1 tn 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 Grk “fathered.”
3sn By the wife of Uriah, i.e., Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11:3).
4tc 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 evangelist mistook one for the other, since other ancient documents have variant spellings on the king’s name (such as “Asab,” “Asanos,” and “Asaph”).
5tc “Amos” is the reading found in the earliest and best witnesses. See textual discussion of Asa versus “Asaph” (vv. 7-8); the situation is similar.
6sn Before the mention of Jeconiah, several medieval manuscripts 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 evangelist is selective in his genealogy for a theological purpose.
7tn 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 The Greek text and the KJV read Salathiel. Most modern English translations use the OT form of the name (cf. Ezra 3:2).
9sn The pronoun whom is feminine gender in the Greek text, referring to Mary. The Sinaitic Syriac manuscript 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 manuscripts and is therefore to be regarded as spurious.
10tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
11tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
12tn The connotation of the Greek is “before they came together in marital and domestic union” (so BAGD 788 s. v. 1 b).
13tn Grk “husband.” See following note for discussion.
14tn Or “send her away.”
sn 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 [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982] 21).
15tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16tn Grk “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).
17tn 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 Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Studies (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975) 324-35.
18tn Grk “you will call his name.”
19sn 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.” It was a fairly common name among Jews in first century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.
20tn Grk “they will call his name.”
21sn A quotation from Isa 7:14.
22tn Grk “is translated.”
23tn Grk “Emmanuel.” An allusion to Isa 8:8, 10 (LXX).
24tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn 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.
26tn Grk “and he called his name Jesus.” The coordinate clause has been translated as a relative clause in English for stylistic reasons.
1tn Grk “in the days.”
2sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 BC until he died in 4 BC. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.
3sn The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (LN 32.40).
4tn 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 See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
6tn 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 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
8sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.
9sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
10tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
11tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn Grk “and behold the star.” 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).
13tn The phrase in its rising most likely refers 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”).
14tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”
15tn 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.”
16sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (LN 6.212).
17sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (LN 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.
18sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
19tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
20tn 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).
21tn 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 Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Studies (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975) 324-35.
22sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.
23sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
24sn A quotation from Hos 11:1.
25sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
26tn Or “soldiers.”
27tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
28sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.
29tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4 BC, 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.
31tn 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 Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Studies (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975) 324-35.
32tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s instructions.
33sn 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.
34sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
35tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
36sn 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.
37tn 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 Old Testament quotations (as implied in the plural “prophets”) to match the wording here, it appears that the evangelist was using a current expression of scorn that conceptually (but not verbally) found its roots in the Old Testament.
1tn Grk Or “desert.”
2tn Grk “and saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
3tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle levgonto" (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated.
4tn Or “A voice.”
5sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.
6tn Grk “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region of the Jordan were going out to him.”
7sn 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, Antiquities 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 jealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
8sn 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, Jewish War 2.119, 164-166; Antiquities 13.171-173, 293-298; 18.11, 16-17; 20.199; Life 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.
9sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.
10tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”
11sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.
12sn 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).
13sn 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.
14tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building to house livestock).
15sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.
16tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
17tc The earliest manuscripts 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 added in translation); later scribes apparently could not resist adding this clarification.
18tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively.
19tn 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.”
20tn Grk “Permit now.”
21tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22tn Or “permitted him.”
23tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
24tn 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).
25tn 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.
26tc aujtw/' (autw, “to/before him”) is found in the majority of witnesses, perhaps added as a point of clarification or emphasis.
27tc Most manuscripts add the article before Spirit and God; either way, the translation is the same.
28sn 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.
29tn The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is not translated here.
30tn 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.
31tn 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” (LN 58.53; cf. also BAGD 6 s.v. 1).
sn 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.
32tn Grk “in whom.”
33tn Or “with whom I am well pleased.”
1tn Or “desert.”
2tn Grk “and having fasting forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.”
3tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”
4tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.
5tn 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 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 A quotation from Deut 8:3.
8sn The order of the second and third temptations differs in Luke’s account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew.
9tn Grk “and he stood him.”
10sn 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 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 A quotation from Deut 6:16.
13tn Grk “glory.”
14tn 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 A quotation from Deut 6:13.
16tn 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 Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
18tn Grk “he.”
19tn Or “arrested” (see LN 37.12).
20tn Grk “and leaving Nazareth, he came and took up residence in Capernaum.”
21tn Or “by the lake.”
sn By the sea refers to the Sea of Galilee.
22tn The redundant participle levgonto" (legontos) has not been translated here.
23sn A quotation from Isa9:1.
24tn Grk “and to say.”
25tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26tn The two phrases in this verse placed in parentheses are explanatory comments by the evangelist, parenthetical in nature.
