1
tn (1:1) Grk "the book of the genealogy." The noun bivblo" (biblo"), though it is without the article, is to be translated as definite due to Apollonius' corollary and the normal use of anarthrous nouns in titles.
2tn (1:2) Grk "fathered."
3sn (1:6) By the wife of Uriah, i.e., Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11:3).
4tc (1:7) The reading "Asaph" is found in the earliest and most widespread witnesses (Ì1vid Í B C Dluc Ë1 Ë13 700 et pauci), a variant spelling on Asa. Although Asaph was a psalmist and Asa was a king, it is doubtful that the author mistook one for the other, since other ancient documents have variant spellings on the king's name (such as "Asab," "Asanos," and "Asaph").
5tc (1:10) "Amos" is the reading found in the earliest and best witnesses, and as such is most likely original, but this is a variant spelling of the name "Amon." The translation uses the more well-known spelling "Amon" found in the Hebrew MT and the majority of LXX MSS. See also the textual discussion of "Asa" versus "Asaph" (vv. 7-8); the situation is similar.
6sn (1:11) Before the mention of Jeconiah, several medieval MSS add Jehoiakim, in conformity with the genealogy in 1 Chr 3:15-16. But this alters the count of fourteen generations (v. 17). It is evident that the author is selective in his genealogy for a theological purpose.
7tn (1:12) Because of the difference between Greek style, which usually begins a sentence with a conjunction, and English style, which generally does not, the conjunction dev (de) is not translated here.
8sn (1:12) The Greek text and the KJV read Salathiel. Most modern English translations use the OT form of the name (cf. Ezra 3:2).
9sn (1:16) The pronoun whom is feminine gender in the Greek text, referring to Mary. The Sinaitic Syriac MS alone alters the text of v. 16 to indicate that Joseph was the natural father of Jesus ("Joseph, to whom was betrothed Mary the virgin, fathered Jesus who is called the Christ"). But this lone versional witness finds no support in the fathers, other versions, or any Greek MSS and is therefore to be regarded as spurious.
10tn (1:16) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (1:16) The term cristov" (cristos) was originally an adjective ("anointed"), developing in LXX into a substantive ("an anointed one"), then developing still further into a technical generic term ("the anointed one"). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus' last name.
11tn (1:17) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (1:17) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
12tn (1:18) The connotation of the Greek is "before they came together in marital and domestic union" (so BAGD 788 s. v. 1 b).
13tn (1:19) Grk "husband." See following note for discussion.
14tn (1:19) Or "send her away."
sn (1:19) In the Jewish context, "full betrothal was so binding that its breaking required a certificate of divorce, and the death of one party made the other a widow or widower (m. Ketub. 1:2; m. Sota 1:5; m. Git. passim...)" (R. H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, 21).
15tn (1:20) Grk "behold, an angel." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
16tn (1:20) Or "the angel of the Lord." Linguistically, "angel of the Lord" is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either "an angel of the Lord" or "the angel of the Lord" in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 252; M. J. Davidson, "Angels," DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for "an angel" in both testaments: "Christology and `The Angel of the Lord'," 324-35.
17tn (1:21) Grk "you will call his name."
18sn (1:21) The Greek form of the name Ihsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means "Yahweh saves" (Yahweh is typically rendered as "LORD" in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.
19tn (1:23) Grk "they will call his name."
20sn (1:23) A quotation from Isa 7:14.
21tn (1:23) Grk "is translated."
22sn (1:23) An allusion to Isa 8:8, 10 (LXX).
23tn (1:24) See the note on the word "Lord" in 1:20. Here the translation "the angel of the Lord" is used because the Greek article (oJ, Jo) which precedes a[ggelo" (angelos) is taken as an anaphoric article (D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 217-19) referring back to the angel mentioned in v. 20.
24tn (1:25) Or "did not have sexual relations"; Grk "was not knowing her." The verb "know" (in both Hebrew and Greek) is a frequent biblical euphemism for sexual relations. However, a translation like "did not have sexual relations with her" is too graphic in light of the popularity and wide use of Matthew's infancy narrative. Thus the somewhat more subdued but still clear "did not have marital relations" was selected.
25tn (1:25) Grk "and he called his name Jesus." The coordinate clause has been translated as a relative clause in English for stylistic reasons.
1tn (2:1) Grk "in the days."
2sn (2:1) King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 B.C. until he died in 4 B.C. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.
3sn (2:1) The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).
4tn (2:2) Or "in its rising," referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the "East" in v. 1 is ajnatolaiv (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ajnatolhv (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated "in the east" (cf. BAGD 62 s.v. 1: "because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ajpoV ajnatolw'n, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical; likew. vs. 9").
5sn (2:3) See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
6tn (2:4) Or "and scribes of the people." The traditional rendering of grammateuv" (grammateu") as "scribe" does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean "professional copyist," if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus "expert in the law" comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
7tn (2:4) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (2:4) See the note on Christ in 1:16
8sn (2:6) A quotation from Mic 5:2.
9sn (2:7) See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
10tn (2:8) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
11tn (2:9) Grk "and behold the star."
12tn (2:9) See the note on the word "rose" in 2:2.
13tn (2:10) Grk "they rejoiced with very great joy."
14tn (2:11) Grk "they fell down." BAGD 659 s.v. pivptw 1.b.a.b. has "fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings."
15sn (2:11) Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).
16sn (2:11) Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.
17sn (2:12) See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
18tn (2:13) Grk "behold, an angel." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
19tn (2:13) Or "the angel of the Lord." See the note on the word "Lord" in 1:20.
20sn (2:13) See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.
21sn (2:15) See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
22sn (2:15) A quotation from Hos 11:1.
23sn (2:16) See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
24tn (2:16) Or "soldiers."
25tn (2:18) Grk "are"; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
26sn (2:18) A quotation from Jer 31:15.
27sn (2:19) See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., his kingdom was divided up among his three sons: Archelaus, who ruled over Judea (where Bethlehem was located, v. 22); Philip, who became tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis (cf. Luke 3:1); and Antipas, who became tetrarch of Galilee.
28tn (2:19) Grk "behold, an angel." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
29tn (2:19) Or "the angel of the Lord." See the note on the word "Lord" in 1:20.
30tn (2:21) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the angel's instructions.
31sn (2:22) Archelaus took after his father Herod the Great in terms of cruelty and ruthlessness, so Joseph was afraid to go there. After further direction in a dream, he went instead to Galilee.
32sn (2:22) See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
33sn (2:23) Nazareth was a very small village in the region of Galilee (Galilee lay north of Samaria and Judea). The town was located about 15 mi (25 km) west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee. According to Luke 1:26, Mary was living in Nazareth when the birth of Jesus was announced to her.
34tn (2:23) The Greek could be indirect discourse (as in the text), or direct discourse ("he will be called a Nazarene"). Judging by the difficulty of finding OT quotations (as implied in the plural "prophets") to match the wording here, it appears that the author was using a current expression of scorn that conceptually (but not verbally) found its roots in the OT.
1tn (3:1) Or "desert."
2tn (3:1) Grk "and saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
3tn (3:2) Grk "and saying, `Repent.'" The participle levgwn (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
4tn (3:3) Grk "was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying." The participle levgonto" (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated.
5tn (3:3) Or "A voice."
6sn (3:3) This call to "make paths straight" in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.
7sn (3:3) A quotation from Isa 40:3.
8sn (3:4) John's lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God's prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the "clean" foods.
9tn (3:5) Grk "Then Jerusalem."
10tn (3:6) Grk "they were being baptized by him." The passive construction has been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.
11sn (3:7) Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
12sn (3:7) The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.
13sn (3:8) Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John's hearers.
14tn (3:8) Grk "fruit worthy of."
15sn (3:10) Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.
16 tn (3:11) Grk "of whom I am not worthy."
sn (3:11) The humility of John is evident in the statement I am not worthy. This was considered one of the least worthy tasks of a slave, and John did not consider himself worthy to do even that for the one to come, despite the fact he himself was a prophet.
17sn (3:11) With the Holy Spirit and fire. Some interpreters view the "fire" here as a cleansing or purifying work of the Spirit. However, in light of the reference in the following verse to the chaff being burned, it is more likely John the Baptist's statement brings together references to Jesus' first and second coming. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is connected with the blessings of salvation and the first coming, while the fire represents those sent into eternal fire at the second coming because of their rejection of the Son (Matt 13:40-42; 25:41).
18sn (3:12) A winnowing fork was a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blew away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting though threshed grain for the useful kernels.
19tn (3:12) Or "granary," "barn" (referring to a building used to store a farm's produce rather than a building to house livestock).
20sn (3:12) The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.
21tn (3:13) "River" is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
22tc (3:14) The earliest MSS omit the name of John here ("but he tried to prevent him" instead of "but John tried to prevent him"). It is, however, clearly implied (and is thus supplied in translation); later scribes apparently could not resist adding this clarification.
23tn (3:14) The imperfect verb has been translated conatively.
24tn (3:15) Grk "but Jesus, answering, said." This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to "replied to him."
25tn (3:15) Grk "Permit now."
26tn (3:15) Grk "he"; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27tn (3:15) Or "permitted him."
28tn (3:16) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
29tn (3:16) Grk "behold the heavens." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
30tn (3:16) Or "sky." The Greek word oujranov" (ourano") may be translated "sky" or "heaven," depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 17.
31tc (3:16) aujtw/' (autw, "to/before him") is found in the majority of witnesses, perhaps added as a point of clarification or emphasis.
32tc (3:16) Most MSS add the article before Spirit and God; either way, the translation is the same.
33sn (3:16) The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.
34tn (3:17) Grk "and behold." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated here.
35tn (3:17) Grk "behold, a voice from the cloud, saying." This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle levgousa (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
36tn (3:17) Grk "my beloved Son," or "my Son, the beloved [one]." The force of ajgaphtov" (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 BAGD 6 s.v. 1).
sn (3:17) The parallel accounts in Mark 1:11 and Luke 3:22 read "You are" rather than "This is," portraying the remark as addressed personally to Jesus.
37tn (3:17) Grk "in whom."
38tn (3:17) Or "with whom I am well pleased."
sn (3:17) The allusions in the remarks of the text recall Ps 2:7a; Isa 42:1 and either Isa 41:8 or, less likely, Gen 22:12,16. God is marking out Jesus as his chosen one (the meaning of "[in him I take] great delight"), but it may well be that this was a private experience that only Jesus and John saw and heard (cf. John 1:32-33).
1tn (4:1) Or "desert."
2tn (4:2) Grk "and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry."
3tn (4:3) Grk "say that these stones should become bread."
4tn (4:4) Grk "answering, he said." The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.
5tn (4:4) Or "a person." Greek oJ a[nqrwpo" (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.
6tn (4:4) 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).
7sn (4:4) A quotation from Deut 8:3.
8sn (4:5) The order of the second and third temptations differs in Luke's account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew.
9tn (4:5) Grk "and he stood him."
10sn (4:5) 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.
11sn (4:6) A quotation from Ps 91:11-12. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).
12sn (4:7) A quotation from Deut 6:16.
13tn (4:8) Grk "glory."
14tn (4:9) Grk "if, falling down, you will worship." BAGD 659 s.v. pivptw 1.b.a.b. has "fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings."
15sn (4:10) 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.
16tn (4:11) Grk "and behold, angels." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
17tn (4:12) Grk "he."
18tn (4:12) Or "arrested," "taken into custody" (see L&N 37.12).
19tn (4:13) Grk "and leaving Nazareth, he came and took up residence in Capernaum."
sn (4:13) 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.
20tn (4:13) Or "by the lake."
sn (4:13) By the sea refers to the Sea of Galilee.
21tn (4:14) The redundant participle levgonto" (legontos) has not been translated here.
22sn (4:16) A quotation from Isa 9:1.
23tn (4:17) Grk "and to say."
24tn (4:18) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn (4:18) The two phrases in this verse placed in parentheses are explanatory comments by the author, parenthetical in nature.
26tn (4:19) The Greek term a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus "people."
sn (4:19) The kind of fishing envisioned was net--not line--fishing (cf. v. 18; cf. also BAGD 47 s.v. ajmfivblhstron, ajmfibavllw) 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.
27tn (4:20) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28sn (4:20) 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.
29tn (4:21) Or "their boat." The phrase ejn tw'/ ploivw/ (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.
30tn (4:21) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
31tn (4:22) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32tn (4:23) Grk "And he."
33sn (4:23) 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 post-exilic 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).
34tn (4:24) Grk "And they," "they" is probably an indefinite plural, referring to people in general rather than to the Syrians (cf. v. 25).
35tn (4:24) 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.
36tn (4:25) Here kaiv (kai) is not 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.
sn (4:25) 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.
37tn (4:25) "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").
1tn (5:1) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn (5:1) Or "up a mountain" (eij" toV o[ro", eis to oro").
sn (5:1) 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.
3tn (5:2) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
4tn (5:2) Grk "And opening his mouth he taught them, saying." The imperfect verb ejdivdasken (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.
5sn (5:3) 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.
6sn (5:3) 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.
7sn (5:3) 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.
8sn (5:4) 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.
