Matius 7:1--8:34
Konteks7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 1 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 2 7:3 Why 3 do you see the speck 4 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 5 the beam of wood 6 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say 7 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. 8
7:7 “Ask 9 and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door 10 will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks 11 receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is 12 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? 13 7:11 If you then, although you are evil, 14 know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts 15 to those who ask him! 7:12 In 16 everything, treat others as you would want them 17 to treat you, 18 for this fulfills 19 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. 20 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 21 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 22 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 23 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,’ 24 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 25 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 26
7:24 “Everyone 27 who hears these words of mine and does them is like 28 a wise man 29 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood 30 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!” 31
7:28 When 32 Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 7:29 because he taught them like one who had authority, 33 not like their experts in the law. 34
8:1 After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 8:2 And a leper 35 approached, and bowed low before him, saying, 36 “Lord, if 37 you are willing, you can make me clean.” 8:3 He stretched out his hand and touched 38 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, 39 but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering 40 that Moses commanded, 41 as a testimony to them.” 42
8:5 When he entered Capernaum, 43 a centurion 44 came to him asking for help: 45 8:6 “Lord, 46 my servant 47 is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish.” 8:7 Jesus 48 said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8:8 But the centurion replied, 49 “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. 50 I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, 51 and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave 52 ‘Do this’ and he does it.” 53 8:10 When 54 Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth, 55 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 56 with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 57 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.” 58 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; just as you believed, it will be done for you.” And the servant 59 was healed at that hour.
8:14 Now 60 when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, 61 sick with a fever. 8:15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then 62 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. 63 8:17 In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: 64
“He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” 65
8:18 Now when Jesus saw a large crowd 66 around him, he gave orders to go to the other side of the lake. 67 8:19 Then 68 an expert in the law 69 came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 70 8:20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky 71 have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 72 8:21 Another 73 of the 74 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.” 75
8:23 As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 76 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 77 and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” 8:26 But 78 he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked 79 the winds and the sea, 80 and it was dead calm. 8:27 And the men 81 were amazed and said, 82 “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” 83
8:28 When he came to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, 84 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 85 cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! 86 Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 87 8:30 A 88 large herd of pigs was feeding some distance from them. 8:31 Then the demons begged him, 89 “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 8:32 And he said, 90 “Go!” So 91 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 92 herdsmen ran off, went into the town, 93 and told everything that had happened to the demon-possessed men. 8:34 Then 94 the entire town 95 came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
[7:1] 1 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] 2 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
[7:3] 3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[7:3] 4 sn The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see L&N 3.66.
[7:3] 5 tn Or “do not notice.”
[7:3] 6 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] 7 tn Grk “how will you say?”
[7:6] 8 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] 9 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] 10 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] 11 sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
[7:9] 12 tn Grk “Or is there.”
[7:10] 13 sn The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”
[7:11] 14 tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.
[7:11] 15 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] 16 tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:12] 17 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
[7:12] 18 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] 20 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] 21 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] 22 sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
[7:17] 23 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[7:21] 24 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] 25 tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:23] 26 tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
[7:24] 27 tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:24] 28 tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
[7:24] 29 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] 30 tn Grk “the rivers.”
[7:27] 31 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
[7:28] 32 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] 33 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] 34 tn Or “their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[8:2] 35 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] 36 tn Grk “a leper approaching, bowed low before him, saying.”
[8:2] 37 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] 38 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] 39 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] 41 sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
[8:4] 42 tn Or “as an indictment against them.” The pronoun αὐτοῖς (autoi") may be a dative of disadvantage.
[8:5] 43 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] 44 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] 45 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] 46 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] 47 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] 48 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:8] 49 tn Grk “But answering, the centurion replied.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:9] 50 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
[8:9] 51 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] 52 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] 53 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] 54 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:10] 55 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[8:11] 56 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] 57 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] 58 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] 59 tc ‡ Most
[8:14] 60 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[8:14] 61 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] 62 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
[8:16] 63 sn Note how the author distinguishes healing from exorcism here, implying that the two are not identical.
[8:17] 64 tn Grk “was fulfilled, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[8:17] 65 sn A quotation from Isa 53:4.
[8:18] 66 tc ‡ Codex B and some Sahidic
[8:18] 67 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] 68 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
[8:19] 69 tn Or “a scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[8:19] 70 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] 71 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] 72 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] 73 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:21] 74 tc ‡ Most
[8:22] 75 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] 76 sn A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.
[8:25] 77 tn The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:26] 78 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[8:26] 79 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
[8:26] 80 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] 81 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] 82 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] 83 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] 84 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] 85 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] 86 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] 87 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] 88 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:31] 89 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[8:32] 90 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[8:32] 91 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
[8:33] 92 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[8:33] 93 tn Or “city.” But see the sn on “Gadarenes” in 8:28.
[8:34] 94 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).
