] 730 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
[17:10] 731 tn Or “do the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[17:11] 732 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation.
[17:12] 733 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[17:14] 734 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[17:15] 735 tn Grk “he is moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic” (so NAB, NASB), although now the term is generally regarded as referring to some sort of seizure disorder such as epilepsy (L&N 23.169; BDAG 919 s.v. σεληνιάζομαι).
[17:16] 736 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[17:17] 737 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[17:17] 738 tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (w), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”
[17:17] 739 tn Or “faithless.”
[17:17] sn The rebuke for lack of faith has OT roots: Num 14:27; Deut 32:5, 30; Isa 59:8.
[17:17] 740 tn Grk “how long.”
[17:17] 741 tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.
[17:17] 742 sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.
[17:18] 743 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[17:18] 744 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
[17:19] 745 tn Grk “coming, the disciples said.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselqontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
[17:20] 746 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[17:20] 747 tn Grk “faith as,” “faith like.”
[17:20] 748 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[17:21] 749 tc Many important
[17:22] 750 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[17:22] 751 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV “into human hands”; TEV, CEV “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.
[17:24] 752 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[17:24] 753 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[17:24] 754 tn Grk “Collectors of the double drachma.” This is a case of metonymy, where the coin formerly used to pay the tax (the double drachma coin, or δίδραχμον [didracmon]) was put for the tax itself (cf. BDAG 241 s.v.). Even though this coin was no longer in circulation in NT times and other coins were used to pay the tax, the name for the coin was still used to refer to the tax itself.
[17:24] sn The temple tax refers to the half-shekel tax paid annually by male Jews to support the temple (Exod 30:13-16).
[17:25] 755 tn Grk “spoke first to him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[17:25] 756 sn The phrase their sons may mean “their citizens,” but the term “sons” has been retained here in order to preserve the implicit comparison between the Father and his Son, Jesus.
[17:26] 757 sn See the note on the phrase their sons in the previous verse.
[17:27] 758 sn The four drachma coin was a stater (στατήρ, stathr), a silver coin worth four drachmas. One drachma was equivalent to one denarius, the standard pay for a day’s labor (L&N 6.80).
[18:3] 759 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:3] 760 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] 761 tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.
[18:5] 762 tn This verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).
[18:6] 763 tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”
[18:6] 764 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] 765 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] 766 tn Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[18:8] 767 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:8] 768 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] 769 tn Grk “than having.”
[18:9] 770 tn Grk “than having.”
[18:9] 771 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”
[18:9] sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[18:11] 772 tc The most important
[18:12] 773 tn Grk “a certain man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
[18:12] 774 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] 775 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] 776 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:15] 777 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated. All the “if” clauses in this paragraph are third class conditions in Greek.
[18:15] 778 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] 779 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] 780 tn Grk “go reprove him.”
[18:16] 781 sn A quotation from Deut 19:15.
[18:17] 782 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:17] 783 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:17] 784 tn Grk “let him be to you as.”
[18:17] 786 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] 787 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:19] 788 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:19] 789 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] 790 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] 791 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] 792 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[18:24] 793 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:24] 794 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] 795 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:25] 796 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] 797 tn Grk “and his wife.”
[18:26] 798 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] 799 tc The majority of
[18:28] 800 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[18:28] 801 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] 802 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] 803 tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”
[18:28] 804 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] 805 tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[18:31] 806 tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[18:32] 807 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:34] 808 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] 809 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] 810 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] 811 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] 812 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] 813 tn Grk “And Pharisees.”
[19:3] sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[19:3] 814 tc ‡ Most
[19:3] 815 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] 816 sn A quotation from Gen 1:27; 5:2.
[19:5] 817 sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.
[19:7] 818 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] 819 tc A few important
[19:8] tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:8] 820 tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).
[19:10] 821 tc ‡ Some significant witnesses, along with the majority of later
[19:11] 822 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:12] 823 tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).
[19:12] 824 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] 826 tn Grk “so that he would lay his hands on them and pray.”