9sn (5:6) 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).
10tn (5:11) Grk "when they insult you." The third person pronoun (here implied in the verb ojneidivswsin [ojneidiswsin]) has no specific referent, but refers to people in general.
11sn (5:13) Salt was used as seasoning, fertilizer, or as a preservative (BAGD 35 s.v. a{la" 1). If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.
12sn (5:13) 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 (c. A.D. 90), when asked the question "When salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again?" is said to have replied, "By salting it with the afterbirth of a mule." He was then asked, "Then does the mule (being sterile) bear young?" to which he replied: "Can salt lose its flavor?" The point appears to be that both are impossible. The saying, while admittedly late, suggests that culturally the loss of flavor by salt was regarded as an impossibility. Genuine salt can never lose its flavor. In this case the saying by Jesus here may be similar to Matt 19:24, where it is likewise impossible for the camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle.
13tn (5:15) Grk "Nor do they light." The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.
14tn (5:15) 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).
15tn (5:18) Grk "For I tell." Here an explanatory gavr (gar) has not been translated.
16tn (5:18) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
17tn (5:18) Grk "Not one iota or one serif."
sn (5:18) The smallest letter refers to the smallest Hebrew letter (yodh) and the stroke of a letter to a serif (a hook or projection on a Hebrew letter).
18tn (5:19) Grk "teaches men" ( in a generic sense, people).
19tn (5:20) Or "that of the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
20sn (5:20) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
21tn (5:21) Grk "to the ancient ones."
22sn (5:21) A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.
23tc (5:22) The majority of MSS insert the word eijkh'/ (eikh, "without cause"). This insertion has support from D L W Q 0233 Ë1 Ë13 Byz it syr cop Irenaeuslat Origenmss Cyprian Cyril. Thus, the Western, Caesarean, and Byzantine texttypes all include the word, while the best Alexandrian and some other witnesses (Ì64 Í* B 1424mg et pauci aur vg Jeromemss) omit it. The MS evidence favors its exclusion, though there is a remote possibility that eijkh'/ could have been accidentally omitted from these witnesses by way of homoioarcton (the next word, e[noco" [enoco" "guilty"], begins with the same letter). An intentional change would likely arise from the desire to qualify "angry," especially in light of the absolute tone of Jesus' words. While "without cause" makes good practical sense in this context, and must surely be a true interpretation of Jesus' meaning (cf. Mark 3:5), it does not commend itself as original.
24tn (5:22) Grk "whoever says to his brother `Raca,'" an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning "fool" or "empty head."
25tn (5:22) Grk "subjected," "guilty," "liable."
26tn (5:22) Grk "the Sanhedrin."
27tn (5:22) The meaning of the term mwrov" (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 hrwm (m{r#h) "rebel" (Deut 21:18, 20; cf. BAGD 531 s.v. mwrov" 3).
28tn (5:22) Grk "subjected," "guilty," "liable."
29tn (5:22) Grk "the Gehenna of fire."
sn (5:22) The word translated hell is "Gehenna" (gevenna, 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).
30tn (5:25) Grk "Make friends."
31tn (5:25) The words "to court" are not in the Greek text but are implied.
32tn (5:25) Grk "the accuser."
33tn (5:26) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
34sn (5:26) The penny 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, the smallest coin available.
35sn (5:27) A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17.
36sn (5:29) On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.
37sn (5:31) A quotation from Deut 24:1.
38tn (5:33) Grk "the ancient ones."
39sn (5:33) A quotation from Lev 19:12.
40tn (5:37) The term ponhrou' (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 (tou' ponhrou', tou ponhrou). Cf. also "the evildoer" in v. 39, which is the same construction.
41sn (5:38) A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
42tn (5:39) The articular ponhrov" (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).
43tc (5:39) Although most MSS add sou (sou, "your"), the pronoun was apparently added by way of clarification.
44tn (5:40) Or "shirt" (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (citwvn, 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.
45sn (5:41) 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.
46sn (5:42) 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).
47tn (5:42) Grk "do not turn away from."
48sn (5:43) A quotation from Lev 19:18.
49tn (5:45) 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.
50sn (5:46) 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.
51sn (5:48) This remark echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: "you must be holy as I am holy."
1tc (6:1) Many MSS add dev (de, "but, now") at the beginning of this verse, apparently to indicate a transition in the thought flow of the Sermon of the Mount.
2tn (6:1) Grk "before people in order to be seen by them."
3tn (6:2) 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).
4sn (6:2) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
5tn (6:2) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
6sn (6:5) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
7sn (6:6) The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BAGD 803 s.v. tamei'on 2).
8tn (6:7) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9tn (6:8) Grk "So do not." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
10sn (6:9) 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.
11sn (6:9) 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.
12tn (6:9) Grk "hallowed be your name."
13sn (6:10) Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God's promised rule.
14tn (6:11) Or "Give us bread today for the coming day," or "Give us today the bread we need for today." The term ejpiouvsio" (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 BAGD 296 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.
15tn (6:12) Or "as even we." The phrase wJ" kaiV hJmei'" (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes hJmei'" emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.
16tn (6:13) Or "into a time of testing."
sn (6:13) 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.
17tc (6:13) Many MSS (L W Q 0223 Ë13 33 Byz) add "for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen" here. The shorter reading, though, is attested by better witnesses (Í B D lat et pauci). The addition can easily be explained as a scribal alteration for liturgical purposes. The phrase was probably composed for liturgy of the early church and most likely was based on 1 Chr 29:11-13; a scribe probably added the phrase at this point in the text for use in public scripture reading (see B. M. Metzger, Textual Commentary, 13-14). Both external and internal evidence argue for the shorter reading.
tn (6:13) The term ponhrou' (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 (tou' ponhrou', tou ponhrou). Cf. also "the evildoer" in 5:39, which is the same construction.
18tn (6:14) Here a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: "people, others."
19tn (6:16) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
20tn (6:16) 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.' ajfanivzousin gaVr taV provswpa aujtw'n `for they make their faces unsightly' Mt 6:16."
21tn (6:16) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
22tn (6:17) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23sn (6:20) See Jas 5:2.
24tn (6:21) 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.
25sn (6:21) Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so.
26tn (6:22) 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").
27tn (6:23) Or "if your eye is sick" (L&N 23.149).
sn (6:23) 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.
28sn (6:24) 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.
29tn (6:24) Or "and treat [the other] with contempt."
30tn (6:24) Grk "God and mammon."
sn (6:24) 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.
31tn (6:25) Or "do not be anxious," and so throughout the rest of this paragraph.
32tn (6:26) Or "birds of the heaven"; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven" depending on the context.
sn (6:26) The idiom birds of the sky refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl.
33tn (6:26) 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."
34tn (6:26) Grk "of more value."
35tn (6:27) Or "a cubit." A cubit (ph'cu", phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, "hour" is usually used [BAGD 656-57 s.v.] although "day" has been suggested [L&N 67.151]).
36tn (6:27) Or "to his height." The term hJlikiva (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as ph'cu" (phcus). Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BAGD 345 s.v. 2 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.
37tn (6:28) Traditionally, "lilies." According to L&N 3.32, "Though traditionally krivnon 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.
38tn (6:28) Or, traditionally, "toil." Although it might be argued that "work hard" would be a more precise translation of kopiavw (kopiaw) here, the line in English reads better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.
39tn (6:30) Grk "grass of the field."
40tn (6:30) 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.
sn (6:30) The oven was most likely a rounded clay oven used for baking bread, which was heated by burning wood and dried grass.
41sn (6:30) 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.
42tn (6:32) Or "unbelievers"; Grk "Gentiles."
43tc (6:33) Most later MSS (L W Q 0223 Ë1 Ë13 Byz) read "the kingdom of God and his righteousness" here, but the words "of God" are omitted in Í B et pauci. Apart from the remote possibility of accidental omission, there is little reason to suspect that these witnesses do not have the original reading.
sn (6:33) 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.
44tn (6:34) Grk "Sufficient for the day is its evil."
1sn (7:1) 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.
2tn (7:2) Grk "by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you."
3tn (7:3) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
4sn (7:3) The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see L&N 3.66.
5tn (7:3) Or "do not notice."
6sn (7:3) 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).
7tn (7:4) Grk "how will you say?"
8sn (7:7) The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask...seek...knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
9tn (7:7) 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.
10sn (7:8) The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
11tn (7:9) Grk "Or is there."
12sn (7:10) The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, "No parent would do this!"
13tn (7:11) The participle o[nte" (ontes) has been translated concessively.
14sn (7:11) 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.
15tn (7:12) Grk "Therefore in." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
16tn (7:12) This is a generic use of a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
17sn (7:12) 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.
18tn (7:12) Grk "is."
19sn (7:15) 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.
20tn (7:16) 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.
21sn (7:16) The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
22tn (7:17) Grk "rotten." The word saprov", modifying "tree" in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean "diseased" (L&N 65.28).
23sn (7:21) The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.
24tn (7:22) Grk "and in your name do." This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
25tn (7:23) Grk "workers of lawlessness."
26tn (7:24) Grk "Therefore everyone." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
27tn (7:24) Grk "will be like." The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
28tn (7:25) Grk "the rivers."
29tn (7:27) Grk "and great was its fall."
30tn (7:28) Grk "And it happened when." The introductory phrase kaiV ejgevneto (kai egeneto, "it happened that") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
31sn (7:29) 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.
32tn (7:29) Or "their scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
1tn (8:2) Grk "And behold, a leper came." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
sn (8:2) 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).
2tn (8:2) Grk "a leper approaching, bowed low before him, saying."
3tn (8:2) This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
4sn (8:3) 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).
5sn (8:4) 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.
6tn (8:4) Grk "gift."
7sn (8:4) On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
8tn (8:4) Or "as an indictment against them." The pronoun aujtoi'" (autoi") may be a dative of disadvantage.
9sn (8:5) 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.
10sn (8:5) 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.
11sn (8:5) 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.
12tn (8:6) Grk "and saying, `Lord.'" The participle levgwn (legwn) at the beginning of v. 6 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
13tn (8:6) The Greek term here is pai'" (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 dou'lo", doulos). See L&N 87.77.
14tn (8:7) Grk "And he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15tn (8:8) Grk "But answering, the centurion replied." The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
16tn (8:9) Grk "having soldiers under me."
17sn (8:9) 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.
18tn (8:9) Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated "servant," the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BAGD 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" (BAGD 205 s.v.). The most accurate translation is "bondservant" (sometimes found in the ASV for dou'lo") in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
19tn (8:9) The word "it" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
20tn (8:10) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
21tn (8:10) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
22tn (8:11) 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.
sn (8:11) 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.
23tn (8:11) Grk "and Isaac and Jacob," but kaiv (kai) is not translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
24sn (8:12) Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a figure for remorse and trauma, which occurs here because of exclusion from God's promise.
25tc (8:13) Most MSS add "his" after "servant." It is unlikely that the pronoun was accidentally overlooked by such diverse witnesses as Í B W 0250 0281 latt syr cop Irenaeus. More likely is the probability that Western and Byzantine scribes added the word for clarification.
26tn (8:14) Grk "And." Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
27tn (8:14) Grk "having been thrown down." The verb beblhmevnhn (beblhmenhn) is a perfect passive participle of the verb bavllw (ballw, "to throw"). This indicates the severity of her sickness.
28tn (8:15) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "then."
29sn (8:16) Note how the author distinguishes healing from exorcism here, implying that the two are not identical.
30tn (8:17) Grk "was fulfilled, saying." The participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
31sn (8:17) A quotation from Isa 53:4.
32tc (8:18) Codex B and some Sahidic MSS read simply o[clon (oclon, "crowd"); the first hand of Í has o[clou" (oclou", "crowds"); other witnesses read poluVn o[clon (polun oclon, "a large crowd"). The reading most likely to be original is pollouv" o[clou". It is found in Í2 C L Q 0233 33 Byz lat et alii; it is judged to be superior on both external grounds (geographically widespread, various texttypes) and internal grounds (the possibility of accidental omission of pollouv"/poluvn [pollous/polun] in isolated witnesses). For reasons of English style, however, this phrase has been translated as "a large crowd."
33tn (8:19) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "then."
34tn (8:19) Or "a scribe." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
35sn (8:19) The statement I will follow you wherever you go is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.
36tn (8:20) Or "birds of the heaven"; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven," depending on the context.
sn (8:20) The idiom birds of the sky refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl.
37sn (8:20) 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).
38tn (8:21) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tc (8:21) Most MSS add aujtou' (autou, "his") here, but the earliest witnesses, Í and B (along with 33 and a few others), omit it. The addition is an evidently motivated reading to clarify whose disciples were in view.
40sn (8:22) 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 Palestine involved a reinterment of the bones a year after the initial burial, once the flesh had rotted away. At that point the son would have placed his father's bones in a special box to be set into the wall of the tomb. Thus Jesus could well be rebuking the man for wanting to wait around for as much as a year before making a commitment to follow him. In 1st century Jewish culture, to have followed Jesus rather than burying one's father would have seriously dishonored one's father (cf. Tobit 4:3-4). (2) The remark is an idiom (possibly a proverbial saying) that means, "The matter in question is not the real issue," in which case Jesus was making a word-play on the wording of the man's (literal) request (see L&N 33.137). (3) This remark could be a figurative reference to various kinds of people, meaning, "Let the spiritually dead bury the dead." (4) It could also be literal and designed to shock the hearer by the surprise of the contrast. Whichever option is preferred, it is clear that the most important priority is to follow Jesus.
41sn (8:23) A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.
42tn (8:25) The participle proselqovnte" (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
43tn (8:26) Grk "And." Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "but" to indicate the contrast present in this context.
44tn (8:26) Or "commanded" (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
45sn (8:26) 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.
46tn (8:27) It is difficult to know whether a[nqrwpoi (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.
47tn (8:27) Grk "the men were amazed, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
48sn (8:27) 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.
49tc (8:28) The textual tradition here is quite complicated. A number of MSS (B C [D] Q 1010 al syrs,p,h) read "Gadarenes," which is the better reading here. Many later MSS (Í2 L W Ë1 Ë13 Byz [syrhmg] bo) have "Gergesenes." A few others (892c latt syrhmg sa mae) have "Gerasenes," which is the reading followed in Luke 8:26. The difference between Matthew and Luke may well have to do with uses of variant regional terms.
sn (8:28) 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.
50tn (8:29) Grk "And behold, they cried out, saying." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d). The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
51tn (8:29) Grk "what to us and to you?" (an idiom). The phrase tiv hJmi'n kaiV soiv (ti Jhmin kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BAGD 217 s.v. ejgwv). 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. BAGD suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Never mind! Leave me alone! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: "Leave us alone...."
52sn (8:29) 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.
53tn (8:30) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
54tn (8:31) Grk "asked him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
55tn (8:32) Grk "And he said to them."
56tn (8:32) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
57tn (8:33) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
58tn (8:33) Or "city." But see the sn (8:33) on "Gadarenes" in 8:28.
59tn (8:34) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
60tn (8:34) Or "city."
1sn (9:1) His own town refers to Capernaum. It was a town of approximately 1000-1500, though of some significance.
2tn (9:2) Grk "And behold, they were bringing." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is translated "all of a sudden," though it has no exact English equivalent.
3tn (9:2) Traditionally, "on a bed," but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, klivnh (klinh) may be translated "bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier" (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
4sn (9:2) The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
5sn (9:2) The passive voice here is a divine passive (D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
6tn (9:3) Grk "And behold." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d). Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
7tn (9:3) Or "some of the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
8sn (9:3) 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.
9sn (9:5) 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.
10sn (9:6) 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).
11sn (9:6) 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.
12sn (9:6) Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
13tn (9:6) Grk "to your house."
14tn (9:7) Grk "to his house."
15tn (9:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16tn (9:8) Grk "people." The plural of a[nqrwpo" (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."
17tn (9:9) While "tax office" is sometimes given as a translation for telwvnion (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.
sn (9:9) 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 the 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.
18tn (9:10) Grk "And it happened that while." The introductory phrase kaiV ejgevneto (kai egeneto, "it happened that") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
19tn (9:10) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
20tn (9:10) Grk "was reclining at table."
sn (9:10) 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.
21tn (9:10) 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.
22sn (9:10) See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
23sn (9:11) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
24sn (9:11) 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.
25tn (9:12) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26sn (9:12) 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.
27sn (9:13) A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).
28sn (9:14) John refers to John the Baptist.
29tn (9:14) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
30sn (9:14) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
31sn (9:14) 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.
32tn (9:15) 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).
33sn (9:15) 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).
34tn (9:15) Grk "days."
35sn (9:15) 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.
36sn (9:17) 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.
37sn (9:17) 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.
38tn (9:20) Grk "And behold a woman." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
39sn (9:20) Suffering with a hemorrhage. The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage which would make her ritually unclean.
40sn (9:20) 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.
41tn (9:20) Grk "garment," but here iJmavtion (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.
42tn (9:21) The imperfect verb is here taken iteratively, for the context suggests that the woman was trying to muster up the courage to touch Jesus' cloak.
43tn (9:21) Grk "saved."
sn (9:21) 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."
44tn (9:22) 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.
45tn (9:22) Grk "saved."
46tn (9:24) Grk "They were laughing at him." The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
47tn (9:26) For the translation of thVn gh'n ejkeivnhn (thn ghn ekeinhn) as "that region," see L&N 1.79.
48tn (9:27) Grk "shouting, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
49sn (9:27) Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God's kind grace.
50sn (9:27) 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]).
51tn (9:28) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
52tn (9:28) 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.
53tn (9:31) For the translation of thVn gh'n ejkeivnhn (thn ghn ekeinhn) as "that region," see L&N 1.79.
54tn (9:32) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
55tn (9:32) Grk "away, behold, they brought a man to him." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
56sn (9:34) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
57tn (9:34) Or "prince."
58tn (9:35) Or "cities."
59sn (9:35) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
60tn (9:35) Grk "and every [kind of] sickness." Here "every" was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
61tn (9:36) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
62tn (9:36) 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.
63sn (9:38) The phrase Lord of the harvest recognizes God's sovereignty over the harvest process.
64tn (9:38) Grk "to thrust out."
1tn (10:1) Grk "And he."
2sn (10:1) Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
3tn (10:1) Grk "and every [kind of] sickness." Here "every" was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4sn (10:2) 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).
5sn (10:2) 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.
6sn (10:3) Bartholomew (meaning "son of Tolmai" in Aramaic) could be another name for Nathanael mentioned in John 1:45.
7sn (10:3) This is the "doubting Thomas" of John 20:24-29.
8sn (10:3) See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
9tn (10:4) Grk "the Cananean," but according to both BAGD 402 s.v. Kananai'o" 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.
10sn (10:4) 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.
11tn (10:4) Grk "who even betrayed him."
12tn (10:5) Grk "instructing them, saying."
13tn (10:5) Grk "on the road of the Gentiles." That is, a path that leads to Gentile regions.
14tn (10:5) Grk "town [or city] of the Samaritans."
15tn (10:6) Grk "But go." The Greek ma'llon (mallon, "rather, instead") conveys the adversative nuance here so that dev (de) has not been translated.
16tc (10:8) The Byzantine text, along with a few other witnesses, omits nekrouV" ejgeivrete (nekrou" egeirete, "raise the dead"), most likely because of oversight due to a string of similar endings (-ete in the second person imperatives, occurring five times in v. 8). 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?). All 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).
17tn (10:10) Or "no traveler's bag"; or possibly "no beggar's bag" (L&N 6.145; BAGD 656 s.v. phvra).
18tn (10:10) Grk "two tunics." See the note on the word "tunic" in Matt 5:40.
19sn (10:10) 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.
20tn (10:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
21tn (10:11) 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."
22tn (10:11) Grk "in it" (referring to the city or village).
23tn (10:11) Grk "there." This was translated as "with them" to avoid redundancy in English and to clarify where the disciples were to stay.
sn (10:11) 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.
24tn (10:12) This is a metonymy; the "house" is put for those who live in it.
25sn (10:13) 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.
26sn (10:14) 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.
27tn (10:15) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
28sn (10:15) 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.
29tn (10:16) Grk "Behold I." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
30sn (10:16) This imagery of wolves is found in inter-testamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.
31tn (10:17) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32sn (10:17) 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.
33tn (10:17) BAGD 495 s.v. mastigovw 1 states, "lit., of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; cf. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss '33) w. acc. of the pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34."
34sn (10:17) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
35sn (10:18) 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.
36tn (10:19) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
37tn (10:19) Grk "how or what you might speak."
38tn (10:21) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn (10:21) Or "will rebel against."
40tn (10:23) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
41tn (10:23) The Greek word here is povli" (polis), which can mean either "town" or "city."
42tn (10:23) Grk "For truly (ajmhvn, amhn) I say to you." Here gavr (gar, "for") has not been translated.
43tn (10:23) The Greek word here is povli" (polis), which can mean either "town" or "city." The same word is translated earlier in the verse as "place."
44tn (10:24) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
45tn (10:26) Grk "Therefore do not." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
46tn (10:26) Or "concealed."
47sn (10:26) 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.
48tn (10:27) Grk "what you hear in the ear," an idiom.
49sn (10:27) Proclaim from the housetops is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51).
50tn (10:28) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
51sn (10:28) Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.
52sn (10:28) See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
53sn (10:29) 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.
54tn (10:29) Or "to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father."
55sn (10:31) Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.
56tn (10:32) Or "confesses."
57tn (10:32) Grk "I will acknowledge him also."
sn (10:32) This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. On Jesus and judgment, see Luke 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.
58tn (10:34) Grk "cast." For bavllw (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.
59tn (10:36) Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.
60sn (10:38) 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.
61tn (10:39) Grk "his soul," but yuchv (yuch) is frequently used of one's physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
62sn (10:39) 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).
63tn (10:39) Grk "for my sake."
64sn (10:40) The one who sent me refers to God.
65tn (10:41) Grk "And whoever." Here kaiv (kai, omitted in codex D and a few other MSS) is not translated.
66tn (10:42) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
1tn (11:1) Grk "And it happened when." The introductory phrase kaiV ejgevneto (kai egeneto, "it happened that") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2sn (11:2) John refers to John the Baptist.
3tc (11:2) The Western codex D and a few other MSS (0233 1424 al) read "Jesus" here instead of "Christ." This is not likely to be original because it is not found in the earliest and most important MSS.
tn (11:2) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (11:2) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
4tn (11:2) Grk "sending by his disciples he said to him." The words "a question" are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
5sn (11:3) 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.
6tn (11:4) Grk "And answering, Jesus said to them." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
7sn (11:4) 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.
8tn (11:5) Grk "and the," but kaiv (kai) is not 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.
9tn (11:6) Grk "whoever."
10tn (11:7) Or "desert."
11tn (11:7) 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.
12tn (11:8) Grk "But what." Here ajllav (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.
13sn (11:8) 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.
14tn (11:8) Or "palaces."
15tn (11:9) 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 (BAGD 651 s.v. perissovtero" 2.).
16tn (11:10) Grk "before your face" (an idiom).
17sn (11:10) 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.
18tn (11:11) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
19sn (11:11) 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.
20tn (11:12) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
21tn (11:12) 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.
22tn (11:13) The word "appeared" is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
23tn (11:15) 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).
24tn (11:16) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn (11:16) Grk "who call out to one another, saying." The participle levgousin (legousin) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
26sn (11:17) `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.
27tn (11:17) The verb ejqrhnhvsamen (eqrhnhsamen) refers to the loud wailing and lamenting used to mourn the dead in public in 1st century Jewish culture.
28sn (11:18) 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.
29tn (11:19) Grk "Behold a man."
30sn (11:19) See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
31sn (11:19) 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.
32tn (11:19) Or "shown to be right."
33tn (11:20) The Greek word here is povli" (polis) which can be translated "city" or "town."
sn (11:20) Chorazin (mentioned in v. 21) was a town, as was Capernaum (v. 23), while Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after A.D. 30.
34sn (11:21) 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 A.D. 30.
35tn (11:21) This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.
36tn (11:21) Or "powerful deeds."
37sn (11:21) 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!"
38sn (11:23) 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.
39tn (11:23) The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.
40sn (11:23) 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).
41sn (11:24) 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.
42tn (11:25) Grk "At that time, answering, Jesus said." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
43tn (11:25) Or "thank."
44sn (11:25) 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.
45tn (11:25) Or "that."
46sn (11:25) See 1 Cor 1:26-31.
47tn (11:26) Grk "for (to do) thus was well pleasing before you," BAGD 257 s.v. e[mprosqen 2.d; speaking of something taking place "before" God is a reverential way of avoiding direct connection of the action to him.
48sn (11:27) 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.
49tn (11:27) Or "wishes." Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.
50sn (11:29) 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.
1tn (12:1) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn (12:1) Grk "heads of grain." While the generic term stavcu" (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).
3sn (12:2) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4tn (12:3) Here dev (de) has not been translated
5tc (12:4) The Greek term e[fagen (efagen, "he ate") is found in a majority of witnesses in place of e[fagon (efagon, "they ate"). This is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).
6tn (12:4) Grk "the bread of presentation."
sn (12:4) 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.
7sn (12:4) Jesus' response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was not lawful 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.
8sn (12:4) See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
9tn (12:6) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10tn (12:7) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11sn (12:7) A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
12tn (12:8) The term "lord" is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
sn (12:8) 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.
13tn (12:9) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
14tn (12:9) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15sn (12:9) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
16tn (12:10) Grk "And behold." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
17sn (12:10) Withered means the man's hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
18tn (12:10) Grk "and they asked him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated. The referent of the pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19sn (12:10) 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).
20sn (12:13) 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.
21tn (12:14) Grk "destroy."
22tn (12:15) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
23tc (12:15) Í B lat et pauci read only polloiv (polloi, "many") here; the first hand of N reads o[cloi (ocloi, "crowds"); virtually all the rest of the witnesses have o[cloi polloiv (ocloi polloi, "great crowds"). In spite of the good quality of both Í and B (especially in combination), the longer reading is most likely correct; the reading of Í and B was probably due to homoioteleuton.