[19:13] 827 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] 828 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] 829 tn Grk “went from there.”
[19:16] 830 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] 831 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.
[19:19] 832 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[19:20] 833 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] 834 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] 835 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] 836 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] 837 tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, kthma) is often used for land as a possession.
[19:23] 838 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[19:24] 839 tn Grk “I say to you.”
[19:24] 840 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] 841 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] 842 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:25] 843 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
[19:26] 844 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:26] 845 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] 846 tn Grk “Then answering, Peter said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
[19:27] 847 sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice have been noticed.
[19:27] 848 tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
[19:28] 849 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[19:28] 850 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[19:28] 851 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] 852 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] 853 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.
[20:1] 854 sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
[20:2] 855 tn Grk “agreeing with the workers for a denarius a day.”
[20:2] sn The standard wage was a denarius a day. The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer in Palestine in the 1st century.
[20:3] 856 tn Grk “about the third hour.”
[20:5] 857 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[20:5] 858 tn Grk “he went out again about the sixth and ninth hour.”
[20:6] 859 tn Grk “about the eleventh hour.”
[20:8] 860 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[20:8] 861 sn That is, six o’clock in the evening, the hour to pay day laborers. See Lev 19:13b.
[20:8] 862 tc ‡ Most witnesses (including B D W Θ Ë1,13 33vid Ï latt sy) have αὐτοῖς (autois, “to them”) after ἀπόδος (apodos, “give the pay”), but this seems to be a motivated reading, clarifying the indirect object. The omission is supported by א C L Z 085 Or. Nevertheless, NA27 includes the pronoun on the basis of the greater external attestation.
[20:9] 863 tn Grk “each received a denarius.” See the note on the phrase “standard wage” in v. 2.
[20:11] 864 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[20:11] 865 tn The imperfect verb ἐγόγγυζον (egonguzon) has been translated ingressively.
[20:13] 866 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the landowner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:13] 867 tn Grk “And answering, he said to one of them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
[20:13] 868 tn Grk “for a denarius a day.”
[20:14] 869 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[20:14] 870 tn Grk “this last one,” translated as “this last man” because field laborers in 1st century Palestine were men.
[20:15] 871 tc ‡ Before οὐκ (ouk, “[am I] not”) a number of significant witnesses read ἤ (h, “or”; e.g., א C W 085 Ë1,13 33 and most others). Although in later Greek the οι in σοι (oi in soi) – the last word of v. 14 – would have been pronounced like ἤ, since ἤ is lacking in early
[20:15] 872 tn Grk “Is your eye evil because I am good?”
[20:17] 873 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:17] 874 tc ‡ A number of significant witnesses (e.g., B C W 085 33 lat) have μαθητάς (maqhtas, “disciples”) after δώδεκα (dwdeka, “twelve”), perhaps by way of clarification, while other important witnesses lack the word (e.g., א D L Θ Ë1,13). The longer reading looks to be a scribal clarification, and hence is considered to be secondary. NA27 puts the word in brackets to show doubts about its authenticity.
[20:18] 875 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[20:19] 876 tn Traditionally, “scourged” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “The ‘verberatio’ is denoted in the passion predictions and explicitly as action by non-Israelites Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33”; the verberatio was the beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system. Here the term μαστιγόω (mastigow) has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.
[20:19] 877 sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63-66 §§163-70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.
[20:19] 878 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[20:20] 879 tn Grk “asked something from him.”
[20:21] 880 tn Grk “said to him.”
[20:21] 881 tn Grk “Say that.”
[20:21] 882 tc A majority of witnesses read σου (sou, “your”) here, perhaps for clarification. At the same time, it is possible that the pronoun dropped out through haplography or was excised because of perceived redundancy (there are two other such pronouns in the verse) by א B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style. NA27 includes σου here.
[20:22] 883 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[20:22] 884 tn The verbs in Greek are plural here, indicating that Jesus is not answering the mother but has turned his attention directly to the two disciples.