24tn (12:17) 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 levgonto" (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
25tn (12:18) Grk "Behold my servant."
26tn (12:18) Grk "with whom my soul."
27tn (12:21) Or "the nations" (the same Greek word may be translated "Gentiles" or "nations").
28sn (12:21) Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
29tn (12:22) Grk "And he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30tn (12:22) Grk "demoniac, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw."
31sn (12:24) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
32tn (12:24) Grk "except by Beelzebul."
sn (12:24) Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus' work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
33tn (12:24) Or "prince."
34tc (12:25) The majority of MSS add oJ *Ihsou" (Jo Ihsou", "Jesus") here, to clarify who is the subject of the sentence. Although the shorter text is minimally attested (Í B et pauci), both the pedigree of the MSS and the strong internal evidence (viz., scribes were not prone to intentionally delete the name of Jesus) argues for the omission of Jesus' name. The name has been included in the translation, however, for clarity.
35sn (12:25) 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).
36tn (12:25) Or "is left in ruins."
37tn (12:26) 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.
38sn (12:27) Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists, 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 oiJ uiJoiV uJmw'n at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19," JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). Jesus' point then 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.
39tn (12:27) The pronoun "them" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
40sn (12:28) 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.
41tn (12:28) The phrase e[fqasen ejf* uJma'" (efqasen ef' Juma") is quite important. Does it mean merely "approach" or actually "come upon"? Is the arrival of the kingdom in process or merely anticipated? Two factors favor arrival. First, the prepositional phrase "on you" 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 come. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of fqavnw (fqanw) as "to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already."
42tn (12:29) Grk "Or how can."
43sn (12:29) The strong man here pictures Satan.
44sn (12:29) 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.
45sn (12:30) 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.
46sn (12:30) For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
47tn (12:31) Grk "every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men."
48tn (12:32) Grk "it will be forgiven him."
49tn (12:32) Grk "it will not be forgiven him."
sn (12:32) 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.
50tn (12:33) Grk "rotten." The word saprov", modifying both "tree" and "fruit," can also mean "diseased" (L&N 65.28).
51tn (12:35) The Greek text reads here a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person.
52tn (12:36) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
53tn (12:38) Or "Then some of the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
54tn (12:38) Grk "and Pharisees." The word "some" before "Pharisees" has been supplied for clarification.
sn (12:38) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
55tn (12:38) Grk "answered him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
56sn (12:38) 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.
57tn (12:39) Grk "But answering, he said to them." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
58tn (12:40) Grk "large sea creature."
59sn (12:40) An allusion to Jonah 1:17.
60tn (12:41) Grk "men"; the word here (ajnhvr, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BAGD 66 s.v. 1, 6).
61tn (12:41) Grk "at the preaching of Jonah."
62tn (12:41) Grk "behold."
63sn (12:42) 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.
64tn (12:42) Grk "behold."
65tn (12:43) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
66sn (12:43) Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
67tn (12:43) Grk "man." This is a generic use of a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
68sn (12:43) 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).
69tn (12:43) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "but" to indicate the contrast present in this context.
70tn (12:44) Grk "I will return to my house from which I came."
71tn (12:44) Grk "comes."
72tn (12:44) The words "the house" are not in Greek but are implied.
73sn (12:44) 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.
74tn (12:45) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" to indicate the concluding point of the story.
75tn (12:46) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
76tn (12:46) Grk "crowds, behold, his mother." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
77sn (12:46) 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.
78tn (12:46) "His mother and brothers came and" is a translation of "behold, his mother and brothers came."
79tn (12:46) Grk "seeking."
80tn (12:47) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
81tn (12:47) Grk "seeking."
82tn (12:48) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
83tn (12:48) 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 dev (de) at the beginning of the clause has not been translated.
84tn (12:49) Grk "extending his hand."
85tn (12:49) Grk "Behold my mother and my brothers."
86tn (12:50) The pleonastic pronoun aujtov" (autos, "he") which precedes this verb has not been translated.
1tn (13:2) Grk "and all the crowd." The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
2tn (13:3) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
3sn (13:3) 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.
4tn (13:3) Grk "Behold."
5sn (13:3) 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.
6tn (13:5) Here and in vv. 7 and 8 dev (de) has not been translated.
7sn (13:5) The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
8tn (13:5) Grk "it did not have enough depth of earth."
9sn (13:7) Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
10sn (13:7) That is, crowded out the good plants.
11tn (13:9) 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).
12tn (13:10) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
13tn (13:11) Grk "And answering, he said to them." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
14tn (13:11) This is an example of a "divine passive," with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 437-38).
15tn (13:11) Grk "it has been given to you to know." The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.
16tn (13:11) Grk "the mysteries."
sn (13:11) The key term secrets (musthvrion, 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).
17sn (13:12) 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.
18tn (13:14) Grk "with hearing," a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb "you will listen" (D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 168-69).
19tn (13:14) Grk "look by looking." The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
20sn (13:15) A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
21sn (13:16) This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
22tn (13:17) Grk "truly (ajmhvn, amhn) I say to you."
23sn (13:17) 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.
24sn (13:19) 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.
25sn (13:19) The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person's heart, something the devil is very much against.
26tn (13:20) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
27tn (13:20) Grk "The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one." The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.
28tn (13:21) Grk "is temporary."
29tn (13:21) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn (13:22) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
31tn (13:22) Grk "the deceit of riches."
32sn (13:22) That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
33tn (13:23) 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").
34tn (13:24) Grk "He set before them another parable, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
35tn (13:25) Grk "sowed darnel." The Greek term zizavnion (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).
36tn (13:26) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
37tn (13:27) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
38tn (13:28) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the owner's statement.
39tn (13:30) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
40tn (13:30) Grk "but."
41tn (13:30) Grk "burned, but gather."
42tn (13:31) Grk "put before."
43tn (13:31) Grk "He set before them another parable, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
44sn (13:31) The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
45sn (13:32) 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.
46tn (13:32) Or "birds of the heaven"; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven," depending on the context.
sn (13:32) The idiom birds of the sky refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl.
47sn (13:32) 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.
48tn (13:33) Grk "hid in."
49sn (13:33) 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.
50tn (13:33) Grk "it was all leavened."
sn (13:33) 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.
51tn (13:35) Grk "was spoken by the prophet, saying." The participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
52sn (13:35) A quotation from Ps 78:2.
53tn (13:37) Grk "And answering, he said." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
54tn (13:38) 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."
55tn (13:38) 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.
56tn (13:40) Grk "Therefore as." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
57tn (13:41) Grk "the ones who practice lawlessness."
58sn (13:42) An allusion to Dan 3:6.
59sn (13:43) An allusion to Dan 12:3.
60tn (13:43) 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).
61sn (13:50) An allusion to Dan 3:6.
62tn (13:52) 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.
63tn (13:53) Grk "Now it happened that when." The introductory phrase kaiV ejgevneto (kai egeneto, "it happened that") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
64tn (13:54) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "Then."
65sn (13:54) Jesus' hometown was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest from Capernaum, where he spent his childhood years.
66tn (13:54) Grk "them"; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
67sn (13:54) 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.
68tn (13:54) Grk "synagogue, so that they." Here w{ste (Jwste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.
69sn (13:55) 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).
70tn (13:56) Grk "Where did he get these things?"
1sn (14:1) 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.
2tc (14:3) Most witnesses add "him" here, as a way of clarifying the direct object. The original wording most likely omitted it.
3tn (14:4) The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
4sn (14:4) 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.
5tn (14:5) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
6tn (14:5) Grk "him"; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7tn (14:7) The Greek text reads here oJmologevw (Jomologew); though normally translated "acknowledge, confess," BAGD (568 s.v. 1) lists "assure, promise with an oath" for certain contexts such as here.
8tn (14:9) Grk "and being grieved, the king commanded."
sn (14:9) Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
9tn (14:10) Grk "And." Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
10tn (14:11) Grk "And his"; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11tn (14:12) Grk "his"; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "Then."
12tn (14:13) The word "it" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
13tn (14:13) Or "cities."
14tn (14:15) Or "a desert" (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
15tc (14:16) The majority of witnesses add *Ihsou'" (Ihsous) here, clarifying the subject. Although only a few witnesses omit the name of Jesus, it does not seem to be either accidental or malicious and is therefore judged to be the original reading.
16tn (14:16) Here the pronoun uJmei'" (Jumeis) is used, making "you" in the translation emphatic.
17tn (14:17) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn (14:19) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "Then."
19tn (14:19) 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.
20tn (14:19) Grk "to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds."
21tn (14:22) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22tn (14:24) Grk "The boat was already many stades from the land." A stade (stavdion, stadion) was a unit of distance about 607 feet (187 meters) long.
23tn (14:25) Grk "In the fourth watch of the night," that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
24tn (14:25) Or "on the lake."
25tn (14:26) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26tn (14:26) 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).
27tc (14:27) Most witnesses add oJ *Ihsou'" (Jo Ihsous) before aujtoi'" (autois), for the sake of clarity.
28tn (14:27) Grk "he said to them, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
29tn (14:28) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn (14:28) Grk "answering him, Peter said." The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
31tn (14:30) Grk "he cried out, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
32sn (14:34) Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Mark 6:53). This name was also sometimes used for the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1).
33tn (14:36) Grk "asked that they might touch."
1sn (15:1) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
2tn (15:1) Or "and the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
3tn (15:1) The participle levgonte" (legontes) is translated as a finite verb so that its telic force can be more easily detected: the Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.
4tc (15:2) Although most witnesses add the genitive plural pronoun aujtw'n (autwn), it is evidently motivated by clarification (as it was in the translation above). Í B and several other authorities omit the pronoun; the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading.
5tn (15:2) Grk "when they eat bread."
6tn (15:3) Grk "But answering, he said to them."
7sn (15:4) A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
8sn (15:4) A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
9tn (15:5) Grk "is a gift," that is, something dedicated to God.
10sn (15:6) 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).
11tn (15:8) The term "heart" is a collective singular in the Greek text.
12sn (15:9) A quotation from Isa 29:13.
13tn (15:10) Grk "And calling the crowd, he said to them." The participle proskalesavmeno" (proskalesamenos) is translated as attendant circumstance. The emphasis here is upon Jesus' speaking to the crowd.
14tn (15:11) Grk "but what."
15sn (15:12) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
16tn (15:13) Grk "And answering, he said."
17tn (15:14) Grk "If blind leads blind."
18tn (15:15) Grk "And answering, Peter said to him." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
19tn (15:16) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
20tn (15:17) Or "into the latrine."
21tn (15:20) Grk "but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person."
22tn (15:22) Grk "And behold a Canaanite." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
23tn (15:22) Grk The participle ejxelqou'sa (exelqousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.
24tn (15:22) Grk "cried out, saying." The participle levgousa (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
25tn (15:23) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "Then."
26tn (15:23) Grk "asked him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
27tn (15:24) Grk "And answering, he said." The construction in Greek is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the disciples' request.
28tn (15:25) In this context the verb proskunevw (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).
29tn (15:25) Grk "she bowed down to him, saying."
30tn (15:26) 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 dev (de) has not been translated.
31tn (15:26) 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 kunavrion (kunarion) simply means "dog."
sn (15:26) 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.
32tn (15:26) Grk "And answering, he said." The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
33tn (15:27) Grk "she said."
34tn (15:28) Grk "Then answering, Jesus said to her." This expression has been simplified in the translation.
35sn (15:28) Woman was a polite form of address (see BAGD 168 s.v. gunhv), similar to "Madam" or "Ma'am" used in English in different regions.
36tn (15:30) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "Then."
37tn (15:30) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
38tc (15:32) Although the external evidence is not great (Í W Q 700 et pauci), the internal evidence for the omission of aujtou' (autou, "his") after "disciples" is fairly strong. The pronoun was most likely added by way of clarification.
39tn (15:36) Grk "was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd."
40tn (15:37) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
41tc (15:38) Although most witnesses 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., Í D lat syrc sa bo et alii), suggesting that this is the original reading.
42tn (15:38) Grk "And those eating were four thousand men, apart from children and women."
43sn (15:39) Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.
1sn (16:1) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
2sn (16:1) See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
3tn (16:1) The object of the participle peiravzonte" (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
4sn (16:1) 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.
5tn (16:2) Grk "But answering, he said to them." The construction has been simplified in the translation and dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn (16:3) Or "red and gloomy" (L&N 14.56).
7tn (16:3) Grk "The face of the sky you know how to discern."
8tn (16:4) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
9sn (16:6) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
10sn (16:6) See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
11tn (16:7) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of Jesus' saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
12tn (16:8) Or "becoming aware of it."
13tn (16:8) Grk "Those of little faith."
14tn (16:8) Or "discussing."
15tn (16:13) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16tn (16:13) Grk "he asked his disciples, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
17sn (16:14) 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.
18tn (16:16) Grk "And answering, Simon Peter said."
19tn (16:16) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (16:16) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
20tn (16:17) Grk "answering, Jesus said to him." The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
21tn (16:18) Or "and the power of death" (taking the reference to the gates of Hades as a metonymy).
sn (16:18) 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.