[20:22] 885 tc Most
[20:22] 886 sn No more naïve words have ever been spoken as those found here coming from James and John, “We are able.” They said it with such confidence and ease, yet they had little clue as to what they were affirming. In the next sentence Jesus confirms that they will indeed suffer for his name.
[20:23] 887 tc See the tc note on “about to drink” in v. 22.
[20:24] 888 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[20:24] 890 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[20:27] 891 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[20:28] 892 sn The Greek word for ransom (λύτρον, lutron) is found here and in Mark 10:45 and refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. The idea of Jesus as the “ransom” is that he paid the price with his own life by standing in our place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that we deserved for sin.
[20:29] 893 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[20:30] 894 tn Grk “And behold.” 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).
[20:30] 895 tn Grk “shouted, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[20:30] 896 sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.
[20:30] 897 sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).
[20:31] 898 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[20:31] 899 tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.
[20:31] 900 tc ‡ The majority of
[21:1] 901 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[21:1] 902 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[21:1] 903 sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
[21:1] 904 sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
[21:2] 905 tn Grk “the village lying before you” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.b).
[21:3] 906 sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
[21:4] 907 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:4] 908 tn Grk “what was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The present participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[21:5] 909 tn Grk “Tell the daughter of Zion” (the phrase “daughter of Zion” is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “people of Zion”). The idiom “daughter of Zion” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.
[21:5] 910 tn Grk “the foal of an animal under the yoke,” i.e., a hard-working animal. This is a quotation from Zech 9:9.
[21:6] 911 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions in vv. 2-3.
[21:7] 912 tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.
[21:8] 913 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:9] 914 tn Grk “were shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[21:9] 915 tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (Jwsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.
[21:9] sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
[21:9] 916 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
[21:10] 917 tn Grk “was shaken.” The translation “thrown into an uproar” is given by L&N 25.233.
[21:11] 918 map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.
[21:12] 919 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[21:12] 920 tn Grk “the temple.”
[21:12] sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
[21:12] 921 tn Grk “the temple.”
[21:12] sn Matthew (here, 21:12-27), Mark (11:15-19) and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.
[21:13] 922 sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.
[21:13] 923 tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).
[21:13] 924 sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.
[21:15] 925 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[21:15] 926 tn Grk “crying out in the temple [courts] and saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[21:16] 927 sn A quotation from Ps 8:2.
[21:19] 928 tn Grk “one fig tree.”
[21:19] sn The fig tree is a variation on the picture of a vine as representing the nation; see Isa 5:1-7.
[21:21] 929 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[21:21] 930 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[21:22] 931 tn Grk “believing”; the participle here is conditional.
[21:23] 933 tn Grk “the temple.”
[21:23] 934 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.1
[21:24] 935 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:25] 936 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).
[21:25] sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.
[21:27] 937 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.
[21:27] 938 tn Grk “answering Jesus, they said.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[21:27] 939 sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Matt 21:23-27 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question, they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
[21:27] 940 sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
[21:27] 941 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 23.
[21:28] 942 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:29] 943 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:29] 944 tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.
[21:30] 945 tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:30] 946 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:31] 947 tc Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex and difficult textual problem. The variants cluster into three different groups: (1) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. The second son is called the one who does his father’s will. This reading is found in the Western
[21:31] 948 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[21:31] 949 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[21:32] 950 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:32] 951 sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.
[21:33] 952 tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
[21:33] 953 sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.
[21:33] 954 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[21:33] 955 sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.
[21:34] 956 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[21:34] sn These slaves represent the prophets God sent to the nation, who were mistreated and rejected.
[21:34] 957 tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”
[21:35] 958 sn The image of the tenants mistreating the owner’s slaves pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.
[21:37] 959 sn The owner’s decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.
[21:39] 960 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.
[21:39] 961 tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.
[21:39] 962 sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.
[21:42] 963 tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.
[21:42] sn The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The use of Ps 118:22-23 and the “stone imagery” as a reference to Christ and his suffering and exaltation is common in the NT (see also Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:6-8; cf. also Eph 2:20). The irony in the use of Ps 118:22-23 here is that in the OT, Israel was the one rejected (or perhaps her king) by the Gentiles, but in the NT it is Jesus who is rejected by Israel.
[21:42] 964 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
[21:43] 965 tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).
[21:44] 966 tc A few witnesses, especially of the Western text (D 33 it sys Or Eussyr), do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in א B C L W Z (Θ) 0102 Ë1,13 Ï lat syc,p,h co and should be included as authentic.
[21:44] tn Grk “on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
[21:44] sn This proverb basically means that the stone crushes, without regard to whether it falls on someone or someone falls on it. On the stone as a messianic image, see Isa 28:16 and Dan 2:44-45.
[21:45] 967 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[21:45] 968 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[21:46] 969 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowds) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Both previous occurrences of “they” in this verse refer to the chief priests and the Pharisees.
[22:1] 970 tn Grk “And answering again, Jesus spoke.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[22:3] 971 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[22:4] 972 tn Grk “Behold, I have prepared my dinner.” In some contexts, however, to translate ἄριστον (ariston) as “dinner” somewhat misses the point. L&N 23.22 here suggests, “See now, the feast I have prepared (for you is ready).”
[22:6] 973 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:7] 974 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:7] 975 tn Grk “he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers.” The verb ἀπώλεσεν (apwlesen) is causative, indicating that the king was the one behind the execution of the murderers. In English the causative idea is not expressed naturally here; either a purpose clause (“he sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death”) or a relative clause (“he sent his soldier who put those murderers to death”) is preferred.
[22:7] 976 tn The Greek text reads here πόλις (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem, so “city” is more appropriate here.
[22:12] 977 tn Grk “he was silent.”
[22:15] 978 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:15] 979 tn Grk “trap him in word.”
[22:16] 980 sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some
[22:16] 981 sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.
[22:16] 982 tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
[22:17] 983 tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.
[22:17] 984 tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.
[22:17] sn This question concerning taxes was specifically designed to trap Jesus. If he answered yes, then his opponents could publicly discredit him as a sympathizer with Rome. If he answered no, then they could go to the Roman governor and accuse Jesus of rebellion.
[22:17] 985 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
[22:19] 986 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.
[22:19] 987 tn Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. In other places δηνάριον (dhnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note.
[22:19] sn A denarius was a silver coin worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer. The fact that they had such a coin showed that they already operated in the economic world of Rome. The denarius would have had a picture of Tiberius Caesar stamped on it.
[22:20] 988 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[22:20] 989 tn Or “whose likeness.”
[22:20] sn In this passage Jesus points to the image (Grk εἰκών, eikwn) of Caesar on the coin. This same Greek word is used in Gen 1:26 (LXX) to state that humanity is made in the “image” of God. Jesus is making a subtle yet powerful contrast: Caesar’s image is on the denarius, so he can lay claim to money through taxation, but God’s image is on humanity, so he can lay claim to each individual life.
[22:21] 990 tn Grk “they said to him.”
[22:21] 991 tn Grk “then he said to them.” τότε (tote) has not been translated to avoid redundancy.
[22:21] 992 sn Jesus’ answer to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s was a both/and, not the questioners’ either/or. So he slipped out of their trap.
[22:22] 993 tn Grk “they were amazed; they marveled.”
[22:23] 994 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[22:23] 995 sn This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the author.
[22:23] 996 tn Grk “and asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:24] 997 tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).
[22:24] 998 sn A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1-12; Mishnah, m. Yevamot; Josephus, Ant. 4.8.23 [4.254-256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5-10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.
[22:27] 999 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:28] 1000 tn Grk “For all had her.”
[22:29] 1001 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[22:29] 1002 tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).
[22:30] 1003 tc Most witnesses have “of God” after “angels,” although some
[22:30] sn Angels do not die, nor do they eat according to Jewish tradition (1 En. 15:6; 51:4; Wis 5:5; 2 Bar. 51:10; 1QH 3.21-23).
[22:31] 1004 tn Grk “spoken to you by God, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:32] 1005 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6.