22tn (16:20) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (16:20) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
23tn (16:21) Grk "From then."
24sn (16:21) 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.
25tn (16:21) Or "and scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
26tn (16:22) 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!"
27tn (16:23) Grk "people."
28tn (16:24) Grk "to come after me."
29tn (16:24) 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.
30sn (16:24) 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.
31tn (16:25) Or "soul" (throughout vv. 25-26).
32sn (16:25) 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.
33tn (16:26) Grk "a man," but a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
34sn (16:27) An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
35tn (16:28) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
36tn (16:28) The Greek negative here (ouj mhv, ou mh) is the strongest possible.
37sn (16:28) That is, who will not die (physically).
38sn (16:28) 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 after six days in 17:1 seems to indicate that Mark 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.
1tn (17:1) Grk "John his brother" with "his" referring to James.
2sn (17:2) 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).
3tn (17:2) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
4tn (17:3) Grk "And behold, Moses." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
5sn (17:3) 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).
6tn (17:4) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate that the appearance of Moses and Elijah prompted Peter's comment.
7tn (17:4) Grk "Peter answering said." This construction is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
8tn (17:4) Or "booths," "dwellings" (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).
sn (17:4) 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.
9tn (17:5) Grk "behold, a." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
10sn (17:5) This cloud is the cloud of God's presence and the voice is his as well.
11tn (17:5) Or "surrounded."
12tn (17:5) Grk "behold, a voice from the cloud, saying." This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle levgousa (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
13tn (17:5) Grk "my beloved Son," or "my Son, the beloved [one]." The force of ajgaphtov" (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 BAGD 6 s.v. 1).
14sn (17:5) 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.
15tn (17:6) Grk "they fell down on their faces." BAGD 659 s.v. pivptw 1.b.a.b. has "fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings."
16tn (17:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn (17:9) Grk "Jesus commanded them, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
18tn (17:10) Grk "asked him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
19tn (17:10) Or "do the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
20tn (17:11) Grk "And answering, he said." This has been simplified in the translation.
21tn (17:12) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
22tn (17:14) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
23tn (17:15) Grk "he is moonstruck," possibly meaning "lunatic," although generally regarded as referring to an epileptic (L&N 23.169).
24tn (17:16) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "but" to indicate the contrast present in this context.
25tn (17:17) Grk "And answering, Jesus said." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
26tn (17:17) Grk "O." The marker of direct address, w\ (w), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by "you."
27tn (17:17) Or "faithless."
sn (17:17) The rebuke for lack of faith has OT roots: Num 14:27; Deut 32:5, 30; Isa 59:8.
28tn (17:17) Grk "how long."
29tn (17:17) Or "put up with." See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.
30sn (17:17) The pronouns you...you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.
31tn (17:18) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "Then."
32tn (17:18) Or "commanded" (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
33tn (17:19) Grk "coming, the disciples said." The participle proselqovnte" (proselqontes) is translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
34tn (17:20) Grk "For truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you." Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
35tn (17:20) Grk "faith as," "faith like."
36tn (17:20) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
37tc (17:20) Many important MSS (Í* B Q 33 892* et pauci) do not include 17:21 "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." The verse is included in Í2 C D L W Ë1 Ë13 Byz, but is almost certainly not original. The present translation follows the standard critical Greek texts in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
38tn (17:22) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn (17:24) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
40tn (17:24) Grk "Collectors of the double drachma." This is a case of metonymy, where the coin used to pay the tax (the double drachma coin, or divdracmon [didracmon]) was put for the tax itself (cf. BAGD 192 s.v. divdracmon).
sn (17:24) The temple tax refers to the tax paid annually by male Jews to support the temple (Exod 30:13-16).
41tn (17:25) Grk "spoke first to him, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
42sn (17:25) 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.
43sn (17:26) See the note on the phrase their sons in the previous verse.
44sn (17:27) The four drachma coin was a stater (stathvr, stathr), a silver coin worth four drachmae. The drachma was equivalent to the denarius, the standard pay for a day's labor (L&N 6.80).
1tn (18:3) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
2sn (18:3) The point of the comparison become like little children has more to do with a child's trusting spiri, and willingness to be dependent and receive from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.
3tn (18:3) The negation in Greek (ouj mhv, ou mh) is very strong here.
4tn (18:5) This verb, devcomai (decomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).
5tn (18:6) The Greek term skandalivzw (skandalizw), translated here "causes to sin" can also be translated "offends" or "causes to stumble."
6tn (18:6) Grk "the millstone of a donkey."
sn (18:6) A millstone refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (see L&N 7.68-69). The punishment of drowning is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus' views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.
7tn (18:7) Grk "For it." Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
8tn (18:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9sn (18:8) In Greek there is a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in English here. The verb translated "causes...to sin" (skandalivzw, skandalizw) comes from the same root as the word translated "stumbling blocks" (skavndalon, skandalon) in the previous verse.
10tn (18:8) Grk "than having."
11tn (18:9) Grk "than having."
12tn (18:9) Grk "the Gehenna of fire."
sn (18:9) See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
13tc (18:10) The most important MSS (Í B L* Q* Ë1 Ë13 33 892* et pauci) do not include 18:11 "For the Son of Man came to save the lost." The verse is included in D Lc W Qc 078vid Byz, but is almost certainly not original. The present translation follows the standard critical Greek texts in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
14tn (18:12) Grk "a certain man." The Greek word a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
15sn (18:12) This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
16sn (18:12) 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.
17tn (18:13) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
18tn (18:15) Here dev (de) has not been translated. All the "if" clauses in this paragraph are third class conditions in Greek.
19tn (18:15) The Greek term "brother" literally refers to family relationships, but here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BAGD 16 s.v. ajdelfov" 2).
20tc (18:15) The earliest and best witnesses omit "against you" after "if your brother sins." It is quite possible that these witnesses (Í B 0281 Ë1 sa et alii) 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 aJmarthvsh/ [Jamarthsh] and the prepositional phrase eij" se [eis se]). However, since the MSS were normally copied by sight rather than by sound, especially in the early centuries of Christianity, such an unintentional change is not as likely for these MSS. And since scribes normally added material rather than deleted it for intentional changes, on balance, the shorter reading appears to be original.
21tn (18:15) Grk "go reprove him."
22sn (18:16) A quotation from Deut 19:15.
23tn (18:17) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
24tn (18:17) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn (18:17) Grk "let him be to you as."
26sn (18:17) 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.
27tn (18:18) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
28tn (18:19) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
29tn (18:19) Grk "it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven." The passive construction has been translated as an active one.
30tn (18:21) Here the term "brother" means "fellow believer" or "fellow Christian" (cf. BAGD 16 s.v. ajdelfov" 2), whether male or female.
31tn (18:22) 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.
32tn (18:23) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
33tn (18:24) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34sn (18:24) 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)."
35tn (18:25) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
36tn (18:25) Grk "and his wife."
37tn (18:26) 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.
38tn (18:28) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn (18:28) 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.
40tn (18:28) Here kaiv (kai) is translated as "then."
41tn (18:28) Grk "and he grabbed him and started choking him."
42tn (18:29) Grk "begged him, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
43tn (18:31) Grk "Therefore when." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
44tn (18:32) Grk "him"; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45tn (18:34) 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.
46tn (18:35) 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).
47tn (18:35) The Greek term "brother" literally refers to family relationships, but here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BAGD 16 s.v. ajdelfov" 2).
1tn (19:1) Grk "it happened when." The introductory phrase ejgevneto (egeneto, "it happened that") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2tn (19:1) "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").
3tn (19:3) Grk "And Pharisees."
sn (19:3) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4tc (19:3) Most MSS have either ajnqrwvpw/ (anqrwpw, "for a man") or ajndriv (andri, "for a husband") before the infinitive ajpolu'sai (apolusai, "to divorce"). The latter reading is an assimilation to the parallel in Mark; the former reading is motivated apparently by the clarification needed (especially to give the following aujtou' [autou] an antecedent). But a few significant MSS have neither noun (viz., Í * B L G 579 et pauci). As the harder reading, it best explains the rise of the others.
5sn (19:3) 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.
6sn (19:4) A quotation from Gen 1:27; 5:2.
7sn (19:5) A quotation from Gen 2:24.
8tc (19:7) There is a variant reading here which omits the aujthvn (authn, "her") after the infinitive ajpolu'sai (apolusai, "to divorce"). This shorter reading may be due to assimilation to the Markan parallel, but since it is attested in early and diverse witnesses (e.g., Í D L Q 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.
sn (19:7) A quotation from Deut 24:1. The Pharisees were all in agreement that the OT permitted a man to write a legal document and 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).
9tc (19:8) A few important MSS (Í F 33vid et pauci) supply the name "Jesus" here, but it is probably not original. Nevertheless, this translation routinely specifies the referents of pronouns to improve clarity, so that has been done here.
tn (19:8) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10tn (19:8) Grk "heart" (a collective singular).
11tc (19:10) A number of significant witnesses add aujtou' (autou, "his") after maqhtaiv (maqhtai, e.g., Ì25 C D L W 33 lat et plu), but this looks to be a clarifying reading. Other early and important witnesses lack the pronoun (Ì71vid Í B Q et pauci).
12tn (19:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tn (19:12) Grk "from the womb of the mother" (an idiom).
14tn (19:12) The verb eujnoucivzw 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).
15tn (19:12) Grk "people."
16tn (19:13) Grk "so that he would lay his hands on them and pray."
17sn (19:14) 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.
18tn (19:15) Grk "from there."
19tn (19:16) Grk "And behold one came." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d). Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
20sn (19:19) A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.
21sn (19:19) A quotation from Lev 19:18.
22sn (19:20) While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have kept all these things, 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.
23tn (19:21) 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.
24sn (19:21) 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.
25tc (19:21) B C D G et pauci read oujranoi'" (ouranois) here, perhaps because of homoioteleuton to ptwcoi'" (ptwcoi").
26tn (19:22) Grk "he had many possessions." This term (kth'ma, kthma) is often used for land as a possession.
27tn (19:23) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
28tn (19:24) Grk "I say to you."
29tc (19:24) A few late witnesses read kavmilon (kamilon, "rope") for kavmhlon (kamhlon, "camel"), either through accidental reading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus' words.
30sn (19:24) 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.
31tn (19:25) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32sn (19:25) The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
33tn (19:26) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34tn (19:26) Grk "people."
35tn (19:27) Grk "Then answering, Peter said." This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
36sn (19:27) Peter wants reassurance that the disciples' response and sacrifice has been noticed.
37tn (19:27) Grk "We have left everything and followed you." Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
38tn (19:28) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn (19:28) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
40sn (19:28) The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (paliggenesiva, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).
41sn (19:28) 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.
42tc (19:29) A majority of MSS have tou' ojnovmatov" mou (tou onomato" mou, "my name"), but the text reading enjoys the support of Í B Q et pauci. Further, the text reading is harder, not fitting Matthew's characteristic style (all but one instance of ejmou' [emou] in Matthew is the object of a preposition). It best explains the rise of the other reading.
43sn (19:29) 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.
1sn (20:1) The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
2tn (20:2) Grk "agreeing with the workers for a denarius a day."
sn (20:2) 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.
3tn (20:3) Grk "about the third hour."
4tn (20:5) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
5tn (20:5) Grk "he went out again about the sixth and ninth hour."
6tn (20:6) Grk "about the eleventh hour."
7tn (20:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8sn (20:8) That is, six o'clock in the evening, the hour to pay day laborers. See Lev 19:13b.
9tc (20:8) Most witnesses (including the significant B D W Q latt) add aujtoi'" (autois, "to them") after ajpovdo" (apodos, "give the pay"), but this is a motivated reading, clarifying the indirect object.
10tn (20:9) Grk "each received a denarius." See the note on the phrase "standard wage" in v. 2.
11tn (20:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn (20:11) The imperfect verb ejgovgguzon (egonguzon) has been translated ingressively.
13tn (20:13) Grk "he"; the referent (the landowner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14tn (20:13) Grk "And answering, he said to one of them." This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
15tn (20:13) Grk "for a denarius a day."
16tn (20:14) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn (20:14) Grk "this last one," translated as "this last man" because field laborers in 1st century Palestine were men.
18tc (20:15) Before oujk (ouk, "[am I] not") a number of significant witnesses add h[ (h, "or"; e.g., Í C W Ë1 Ë13 33). Although in later Greek the oi in soi (oi in soi) would have been pronounced like h, since h is lacking in early MSS (B D) and since MSS were copied predominantly by sight rather than by sound, even into the later centuries, the shorter reading is most likely original.
19tn (20:15) Grk "Is your eye evil because I am good?"
20tc (20:17) A number of significant witnesses add maqhtav" (maqhtas, "disciples") after dwvdeka (dwdeka, "twelve"; including B C W 33 lat) by way of clarification.
21tn (20:18) Or "and the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
22tn (20:19) Traditionally, "scourged" (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BAGD 495 s.v. mastigovw 1. states, "Of the beating (Lat. verberatio) given those condemned to death...J 19:1; cf. Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33." Here the term has been translated "flog...severely" to distinguish it from the term fragellovw (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.