[22:32] 1006 sn He is not God of the dead but of the living. Jesus’ point was that if God could identify himself as God of the three old patriarchs, then they must still be alive when God spoke to Moses; and so they must be raised.
[22:34] 1007 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:34] 1008 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[22:34] 1009 tn Grk “for the same.” That is, for the same purpose that the Sadducees had of testing Jesus.
[22:35] 1010 tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.
[22:35] 1011 tn Grk “testing.” The participle, however, is telic in force.
[22:36] 1012 tn Or possibly “What sort of commandment in the law is great?”
[22:37] 1013 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:37] 1014 tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).
[22:37] 1015 sn A quotation from Deut 6:5. The threefold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.
[22:38] 1016 tn Grk “the great and first.”
[22:39] 1017 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[22:40] 1018 tn Grk “hang.” The verb κρεμάννυμι (kremannumi) is used here with a figurative meaning (cf. BDAG 566 s.v. 2.b).
[22:41] 1019 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:41] 1020 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:41] 1021 tn Grk “asked them a question, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:42] 1022 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[22:42] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[22:42] 1023 sn It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be the son of David in that he would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, he is both God and man.
[22:44] 1024 sn The Lord said to my Lord. With David being the speaker, this indicates his respect for his descendant (referred to as my Lord). Jesus was arguing, as the ancient exposition assumed, that the passage is about the Lord’s anointed. The passage looks at an enthronement of this figure and a declaration of honor for him as he takes his place at the side of God. In Jerusalem, the king’s palace was located to the right of the temple to indicate this kind of relationship. Jesus was pressing the language here to get his opponents to reflect on how great Messiah is.
[22:44] 1025 sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.
[22:45] 1026 tn Grk “how is he his son?”
[22:46] 1027 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[23:2] 1028 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[23:2] 1029 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:2] 1030 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[23:3] 1031 tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”
[23:4] 1032 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[23:5] 1033 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[23:5] 1034 sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.
[23:5] 1035 tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”
[23:5] sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).
[23:6] 1036 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[23:6] 1037 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[23:7] 1038 sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
[23:10] 1039 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[23:10] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[23:11] 1040 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[23:13] 1041 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:13] 1042 tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).
[23:13] 1043 tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”
[23:14] 1044 tc The most important
[23:15] 1045 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:15] 1046 tn Or “one proselyte.”
[23:15] 1047 tn Grk “when he becomes [one].”
[23:15] 1048 tn Grk “a son of Gehenna.” Expressions constructed with υἱός (Juios) followed by a genitive of class or kind denote a person belonging to the class or kind specified by the following genitive (L&N 9.4). Thus the phrase here means “a person who belongs to hell.”
[23:15] sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[23:16] 1049 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”
[23:18] 1050 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”
[23:23] 1051 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:23] 1052 tn Or “you tithe mint.”
[23:23] 1053 sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
[23:23] 1054 tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ Ë1,13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[23:24] 1055 tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”
[23:25] 1056 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:26] 1057 tc A very difficult textual problem is found here. The most important Alexandrian and Byzantine, as well as significant Western, witnesses (א B C L W 0102 0281 Ë13 33 Ï lat co) have “and the dish” (καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, kai th" paroyido") after “cup,” while few important witnesses (D Θ Ë1 700 and some versional and patristic authorities) omit the phrase. On the one hand, scribes sometimes tended to eliminate redundancy; since “and the dish” is already present in v. 25, it may have been deleted in v. 26 by well-meaning scribes. On the other hand, as B. M. Metzger notes, the singular pronoun αὐτοῦ (autou, “its”) with τὸ ἐκτός (to ekto", “the outside”) in some of the same witnesses that have the longer reading (viz., B* Ë13 al) hints that their archetype lacked the words (TCGNT 50). Further, scribes would be motivated both to add the phrase from v. 25 and to change αὐτοῦ to the plural pronoun αὐτῶν (aujtwn, “their”). Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is not compelling in itself, combined with these two prongs of internal evidence, it is to be slightly preferred.