23sn (20:19) 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.
24tn (20:19) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "yet" to indicate the contrast present in this context.
25tn (20:20) Grk "asked something from him."
26tn (20:21) Grk "said to him."
27tn (20:21) Grk "Say that."
28tc (20:21) A majority of witnesses add sou (sou) 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 Í B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style.
29tn (20:22) Grk "And answering, Jesus said." This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn (20:22) 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.
31sn (20:22) 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.
32tn (20:24) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
33tn (20:24) Grk "the ten."
34tn (20:24) The word "this" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
35tn (20:27) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
36sn (20:28) The Greek word for ransom (luvtron, 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.
37tn (20:30) Grk "And behold." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
38tn (20:30) Grk "shouted, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
39sn (20:30) Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God's kind grace.
40sn (20:30) 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]).
41tn (20:31) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
42tn (20:31) Or "rebuked." The crowd's view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.
43tc (20:31) The majority of MSS have kuvrie (kurie, "Lord") after ejlevhson hJma'" (elehson Jhma", "Have mercy on us"). But since this is the order of words in v. 30, and since the other reading enjoys widespread and early support (Í B D L Z Q 085 lat bo et alii), it was considered original.
1tn (21:1) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2sn (21:1) 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.
3sn (21:1) "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.
4tn (21:2) Grk "the village lying before you" (BAGD 421 s.v. katevnanti 2.a).
5sn (21:3) The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
6tn (21:4) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
7tn (21:4) Grk "what was spoken by the prophet, saying." The present participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
8tn (21:5) 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" is translated as "people of Zion" because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.
9tn (21:5) Grk "the foal of an animal under the yoke," i.e., a hard-working animal. This is a quotation from Zech 9:9.
10tn (21:6) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of Jesus' instructions in vv. 2-3.
11tn (21:7) Grk "garments"; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.
12tn (21:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tn (21:9) Grk "were shouting, saying." The participle levgonta" (legontas) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
14tn (21:9) The expression &Wsannav (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.
sn (21:9) 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.
15sn (21:9) A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
16tn (21:10) Grk "was shaken." The translation "thrown into an uproar" is given by L&N 25.233.
17tn (21:12) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
18tn (21:12) Grk "the temple."
sn (21:12) The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
19tn (21:12) Grk "the temple."
sn (21:12) 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.
20sn (21:13) A quotation from Isa 56:7.
21tn (21:13) Or "a hideout" (see L&N 1.57).
22sn (21:13) 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.
23tn (21:15) Or "and the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
24tn (21:15) Grk "crying out in the temple [courts] and saying." The participle levgonta" (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
25sn (21:16) A quotation from Ps 8:2.
26tn (21:19) Grk "one fig tree."
sn (21:19) The fig tree is a variation on the picture of a vine as representing the nation; see Isa 5:1-7.
27tn (21:21) Grk "And answering, Jesus said." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
28tn (21:21) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
29tn (21:22) Grk "believing"; the participle here is conditional.
30tn (21:23) Grk "he."
31tn (21:23) Grk "the temple."
32tn (21:23) On this phrase, see BAGD 684 s.v. poi'o" 2.g.
33tn (21:24) Grk "answering, Jesus said to them." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34sn (21:25) The question is whether John's ministry was of divine or human origin.
35tn (21:27) Here dev (de) has been translated as "So" to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.
36tn (21:27) Grk "answering Jesus, they said." This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.
37sn (21:27) 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.
38sn (21:27) 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.
39tn (21:27) On this phrase, see BAGD 684 s.v. poi'o" 2.g. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 23.
40tn (21:28) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
41tn (21:29) 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.
42tn (21:29) The Greek text reads here metamevlomai (metamelomai): "to change one's mind about something, with the probable implication of regret" (L&N 31.59); cf. also BAGD 511 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.
43tn (21:30) "And he"; here dev (de) has not been translated.
44tn (21:30) Grk "And answering, he said." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated. Here the referent ("this boy") has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45tc (21:31) Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex 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 MSS. But the reading is so hard as to be next to impossible. One can only suspect some tampering with the text (e.g., that the Pharisees would indeed give lip-service to obedience and would betray themselves in their very response) or extreme carelessness on the part of the scribe. (Either option, of course, is not improbable with this particular texttype, and with codex D in particular.) The other two major variants are more difficult to assess. Essentially, the responses are sensical (the son who does his father's will is the one who changes his mind after saying "no"): (2) The first son says "no" and later has a change of heart, and the second son says "yes" but does not go. But here, the first son is called the one who does his father's will (unlike the Western reading). This is the reading found in Í C* L W D Byz it syr. (3) The first son says "yes" but does not go, and the second son says "no" but later has a change of heart. This is the reading found in B Q Ë13 700 and several versional witnesses. Both of these latter two readings make good sense and have significantly better textual support than the first reading. The real question, then, is: Is the first son or the second the obedient one? If one were to argue simply from the parabolic logic, the second son would be seen as the obedient one (hence, the third reading). The first son would represent the Pharisees (or Jews) who claim to obey God, but do not (cf. Matt 23:3). This comports well with the parable of the prodigal son (in which the oldest son represents the unbelieving Jews). Further, the chronological sequence of the second son being obedient fits well with the real scene: Gentiles and tax collectors and prostitutes are not, collectively, God's chosen people, but they do repent and come to God, while the Jewish leaders claimed to be obedient to God but did nothing. At the same time, the external evidence is weaker for this reading (though stronger than the first reading), not as widespread, and certainly suspect because of how neatly it fits. One suspects scribal manipulation at this point. (One might even conjecture that the Western reading originated from some attempt to smooth things out, but the scribe got confused along the way and created a worse blunder, just as several Georgian witnesses seemed to do.) Thus, the second reading looks to be superior to the other two on both external and transcriptional grounds. But what about intrinsic evidence? One can surmise that Jesus didn't always give predictable responses. In this instance, he may well have painted a picture in which the Pharisees saw themselves as the first son, only to stun them with his application (v. 32).
46tn (21:31) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
47sn (21:31) See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
48tn (21:32) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
49sn (21:32) 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.
50tn (21:33) The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
51sn (21:33) The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and it 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.
52tn (21:33) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
53sn (21:33) The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.
54tn (21:34) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
sn (21:34) These slaves represent the prophets God sent to the nation, who were mistreated and rejected.
55tn (21:34) Grk "to collect his fruits."
56sn (21:35) The image of the tenants mistreating the owner's slaves pictures the nation's rejection of the prophets and their message.
57sn (21:37) The owner's decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.
58tn (21:39) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the tenants' decision to kill the son in v. 38.
59tn (21:39) Grk "seizing him." The participle labovnte" (labontes) is translated as attendant circumstance.
60sn (21:39) Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus' death outside of Jerusalem.
61tn (21:42) 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 kefalhV gwniva" (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.
sn (21:42) 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.
62sn (21:42) A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
63tn (21:43) Or "to a nation."
64tc (21:44) A few important MSS (D 33 it) do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in Í B C W Q 0102 Ë1 Ë13 Byz and should be included as original.
tn (21:44) Grk "on whomever it falls, it will crush him."
sn (21:44) 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.
65tn (21:45) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
66sn (21:45) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
1tn (22:1) Grk "And answering again, Jesus spoke." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
2tn (22:3) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
3tn (22:4) Grk "Behold, I have prepared my dinner." In some contexts, however, to translate a[riston (ariston) as "dinner" somewhat misses the point (L&N 23.22 here suggests, "See now, the feast I have prepared (for you is ready).")
4tn (22:6) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
5tn (22:7) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn (22:7) Grk "he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers." The verb ajpwvlesen (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.
7tn (22:7) The Greek text reads here povli" (polis), which could be translated "town" or "city." The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem.
8tn (22:12) Grk "he was silent."
9sn (22:15) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
10tn (22:15) Grk "trap him in word."
11sn (22:16) 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 MSS also read "Herodians" instead of "Herod" in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.
12sn (22:16) 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.
13tn (22:16) Grk "And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men."
14tn (22:16) Grk "and it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men."
15tn (22:17) Or "lawful," that is, in accordance with God's divine law. On the syntax of e[xestin (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.
16tn (22:17) According to L&N 57.180 the term kh'nso" (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.
sn (22:17) 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.
17tn (22:17) Or "to the emperor" ("Caesar" is a title for the Roman emperor).
18tn (22:19) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate their response to Jesus' request for a coin.
19tn (22:19) 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 dhnavrion (dhnarion) has been translated simply as "silver coin" with an explanatory note.
sn (22:19) 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.
20tn (22:20) Grk "And he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
21tn (22:20) Or "whose image."
sn (22:20) In this passage Jesus points to the likeness (Grk eijkwvn, eikwn; often translated as "image") 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.
22tn (22:21) Grk "they said to him."
23tn (22:21) Grk "then he said to them." tovte (tote) has not been translated to avoid redundancy.
24sn (22:21) 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.
25tn (22:22) Grk "they were amazed; they marveled."
26sn (22:23) See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
27sn (22:23) This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the author.
28tn (22:24) Grk "and raise up seed," an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).
29sn (22:24) 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 [4.254-6]). 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.
30tn (22:27) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
31tn (22:28) Grk "For all had her."
32tn (22:29) Grk "And answering, Jesus said to them." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
33sn (22:30) 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).
34tn (22:31) Grk "spoken to you by God, saying." The participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
35sn (22:32) A quotation from Exod 3:6.
36sn (22:32) 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.
37sn (22:34) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
38sn (22:34) See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
39tn (22:34) Grk "for the same." That is, for the same purpose that the Sadducees had of testing Jesus.
40tn (22:35) Traditionally, "a lawyer." This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.
41tn (22:35) Grk "testing." The participle, however, is telic in force.
42tn (22:36) Or possibly "What sort of commandment in the law is great?"
43tn (22:37) Grk "And he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
44tn (22:37) Grk "You will love." The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 452 and 569).
45sn (22:37) 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.
46tn (22:38) Grk "the great and first."
47sn (22:39) A quotation from Lev 19:18.
48tn (22:40) Or "depend." The verb kremavnnumi (kremannumi) is used here with a figurative meaning.
49tn (22:41) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
50sn (22:41) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
51tn (22:41) Grk "asked them a question, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
52tn (22:42) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (22:42) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
53sn (22:42) 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.
54sn (22:44) 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.
55sn (22:44) A quotation from Ps 110:1.
56tn (22:45) Grk "how is he his son?"
57tn (22:46) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
1tn (23:2) Grk "saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2tn (23:2) Or "The scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
3sn (23:2) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4tn (23:3) Grk "for they say and do not do."
5tn (23:4) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn (23:5) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
7sn (23:5) 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.
8tn (23:5) The term kravspedon (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 kravspedon denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194)."
sn (23:5) 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).
9tn (23:6) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10sn (23:6) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
11sn (23:7) There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
12tn (23:10) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (23:10) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
13tn (23:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
14tn (23:13) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
15tn (23:13) Grk "Woe to you...because you..." The causal particle o{ti (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).
16tn (23:13) Grk "because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people."
17tc (23:13) The most important MSS (Í B D L Q Ë1 33 892* itpt) do not have 23:14 "Woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and for show you pray long prayers! Therefore you will receive the greater condemnation." Part or all of the verse is contained (in varying arrangements) in W D 0102 Byz, but it is almost certainly not original. The present translation follows the standard critical Greek texts in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
18tn (23:15) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
19tn (23:15) Or "one proselyte."
20tn (23:15) Grk "when he becomes [one]."
21tn (23:15) Grk "a son of Gehenna." Expressions constructed with uiJov" (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."
sn (23:15) See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
22tn (23:16) Grk "Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing."
23tn (23:18) Grk "Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing."
24tn (23:23) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
25tn (23:23) Or "you tithe mint."
26sn (23:23) Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
27tc (23:23) Many witnesses add dev (de) after tau'ta (tauta). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction appears to be an intentional alteration.
28tn (23:24) Grk "Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!"
29tn (23:25) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
30tn (23:27) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
31sn (23:27) 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 (L&N 88.234; see also BAGD 821 s.v. toi'co"). See Deut 28:22; Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:27.
32tn (23:29) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
33tn (23:29) Grk "Because you." Here o{ti (Joti) has not been translated.
34tn (23:29) Or perhaps "the monuments" (see L&N 7.75-76).
35tn (23:30) Grk "fathers" (so also in v. 32).
36tn (23:33) Grk "the judgment of Gehenna."
sn (23:33) See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
37tn (23:34) Grk "behold I am sending." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
38tn (23:34) Or "scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
39sn (23:34) See the note on crucified in 20:19.
40tn (23:34) BAGD 495 s.v. mastigovw 1 states, "lit., of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; cf. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss '33) w. acc. of the pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34."
41sn (23:34) See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
42sn (23:35) Spelling of this name (Baracivou, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: "Barachiah" (RSV, NRSV); "Berechiah" (NASB); "Berachiah" (NIV).
43tn (23:36) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
44tn (23:36) Grk "all these things will come on this generation."
45sn (23:37) The double use of the city's name betrays intense emotion.
46tn (23:37) 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").