[23:27] 1058 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:27] 1059 sn This was an idiom for hypocrisy – just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (for discussion of a similar metaphor, see L&N 88.234; BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). See Deut 28:22; Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:3.
[23:29] 1060 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:29] 1061 tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated.
[23:29] 1062 tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75-76).
[23:30] 1063 tn Grk “fathers” (so also in v. 32).
[23:33] 1064 tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.”
[23:33] sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[23:34] 1065 tn Grk “behold I am sending.” 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).
[23:34] 1066 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:34] 1067 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
[23:34] 1068 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
[23:34] 1069 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[23:35] 1070 sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
[23:36] 1071 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[23:36] 1072 tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”
[23:37] 1073 sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
[23:37] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[23:37] 1074 tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).
[23:37] 1075 sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
[23:37] 1076 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[23:37] 1077 tn Grk “you were not willing.”
[23:39] 1078 sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
[24:1] 1079 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[24:1] 1080 sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 [15.380-425]; J. W. 5.5 [5.184-227] and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.
[24:2] 1081 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (ajpokriqei") is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[24:2] 1082 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[24:2] 1083 sn With the statement not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in
[24:2] 1084 tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down.”
[24:3] 1085 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:3] 1086 sn Because the phrase these things is plural, more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.
[24:4] 1087 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[24:4] 1088 tn Or “Be on guard.”
[24:5] 1089 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[24:5] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[24:6] 1090 tn Grk “it is not yet the end.”
[24:7] 1091 tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.
[24:7] 1092 sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.
[24:7] 1093 tc Most witnesses (C Θ 0102 Ë1,13 Ï) have “and plagues” (καὶ λοιμοί, kai loimoi) between “famines” (λιμοί, limoi) and “earthquakes” (σεισμοί, seismoi), while others have “plagues and famines and earthquakes” (L W 33 pc lat). The similarities between λιμοί and λοιμοί could explain how καὶ λοιμοί might have accidentally dropped out, but since the Lukan parallel has both terms (and W lat have the order λοιμοὶ καὶ λιμοί there too, as they do in Matthew), it seems more likely that scribes added the phrase here. The shorter reading does not enjoy overwhelming support ([א] B D 892 pc, as well as versional witnesses), but it is nevertheless significant; coupled with the internal evidence it should be given preference.
[24:8] 1094 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:9] 1095 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
[24:9] 1096 sn See Matt 5:10-12; 1 Cor 1:25-31.
[24:10] 1097 tn Or “many will fall away.” This could also refer to apostasy.
[24:11] 1098 tn Or “and lead many astray.”
[24:13] 1099 sn But the person who endures to the end will be saved. Jesus was not claiming here that salvation is by works. He was simply arguing that genuine faith evidences itself in persistence through even the worst of trials.
[24:14] 1100 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
[24:15] 1101 sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167
[24:16] 1102 sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.
[24:17] 1103 sn On the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.
[24:17] 1104 sn The swiftness and devastation of the judgment will require a swift escape. There will be no time to come down from the roof and pick up anything from inside one’s home.
[24:19] 1105 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:20] 1106 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:21] 1107 tn Traditionally, “great tribulation.”
[24:21] 1108 sn Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in
[24:23] 1109 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[24:23] sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
[24:24] 1110 tn Or “false christs”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[24:25] 1111 tn Or “Pay attention!” Grk “Behold.”
[24:26] 1112 tn Grk “they say.” The third person plural is used here as an indefinite and translated “someone” (ExSyn 402).
[24:26] 1113 tn Or “in the desert.”
[24:27] 1114 sn The Son of Man’s coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.
[24:28] 1115 tn The same Greek term can refer to “eagles” or “vultures” (L&N 4.42; BDAG 22 s.v. ἀετός), but in this context it must mean vultures because the gruesome image is one of dead bodies being consumed by scavengers.
[24:28] sn Jesus’ answer is that when the judgment comes, the scenes of death will be obvious and so will the location of the judgment. See also Luke 17:37.
[24:28] 1116 tn Grk “will be gathered.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in English.