47sn (23:37) 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.
48tn (23:37) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "but" to indicate the contrast present in this context.
49tn (23:37) Grk "you were not willing."
50sn (23:39) A quotation from Ps 118:26.
1tn (24:1) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2sn (24:1) 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.
3tn (24:2) Grk "answering, he said to them." The participle ajpokriqeiv" (ajpokriqei") is redundant in English and has not been translated.
4tn (24:2) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
5sn (24:2) With the statement not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in A.D. 70.
6tn (24:2) Grk "not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down."
7tn (24:3) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8sn (24:3) 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.
9tn (24:4) Grk "answering, Jesus said to them." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
10tn (24:4) Or "Be on guard."
11tn (24:5) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (24:5) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
12tn (24:6) Grk "it is not yet the end."
13tn (24:7) For the translation "rise up in arms" see L&N 55.2.
14sn (24:7) See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.
15tn (24:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16tn (24:9) Or "all the Gentiles" (the same Greek word may be translated "nations" or "Gentiles").
17sn (24:9) See Matt 5:10-12; 1 Cor 1:25-31.
18tn (24:10) Or "many will fall away." This could also refer to apostasy.
19tn (24:11) Or "and lead many astray."
20sn (24:13) 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.
21tn (24:14) Or "all the Gentiles" (the same Greek word may be translated "nations" or "Gentiles").
22sn (24:15) 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 B.C., the words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but that there was (from Jesus' perspective) still another fulfillment yet to come. Some argue that this was realized in A.D. 70, while others claim that it refers specifically to Antichrist and will not be fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:14, 19, 24; Rev 3:10).
23sn (24:16) Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.
24sn (24:17) 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.
25sn (24:17) 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.
26tn (24:19) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
27tn (24:20) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28tn (24:21) Traditionally, "great tribulation."
29sn (24:21) Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. While the events of A.D. 70 may reflect somewhat the comments Jesus makes here, the reference to the scope and severity of this judgment strongly suggest that much more is in view. Most likely Jesus is referring to the great end-time judgment on Jerusalem in the great tribulation.
30tn (24:23) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (24:23) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
31tn (24:24) Or "Messiahs"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
32tn (24:25) Or "Pay attention!" Grk "Behold."
33tn (24:26) Grk "they say." The third person plural is used here as an indefinite and translated "someone" (D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 402).
34tn (24:26) Or "in the desert."
35sn (24:27) The Son of Man's coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.
36tn (24:28) This term can refer to "eagles" (L&N 4.42) but in this context it must mean vultures, because the gruesome image is one of dead bodies being consumed (Rev 4:7; 8:13; 12:14).
sn (24:28) 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.
37tn (24:28) Grk "will be gathered." The passive construction has been translated as an active one in English.
38tn (24:29) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn (24:29) Traditionally, "tribulation."
40sn (24:29) A quotation from 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.
41tn (24:30) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
42tn (24:30) Or "in the sky"; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven," depending on the context.
43tn (24:30) Here tovte (tote, "then") is not translated to avoid redundancy in English.
44tn (24:30) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
45sn (24:30) An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full judging authority.
46tn (24:31) Or "of the sky"; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven," depending on the context.
47tn (24:32) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
48tn (24:33) The verb ginwvskete (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.
49tn (24:34) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
50sn (24:34) 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 geneav (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.
51sn (24:35) 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.
52tc (24:36) Early Alexandrian and Western witnesses add oujdeV oJ uiJov" (oude Jo Juios, "nor the son") here. Although the shorter reading is suspect in that it seems to soften the prophetic ignorance of Jesus, the final phrase ("except the Father alone") already implies this. Further, the parallel in Mark 13:32 has oujdeV oJ uiJov", with almost no witnesses omitting the expression. Hence, it is doubtful that the omission of "neither the Son" is due to the scribes. In keeping with Matthew's general softening of Mark's harsh statements throughout his Gospel, it is more likely that the omission of "neither the Son" is part of the original text of Matthew, being an intentional change on the part of the author. Further, this shorter reading is supported by the first corrector of Í as well as the following: E F G H K L M N S U V W G D P Ë1 33 Byz vg syr cop, along with several MSS with which Jerome was acquainted. Admittedly, the external evidence is not as impressive for the shorter reading, but it best explains the rise of the other reading (in particular, how does one account for virtually no MSS excising oujdeV oJ uiJov" at Mark 13:32 if such an omission here is due to scribal alteration? Although scribes were hardly consistent, for such a theologically significant issue at least some consistency would be expected on the part of a few scribes).
53sn (24:37) 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.
54tn (24:38) Grk "they," but in an indefinite sense, "people."
55sn (24:39) Like the flood that came and took them all away, the coming judgment associated with the Son of Man will condemn many.
56tn (24:39) Grk "So also will be the coming of the Son of Man."
57sn (24:40) 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 of Noah and Lot is followed, the ones taken are the saved. Those left behind are judged. The imagery pictures the separation of the righteous and the judged (i.e., condemned) at the return of the Son of Man, and nothing more.
58tn (24:41) According to L&N 46.16, this refers to a hand mill normally operated by two women.
59sn (24:43) On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
60sn (24:44) 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).
61tn (24:45) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
62tn (24:45) Grk "give them."
63tn (24:46) That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.
64tn (24:47) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
65tn (24:47) Grk "he"; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
66tn (24:48) 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").
67tn (24:48) Grk "should say in his heart."
68tn (24:51) The verb dicotomevw (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).
1tn (25:2) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn (25:2) Grk "Five of them."
3tn (25:3) Grk "For when." Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
4tn (25:3) On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.
5tn (25:5) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tc (25:6) Most witnesses add aujtou' (autou) after ajpavnthsin (apanthsin), making explicit what is already implied in the Greek text (as found in Í B 700). The translation likewise adds "him" for clarity's sake.
7tn (25:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8tn (25:9) Grk "The wise answered, saying, `No.'"
9tn (25:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10tn (25:11) Grk "Open to us."
11tn (25:12) Grk "But answering, he said." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
12tn (25:12) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
13tn (25:14) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
14tn (25:15) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
15sn (25:15) A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.
16tn (25:16) Grk "traded with them."
17tn (25:19) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn (25:20) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
19tn (25:20) Grk Or "Lord; or "Master" (and so throughout this paragraph).
20tn (25:21) Grk "His master said to him."
21tn (25:22) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
22tn (25:25) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
23tn (25:26) Grk "But answering, his master said to him." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
24tn (25:27) For the translation "deposited my money with the bankers," see L&N 57.216.
25sn (25:27) That is, "If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for."
26tn (25:28) Grk "the ten talents."
27tn (25:29) Grk "to everyone who has, he will be given more."
sn (25:29) 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).
28sn (25:29) 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.
29tn (25:31) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn (25:32) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
31tn (25:33) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
32tn (25:37) Grk "answer him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
33tn (25:38) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34tn (25:39) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
35tn (25:40) Grk "answering, the king will say to them." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
36tn (25:40) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
37tn (25:41) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
38tn (25:44) Grk "Then they will answer, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
39tn (25:45) Grk "answer them, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
40tn (25:45) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
1tn (26:1) Grk "And it happened when." The introductory phrase kaiV ejgevneto (kai egeneto, "and it happened that") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2tn (26:2) Or "will be delivered up."
3sn (26:2) See the note on crucified in 20:19.
4tn (26:4) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
5sn (26:5) The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him.
6sn (26:7) A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used.
7tn (26:7) Muvron (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205).
sn (26:7) Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This perfumed oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year's pay for an average laborer.
8tn (26:7) Grk "as he was reclining at table."
sn (26:7) 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.
9tn (26:8) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10tn (26:9) Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
11tn (26:9) The words "the money" are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).
12tn (26:10) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tn (26:10) Grk "For she." Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
14tn (26:12) Grk "For when." Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
15tn (26:13) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
16tn (26:15) Grk "What will you give to me, and I will betray him to you?"
17tn (26:16) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
18tn (26:16) Grk "he"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19tn (26:17) The words "the feast of" are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.
20tn (26:17) Grk "the disciples came to Jesus, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
21sn (26:17) This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 26:20). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel's bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.
22tn (26:18) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23tn (26:19) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
24tn (26:20) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn (26:20) Grk "he was reclining 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.
26tn (26:21) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
27tn (26:21) Or "will hand me over."
28tn (26:22) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
29tn (26:22) The participle lupouvmenoi (lupoumenoi) is translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
30tn (26:23) Grk "answering, he said." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
31sn (26:23) The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me. The point of Jesus' comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him--somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas' betrayal.
32tn (26:25) Grk "answering, Judas." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has been translated as "then" to reflect the sequence of events in the narrative.
33tn (26:25) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34tn (26:26) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
35tn (26:28) Grk "for this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many." In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies "blood" twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies "blood," not "covenant."
36tc (26:28) Although most witnesses add kainh'" (kainhs, "new") here, this is evidently motivated by the parallel in Mark. Apart from the possibility of homoioteleuton, there is no good reason for the shorter reading. But since it is found in such good and diverse witnesses (e.g., Ì37 Ì45vid Í B L Z Q 33 mae et pauci), the likelihood of homoioteleuton becomes rather remote.
sn (26:28) Jesus' death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.
37tn (26:29) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
38tn (26:29) Grk "produce" ("the produce of the vine" is a figurative expression for wine).
39tn (26:30) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
40sn (26:30) After singing a hymn. The Hallel Psalms (Pss 113-118) were sung during the meal. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung just before the second cup and 115-118 were sung at the end of the meal, after the fourth, or hallel cup.
41sn (26:31) A quotation from Zech 13:7.
42tn (26:33) Grk "answering, Peter said to him." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
43tn (26:34) Grk "Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you."
44tn (26:39) Grk "ground, praying and saying." Here the participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
45tn (26:39) Grk "if it is possible."
46tn (26:40) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
47tn (26:42) Grk "saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
48tn (26:42) Grk "this"; the referent (the cup) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
49tn (26:43) Grk "because their eyes were weighed down," an idiom for becoming extremely or excessively sleepy (L&N 23.69).
50tn (26:46) Grk "the one who betrays me."
51tn (26:47) Grk "behold, Judas." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
52tn (26:48) Grk "the one who betrays him."
53tn (26:48) Grk "The one I kiss is he."
54sn (26:48) This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.
55tn (26:49) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
56sn (26:49) Judas' act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him.
57tn (26:50) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
58tn (26:50) Grk "and put their hands on Jesus."
59tn (26:51) Grk "And behold one." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
60tn (26:51) Grk "extending his hand, drew out his sword, and struck." Because rapid motion is implied in the circumstances, the translation "grabbed" was used.
61tn (26:51) See the note on the word "slave" in 8:9.
62tn (26:52) The translation "put your sword back in its place" for this phrase is given in L&N 85.52.
63sn (26:53) A legion was a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be 72,000.
64tn (26:55) Or "a revolutionary." This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BAGD 473 s.v. lh/sthv" 2 has "revolutionary, insurrectionist," citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-54]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus' time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).
65tn (26:55) Grk "and" (kaiv, kai), a conjunction that is elastic enough to be used to indicate a contrast, as here.
66tn (26:56) Grk "But so that"; the verb "has happened" is implied.
67tn (26:57) Grk "where."
68tn (26:57) Or "where the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
69tn (26:58) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
70sn (26:58) The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.
71tn (26:59) Grk "Now the." Here dev (de) has not been translated.
72tn (26:60) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
73tn (26:61) Grk "This one."
74tn (26:62) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the false testimony.
75tn (26:63) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
76tn (26:63) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (26:63) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
77sn (26:64) An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.
78sn (26:64) The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
79sn (26:64) An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30).
80tn (26:65) Grk "the high priest tore his clothes, saying."
81tn (26:65) Grk "Behold now." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
82tn (26:66) Grk "What do you think?"
83tn (26:66) Grk "answering, they said." This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
84tn (26:66) Grk "he is guilty of death." L&N 88.313 states, "pertaining to being guilty and thus deserving some particular penalty--`guilty and deserving, guilty and punishable by.' oiJ deV ajpokriqevnte" ei\pan, *Enoco" qanavtou ejstivn `they answered, He is guilty and deserves death' Mt 26:66."
85tn (26:68) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (26:68) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
86tn (26:68) Grk "Who is the one who hit you?"
sn (26:68) Who hit you? This is a variation of one of three ancient games that involved blindfolds.
87tn (26:69) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
88tn (26:69) The Greek term here is paidivskh (paidiskh), referring to a slave girl or slave woman.
89tn (26:70) Grk "he denied it...saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
90tn (26:71) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
91tn (26:71) The words "slave girl" are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the feminine singular form a[llh (allh).
92tn (26:73) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
93tn (26:73) Grk "your speech."
94sn (26:75) When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had.
1tn (27:1) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn (27:2) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
3sn (27:2) The Jews most assuredly wanted to put Jesus to death, but they lacked the authority to do so. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate in hopes of securing a death sentence. The Romans kept close control of the death penalty in conquered territories to prevent it being used to execute Roman sympathizers.
4tn (27:3) Grk "Then when." Here tovte (tote) has been translated as "now" to indicate a somewhat parenthetical interlude in the sequence of events.