[24:29] 1117 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:29] 1118 tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”
[24:29] 1119 sn An allusion to Isa 13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Joel 2:10. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.
[24:30] 1120 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[24:30] 1121 tn Or “in the sky”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
[24:30] 1122 tn Here τότε (tote, “then”) has not been translated to avoid redundancy in English.
[24:30] 1123 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[24:30] 1124 sn An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full authority to judge.
[24:31] 1125 tn Or “of the sky”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
[24:32] 1126 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[24:33] 1127 tn The verb γινώσκετε (ginwskete, “know”) can be parsed as either present indicative or present imperative. In this context the imperative fits better, since the movement is from analogy (trees and seasons) to the future (the signs of the coming of the kingdom) and since the emphasis is on preparation for this event.
[24:34] 1128 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[24:34] 1129 sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (v. 30), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.
[24:35] 1130 sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself. For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.
[24:36] 1131 tc ‡ Some important witnesses, including early Alexandrian and Western
[24:37] 1132 sn Like the days of Noah, the time of the flood in Gen 6:5-8:22, the judgment will come as a surprise as people live their day to day lives.
[24:38] 1133 tn Grk “they,” but in an indefinite sense, “people.”
[24:39] 1134 sn Like the flood that came and took them all away, the coming judgment associated with the Son of Man will condemn many.
[24:39] 1135 tn Grk “So also will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
[24:40] 1136 sn There is debate among commentators and scholars over the phrase one will be taken and one left about whether one is taken for judgment or for salvation. If the imagery is patterned after the rescue of Noah from the flood, as some suggest, the ones taken are the saved (as Noah was) andthose left behind are judged. The imagery, however, is not directly tied to theidentification of the two groups. Its primary purposein context is topicture the sudden, surprisingseparation of the righteous and the judged (i.e., condemned) at the return of the Son of Man.
[24:41] 1137 tn According to L&N 46.16, this refers to a hand mill normally operated by two women.
[24:42] 1138 tc Most later
[24:43] 1139 sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
[24:44] 1140 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it would take some time – so long, in fact, that some will not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).
[24:45] 1141 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[24:45] 1142 tn Grk “give them.”
[24:46] 1143 tn That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.
[24:47] 1144 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[24:47] 1145 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:48] 1146 tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).
[24:48] 1147 tn Grk “should say in his heart.”
[24:51] 1148 tn The verb διχοτομέω (dicotomew) means to cut an object into two parts (L&N 19.19). This is an extremely severe punishment compared to the other two later punishments. To translate it simply as “punish” is too mild. If taken literally this servant is dismembered, although it is possible to view the stated punishment as hyperbole (L&N 38.12).
[25:2] 1149 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:2] 1150 tn Grk “Five of them.”
[25:3] 1151 tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[25:3] 1152 tn The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.
[25:3] 1153 tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.
[25:5] 1154 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:6] 1155 tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA27 has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[25:8] 1156 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:9] 1157 tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”
[25:10] 1158 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[25:11] 1159 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:11] 1160 tn Grk “Open to us.”
[25:12] 1161 tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[25:12] 1162 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[25:13] 1163 tc Most later
[25:14] 1164 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[25:15] 1165 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[25:15] 1166 sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.
[25:16] 1167 tn Grk “traded with them.”
[25:19] 1168 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:20] 1169 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[25:20] 1170 tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).
[25:21] 1171 tn Grk “His master said to him.”
[25:22] 1172 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:25] 1173 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[25:26] 1174 tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[25:27] 1175 tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.
[25:27] 1176 sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”
[25:28] 1177 tn Grk “the ten talents.”
[25:29] 1178 tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”
[25:29] sn The one who has will be given more. Faithfulness yields great reward (see Matt 13:12; also Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26).
[25:29] 1179 sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either.
[25:31] 1180 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:32] 1181 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[25:33] 1182 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[25:37] 1183 tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[25:38] 1184 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:39] 1185 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[25:40] 1186 tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[25:40] 1187 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[25:40] 1188 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.
[25:41] 1189 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[25:44] 1190 tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[25:45] 1191 tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