5tn (27:3) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6tn (27:5) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the leaders' response to Judas.
7tn (27:6) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8tn (27:7) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9tn (27:9) The problematic citing of Jeremiah for a text which looks to come from Zechariah has prompted certain scribes to alter it. Codex 22 has Zacarivou (Zacariou) while F 33 et pauci omit the prophet's name altogether. See D. A. Carson, "Matthew," EBC 8:562-63, for a discussion of the textual and especially hermeneutical problem.
10tn (27:9) Grk "the sons of Israel," an idiom referring to the people of Israel as an ethnic entity (L&N 11.58).
11sn (27:10) A quotation from Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9(?).
12tn (27:11) Here dev (de) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
13tn (27:11) Grk "asked him, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
14sn (27:11) "Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate was interested in this charge because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.
15tn (27:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16sn (27:11) The reply "You say so" is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus' earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 26:64.
17sn (27:15) The custom of Pilate to release one prisoner is unknown outside the gospels in Jewish writings, but it was a Roman custom at the time and thus probably used in Palestine as well (cf. Matt 27:15; John 18:39).
18tc (27:16) Although the external evidence for the inclusion of "Jesus" before "Barabbas" (in vv. 16 and 17) is rather skimpy, being shut up virtually to the Caesarean text (Q Ë1 700* et pauci), the omission of the Lord's name in apposition to "Barabbas" is such a strongly motivated reading that it can hardly be original. There is no good explanation for a scribe unintentionally adding *Ihsou'n (Ihsous) before Barabba'n (Barabban), especially since Barabbas is mentioned first in each verse (thus, dittography is ruled out). Further, the addition of toVn legovmenon Cristovn (ton legomenon Criston) to *Ihsou'n (Ihsoun) in v. 17 makes better sense if Barabbas is also called "Jesus" (otherwise, a mere "Jesus" would have been a sufficient appellation to distinguish the two).
19tc (27:17) Again, as in v. 16, the name "Jesus" is supplied before "Barabbas" in Q Ë1 700* et pauci; Q 700* lack the article tovn (ton) before Barabba'n (Barabban). The same argument for accepting the inclusion of "Jesus" as original applies here as well.
20tn (27:17) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (27:17) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
21sn (27:18) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
22tn (27:19) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23tn (27:19) Or "the judge's seat."
sn (27:19) The judgment seat (bh'ma, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.
24tn (27:19) The word "message" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
25tn (27:19) Grk "saying." The participle levgousa (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
26tn (27:19) The Greek particle gavr (gar, "for") has not been translated here.
27tn (27:19) Or "suffered greatly in a dream." See the discussion on the construction kat* o[nar (kat' onar) in BAGD 569 s.v. o[nar.
28tn (27:21) Grk "answering, the governor said to them." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
29tn (27:22) Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn (27:22) See the note on Christ in 1:16.
30tn (27:22) Grk "Him--be crucified!" The third person imperative is difficult to translate because English has no corresponding third person form for the imperative. The traditional translation "Let him be crucified" sounds as if the crowd is giving consent or permission. "He must be crucified" is closer, but it is more natural in English to convert the passive to active and simply say "Crucify him."
sn (27:22) See the note on crucified in 20:19.
31tn (27:24) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32sn (27:24) You take care of it yourselves! Compare the response of the chief priests and elders to Judas in 27:4. The expression is identical except that in 27:4 it is singular and here it is plural.
33tn (27:25) Grk "answering, all the people said." This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
34tn (27:26) The Greek term fragellovw (fragellow) refers to flogging. BAGD 865 s.v. states, "flog, scourge, a punishment inflicted on slaves and provincials after a sentence of death had been pronounced on them. So in the case of Jesus before the crucifixion...Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15."
sn (27:26) A Roman flogging (traditionally, "scourging") was an excruciating punishment. The victim was stripped of his clothes and bound to a post with his hands fastened above him (or sometimes he was thrown to the ground). Guards standing on either side of the victim would incessantly beat him with a whip (flagellum) made out of leather with pieces of lead and bone inserted into its ends. While the Jews only allowed 39 lashes, the Romans had no such limit; many people who received such a beating died as a result. See C. Schneider, TDNT, 515-19.
35tn (27:26) Or "delivered him up."
36sn (27:26) See the note on crucified in 20:19.
37tn (27:27) Or "into their headquarters"; Grk "into the praetorium."
sn (27:27) The governor's residence (Grk "praetorium") was the Roman governor's official residence. The one in Jerusalem may have been Herod's palace in the western part of the city, or the fortress Antonia northwest of the temple area.
38sn (27:27) A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, about 500-600 soldiers.
39tn (27:28) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
40sn (27:28) The scarlet robe probably refers to a military garment which had the color of royal purple, and thus resembled a king's robe. The soldiers did this to Jesus as a form of mockery in view of the charges that he was a king.
41tn (27:29) Or "weaving."
42sn (27:29) The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God's curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus' claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the "radiant corona" portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.
43tn (27:29) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
44tn (27:29) Or "a reed." The Greek term can mean either "staff" or "reed." See BAGD 398 s.v. kavlamo" 2.
45tn (27:29) Grk "they mocked him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
46tn (27:29) Or "Long live the King of the Jews!"
sn (27:29) The statement Hail, King of the Jews! is a mockery patterned after the Romans' cry of Ave, Caesar ("Hail, Caesar!").
47tn (27:30) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
48tn (27:30) Or "the reed."
49tn (27:30) The verb here has been translated as an iterative imperfect.
50tn (27:31) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
51tn (27:31) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
52tn (27:32) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
53sn (27:32) Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon. Mark 15:21 names him as father of two people apparently known to Mark's audience.
54tn (27:33) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
55tn (27:33) This is an Aramaic name; see John 19:17.
56sn (27:33) A place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). This location is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for the Greek term kranivon (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word "Calvary" is derived (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
57tn (27:34) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
58sn (27:34) It is difficult to say for certain who gave Jesus this drink of wine mixed with gall (e.g., the executioner, or perhaps women from Jerusalem). In any case, whoever gave it to him most likely did so in order to relieve his pain, but Jesus was unwilling to take it.
59tn (27:35) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
60sn (27:35) See the note on crucified in 20:19.
61tn (27:35) Grk "by throwing the lot" (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, "throwing dice," was chosen here because of its association with gambling. According to L&N 6.219 a term for "dice" is particularly appropriate.
62tn (27:37) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
63sn (27:37) Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners' point of view.
64tn (27:37) Grk "was written."
65tn (27:39) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
66sn (27:40) There is rich irony in the statements of those who were passing by, "save yourself!" and "come down from the cross!" In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life.
67tc (27:40) Many important witnesses read kaiv (kai) before katavbhqi (katabhqi). The shorter reading may well be due to homoioarcton, but judging by the diverse external evidence (B L W Q 0250 Ë1 Ë13 33 Byz lat et alii) it is equally possible that the shorter reading is original.
68tn (27:41) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
69tn (27:41) Or "with the scribes." See the note on the phrase "experts in the law" in 2:4.
70tn (27:41) Only "chief priests" is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.
71tn (27:41) Grk "Mocking him, the chief priests...said."
72tn (27:42) Here the aorist imperative katabavtw (katabatw) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern imperative + kaiv + future indicative outlined by D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 489.
73tn (27:44) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
74sn (27:44) Matthew's wording suggests that both of the criminals spoke abusively to him. If so, one of them quickly changed his attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 23:40-43).
75tn (27:45) Grk "from the sixth hour to the ninth hour."
76sn (27:45) This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.
77tn (27:46) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
78tn (27:46) Grk "with a loud voice, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
79sn (27:46) A quotation from Ps 22:1.
80tn (27:47) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
81tn (27:48) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
82sn (27:48) Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
83tn (27:48) Grk "a reed."
84tn (27:51) Grk "And behold."
85tn (27:51) The referent of this term, katapevtasma (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, kavlumma (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.
86tn (27:51) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
87tn (27:52) The verb koimavw (koimaw) literally means "sleep," but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
88tn (27:53) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
89sn (27:54) See the note on the word centurion in Matt 8:5.
90tn (27:55) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
91tn (27:55) Grk "and ministered to him."
sn (27:55) Cf. Luke 8:3.
92tn (27:57) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic.
93sn (27:57) Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, his actions regarding Jesus' burial suggest otherwise.
94sn (27:58) Asking for the body of Jesus was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Mark 15:43, Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.
95tn (27:59) Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated.
96tn (27:59) The term sindwvn (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.
97tc (27:60) aujtov (auto, "it") is found after e[qhken (eqhken) in the majority of witnesses, though it seems to be motivated by a need for clarification and cannot therefore easily explain the rise of the shorter reading (which is read by Í L Q et plu). Regardless of which reading is original, English style requires the pronoun.
98tn (27:60) That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).
99tn (27:60) Or "to the door," "against the door."
100tn (27:62) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
101sn (27:62) See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
102tn (27:64) Grk "him."
103tn (27:65) Grk "You have a guard."
104tn (27:66) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of Pilate's order.
105tn (27:66) Grk "with the guard." The words "soldiers of the" have been supplied in the translation to prevent "guard" from being misunderstood as a single individual.
1tn (28:2) Or "the angel of the Lord." See the note on the word "Lord" in 1:20.
2tn (28:3) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
3tn (28:4) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
4tn (28:5) Grk "But answering, the angel said." This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
5tn (28:5) Grk "for I know."
6sn (28:5) See the note on crucified in 20:19.
7tn (28:6) The verb here is passive (hjgevrqh, hgerqh). This "divine passive" (see D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 437-38) points to the fact that Jesus was raised by God.
8tn (28:7) Grk "And behold he." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
9tn (28:8) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of the angel's instructions to tell the disciples.
10tn (28:9) Grk "And behold." Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "but" to indicate that the return of the women from the tomb was interrupted by this appearance of Jesus. The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
11tn (28:9) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn (28:11) Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tn (28:11) Grk "behold, some of the guard." The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.b.d).
14tn (28:12) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
15tn (28:13) Grk "him."
16tn (28:14) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
17tn (28:14) Here ejpiv (epi) followed by the genitive = "before," especially in the language of lawsuits (BAGD 286 s.v. ejpiv I.1.a.d).
18tc (28:14) aujtovn (auton, "him") is found after peivsomen (peisomen) in the majority of witnesses, though it seems to be motivated by a need for clarification and cannot therefore easily explain the rise of the shorter reading (which is found in Í B Q 33 et pauci). Nevertheless, English style requires the pronoun.
19tn (28:14) Grk "and you will not have to be worried" = "we will keep you out of trouble."
20tc (28:15) The word hJmevra" (Jhmeras) is found after shvmeron (shmeron) in some early and important witnesses (chiefly B D L Q lat), but looks to be a clarifying (or perhaps redundant) note. The shorter reading is thus preferred.
21tn (28:16) Here dev (de) has been translated as "so" to indicate the implied result of Jesus' instructions in v. 10.
22tn (28:17) Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
23tn (28:17) The word "him" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
24tn (28:17) The Greek text reads here oiJ deV ejdivstasan (Joi de edistasan). Some scholars argue that the article is functioning like a personal pronoun, thus "they doubted" (e.g., D. A. Hagner, Matthew [WBC], 2:884). If so, then all the disciples would be in view. The translation of the text takes oiJ as an alternative pronoun which has a partitive notion (i.e., some of the disciples doubted, but not all). The difficulty with the personal pronoun view is that there are no examples of it in Matthew in which the same subject immediately precedes with its own verb (as would be the case in "they worshiped...they doubted"). Such, in fact, would be quite awkward, for the article would be unnecessary since the pronominal referent is already embedded in the verb. The only reason for the article here would be to distinguish the subject in some way; but if the same subject is in view, no distinction is being made.
25tn (28:18) Grk "coming, Jesus spoke to them, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn, "saying") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
26tn (28:19) "Go...baptize...teach" are participles modifying the imperative verb "make disciples." According to D. B. Wallace (Exegetical Syntax, 645) the first participle (poreuqevnte", poreuqentes, "Go") fits the typical structural pattern for the attendant circumstance participle (aorist participle preceding aorist main verb, with the mood of the main verb usually imperative or indicative) and thus picks up the mood (imperative in this case) from the main verb (maqhteuvsate, maqhteusate, "make disciples"). This means that semantically the action of "going" is commanded, just as "making disciples" is. As for the two participles that follow the main verb (baptivzonte", baptizontes, "baptizing"; and didavskonte", didaskontes, "teaching"), according to Wallace these do not fit the normal pattern for attendant circumstance participles, since they are present participles and follow the aorist main verb. However, some interpreters do see them as carrying additional imperative force in context. Others regard them as means, manner, or even result.
27tn (28:20) The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is translated here as "remember" (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.c).
28sn (28:20) I am with you. Matthew's Gospel begins with the prophecy that the Savior's name would be "Emmanuel, that is, `God with us,'" (1:23, in which the author has linked Isa 7:14 and 8:8, 10 together) and it ends with Jesus' promise to be with his disciples forever. The Gospel of Matthew thus forms an inclusio about Jesus in his relationship to his people that suggests his deity.