27tn The Greek term a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
sn 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. Lane, Mark 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.
28tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
29tn 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 Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32tn Grk “And he.”
33sn 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. Meg. 3-4; m. Ber. 2).
34tn Grk “And they,” “they” is probably an indefinite plural, referring to people in general rather than to the Syrians (cf. v. 25).
35tn 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 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.
36tn “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 Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn Or “up a mountain” (eij" toV o{ro", eis to Joro").
sn The expression up the mountain here may be idiomatic or generic (much like the English “he went to the hospital” (cf. 15:29), or even intentionally reminiscent of Exod 24:12 (LXX), since the genre of the Sermon on the Mount seems to be that of a new Moses giving a new law.
3tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
4tn Grk “And opening his mouth he taught them, saying.” The imperfect verb ejdivdasken (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.
5sn 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. Bekorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca. AD 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.
6tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.
7tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory gavr (gar) has not been translated.
8tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
9tn Grk “Not one iota or one serif.”
sn 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).
10tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).
11tn Or “that of the scribes.” 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.
12sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
13tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”
14sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.
15tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”
16tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
17tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”
18tn 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).
19tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
20tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire” (a place of punishment for the dead).
21tn Grk “Make friends.”
22tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
23sn The penny was a quadrans, a Roman copper coin worth 1/64 of a denarius (LN 6.78).
24sn A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17.
25sn The Greek term translated hell here and in the following verse is “Gehenna” (gevenna, geenna) which originally referred to the Valley of Hinnom but in NT times was understood as a place of punishment for the dead.
26sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
27tn Grk “the ancient ones.”
28sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.
29tn 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.
30sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
31tn 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).
32tc Although most manuscripts add sou (sou, “your”), the pronoun was apparently added by way of clarification.
33tn 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.
34sn 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.
35tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
36sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
37tn 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 LN 58.26.
1tc Many manuscripts 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 Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”
3tn 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 See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
5tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
6tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
7sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
8sn 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).
9tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10tn Grk “So do not.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
11tn 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.
12tn Here a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”
13tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
14tn 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. LN 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.”
15tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
16tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn Grk “if your eye is not sound” or “if your eye is diseased” (LN 23.149). There may be a slight word play here, as this term (ponhrov", ponhro") 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.
18tn Grk “God and mammon.”
sn The term possessions 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.
19tn Or “birds of the heaven”; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
sn The idiom birds of the sky refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl.
20tn Grk “of more value.”
21tn Or “Can any of you add height to your stature by worry?”
22tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to LN 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.
23tn 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 The oven was most likely a rounded clay oven used for baking bread, which was heated by burning wood and dried grass.
24tn Or “unbelievers”; Grk “Gentiles.”
25tc Most later manuscripts (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.
26tn Grk “Sufficient for the day is its evil.”
1tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
2tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
3sn The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see LN 3.66.
4sn The term translated beam of timber is a reference to a very big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (LN 7.78).
5tn Grk “Or is there.”
6tn The participle o[nte" (onte") may be adverbial or adjectival. If adverbial, it has a concessive force: “even though you are evil”; if adjectival, it is a description of all humanity, not a qualification true only of some. Either way, mankind’s sinfulness is seen here.
7tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
8tn Grk “is.”
9sn Sheeps 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.
10tn Grk “They.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.
11tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
13tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
14tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
15tn 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.
16tn Or “their scribes.” 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.
1tn 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).
2tn Grk “a leper approaching, bowed low before him, saying.”
3tn Or “as an indictment against them.” The pronoun aujtoi'" (autoi") may be a dative of disadvantage.
4sn A centurion was a non-commissioned 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.
5sn 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.
6tn 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 LN 87.77.
7tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
8tn Grk “But answering, the centurion replied.” The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
9tn Grk “having.”
10tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
11tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
13tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
14tn Grk “to recline at table.” Since the context of the kingdom indicates an elaborate, festive meal rather than a routine dinner, the translation “share the banquet” was used here.
sn First 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.
15tc Most manuscripts add “his” after “servant.” It is unlikely that the pronoun was accidentally overlooked by such diverse witnesses as Í B W 0250 0281 Itala Syriac Coptic Irenaeus. More likely is the probability that Western and Byzantine scribes added the word for clarification.
16tn Grk “was fulfilled, saying.” The participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
17sn A quotation from Isa 53:4.
18tc Codex B and some Sahidic manuscripts 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 of our text is found in Í2, C, L, Q, 0233, 33, Byzantine cursives, Itala 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).
19tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “then.”
20tn Or “a scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 7:29.
21tn Or “birds of the heaven”; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
sn The idiom birds of the sky refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl.
22tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23tc Most manuscripts 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.
24sn 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 first 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).
25tn 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 we are told (4:36) that other boats accompanied them on this journey.
26tn 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.
27tc The textual tradition here is quite complicated. A number of manuscripts (B C [D] Q 1010 al syrs p h) read “Gadarenes,” which is the better reading here. Many later manuscripts (Í2 L W Ë1 Ë13 Byz [syrh mg] bo) have “Gergesenes.” A few others (892c latt syrh mg 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 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, The Gospel of Luke in NICNT [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997] 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.
28tn 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.
29tn 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 me alone….”
30sn 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.
31tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32tn Grk “asked him, saying.” Here the participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
33tn Grk “And he said to them.”
34tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
35tn Or “city.” But see sn on 8:28.
36tn 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).
37tn Or “city.”
1sn Capernaum was a town of approximately 1000-1500, though of some significance.
2tn 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 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 LN 6.106.
4tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
5tn 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.
6tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 7:29.
7sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
8tn Grk “to your house.”
9tn Grk “to his house.”
10tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11tn 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.”
12tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for telwvnion (telwnion, so LN 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.
sn The tax booth was a booth located on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade, that is, duty or customs taxes on produce and goods going in and out of the city gates.
13tn 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.
14tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15tn Grk “was reclining at table.”
sn First 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.
16sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
17tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).
19sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
20tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (LN 11.7).
21tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
22tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23sn 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.
24sn The skins will be destroyed. The image makes the point that an attempt to combine the old and the new will destroy and waste both, for as the wine ferments it will destroy the old wineskins which have already been stretched.
25tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the ruler’s request.
26tn 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).
27sn Suffering with a hemorrhage. The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage which would make her ritually unclean.
28sn The edge of his cloak refers to the kraspedon, the blue tassle 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.
29tn 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.
30tn Grk “saved.”
sn In this pericope the evangelist 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.”
31tn Grk “saved.”
32tn Grk “saved.”
33tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ announcement that the girl was only sleeping.
34tn The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
35tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
36tn For the translation of thVn gh'n ejkeivnhn (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see LN 1.79.
37tn Grk “shouting out, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
38tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn 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.
40tn For the translation of thVn gh'n ejkeivnhn (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see LN 1.79.
41tn Grk “As.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ejxercomevnwn (exercomenwn) has been taken temporally. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
42tn 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).
43sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
44sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
45tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
46tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
47tn 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.
1tn Grk “And he.”
2tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to reflect the somewhat parenthetical nature of the list of names.
4tn Grk “the Cananean,” but according to both BAGD 402 s.v. Kananai'o" and LN 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), probably because of an earlier affiliation with the party of the Zealots.
5tn Grk “who even betrayed him.”
6tn Grk “instructing them, saying.”
7tn Grk “on the road of the Gentiles.” That is, a path that leads to Gentile regions.
8tn Grk “town [or city] of the Samaritans.”
9tn Grk “But go.” The Greek ma'llon (mallon, “rather, instead”) conveys the adversative nuance here so that dev (de) has not been translated.
10tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11tc 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).
12tn See the note on the word “tunic” in Matt 5:40.
13tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
14tn Grk “in it” (referring to the city or village).
15tn Grk “there.” This was translated as “with them” to avoid redundancy in English and to clarify where the disciples were to stay.
16tn “As.” Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn This is a metonymy; the “house” is put for those who live in it.
18tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
19tn 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).
20tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
21tn Grk “to councils,” but this refers to a council acting with a judiciary function and so has been translated “courts.”
22tn 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.”
23sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
24tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26tn Or “will rebel against.”
27tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28tn The Greek word here is povli" (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”
29tn Grk “For truly (ajmhvn, amhn) I say to you.” Here gavr (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
30tn 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.”
31tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
32tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in the previous verse.
33tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
34tn Grk “For there.” Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
35tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
36tn Grk “Gehenna” (a place of punishment for the dead).
37sn 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 thing sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.
38tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”
39tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
40tn Grk “I will acknowledge him also.”
41tn For bavllw (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see LN 13.14.
42tn Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.
43tn Grk “for my sake.”
44tn Grk “And whoever.” Here kaiv (kai, omitted in codex D and a few other manuscripts) is not translated.
45tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
1tn 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.
2tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
3sn John refers to John the Baptist.
4tc The Western codex D and a few other manuscripts (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 manuscripts.
tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
5tn Grk “sending by his disciples he said to him.” The words “a question” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
6tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
7tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
8tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9tn Or “into the desert.”
10tn Grk “But what.” Here ajllav (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated.
11tn Grk “Behold those.” 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).
12sn A quotation from Mal 3:1; see also Exod 23:20.
13tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
14tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
15tn 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.
16tn The word “appeared” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
17tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn Grk “who call out to one another, saying.” The participle levgousin (legousin) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
19tn Grk “Behold a man.”
20tn The Greek word here is povli" (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.”
sn 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 AD 30.
21sn 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).
22tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
23sn This verse is noted for its similarity to statements made by Jesus in John’s Gospel (10:14-15; 17:25).
24sn 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 Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn Here dev (de) has not been translated
3sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4tn Grk “doing what is not lawful.”
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated
6tc 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).
7tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
10tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
11tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12sn Their synagogue. See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
13tn 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).
14tn Grk “and they asked him, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
15tn Or “is it permissible.”
16tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions.
18sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
19tn Grk “destroy.”
20tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
21tc 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.
22tn 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.
23tn Grk “with whom my soul.”
24tn Or “the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
25sn Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
26tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
27tn Grk “demoniac, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
28sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
29tc The majority of manuscripts 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 manuscripts and the strong internal evidence (viz., scribes were not prone to intentionally delete the name of Jesus) argues for the omission of Jesus’ name.
30tn For the translation of fqavnw (fqanw) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already” see LN 13.123.
31tn Grk “Or how can.”
32tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
33tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
34tn The Greek text reads here a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person. Because of the proverbial nature of the saying, it was translated here as “man.”
35tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
36tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” 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.
37tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been added for clarification.
38tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
39tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
40tn Grk “large sea creature.”
41sn An allusion to Jonah 1:17.
42tn 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.
43tn Grk “and behold.”
44tn Grk “and behold.”
45tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
46tn Grk “comes.”
47tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
48tn 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).
49tn “His mother and brothers came and” is a translation of “behold, his mother and brothers came.”
50tn Grk “seeking.”
51tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
52tn Grk “seeking.”
53tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54tn 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.
55tn Grk “extending his hand.”
56tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.” 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).
1tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
2tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
3tn Or “Listen!” Grk “Behold.”
4tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
7tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
8tn 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.
9tn Or “the mysteries.”
10tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 168-69).
11tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
12tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
13sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
14tn Grk “For truly (ajmhvn, amhn) I say to you.” Here gavr (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
15tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16tn Grk “is temporary.”
17tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn 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 hundredfold, in another, sixtyfold, in another, thirtyfold”).
20tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
21tn Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term zizavnion (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (LN 3.30).
22tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
24tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
26tn Traditionally, “servants”; see the note on the word “slave” in the previous verse.
27tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
28tn Grk “but.”
29tn Grk “burned, but gather.”
30tn Grk “put before.”
31tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
32sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
33sn 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.
34tn Or “birds of the heaven”; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
sn The idiom birds of the sky refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl.
35tn Grk “Took and hid.”
36sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” This 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 pounds (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.
37tn Grk “ it was all leavened.”
sn Until all the dough had risen. The imagery suggests that the kingdom will start small but eventually grow to permeate everything, like the yeast permeates the dough. Jesus’ point was not to be deceived by small beginnings.
38tn Grk “was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
39sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
40tn 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.
41tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
42tn 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. LN 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”
43tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
44tn 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 LN 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.
45tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
46tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
47tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
48sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
49sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
50tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
51sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
52tn Or “every scribe.” 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. It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the evangelist Matthew to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe: Matthew and the Apocalyptic Ideal (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1989).
53tn 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.
54tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”
55sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and its relationship to Old Testament fulfillment.
56tn Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here w{ste (wste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.
1sn 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 (Mark 6:14, 22; Matt 14:9), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
2tc Most witnesses add “him” here, as a way of clarifying the direct object. The original wording most likely omitted it.
3tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
4sn Verses 3-4 are a parenthetical explanation by the evangelist.
5tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
6tn 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.
7tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
9tn Grk “And his”; The referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”
11tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
12tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tc The majority of witnesses add jIhsou'" (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.
14tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
15tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”
16tn 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.
17tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”
18tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
19tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
20tn 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.
21tn Grk “In the fourth watch of the night,” that is, between 3 AM and 6 AM.
22tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
23tc Most witnesses add oJ jIhsou'" (Jo Ihsous) before aujtoi'" (autois), for the sake of clarity.
24tn Grk “he said to them, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
25tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26tn Grk “answering him, Peter said.” The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
27tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
28tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
29sn 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).
30tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”.
31tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”
1sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
2tn Or “and the scribes.” 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.
3tn 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 Although most witnesses add the genitive plural pronoun aujtw'n (autwn), it is evidently motivated by clarification (as it was in our translation). 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 Grk “when they eat bread.”
6tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”
7sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
8sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
9tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.
10tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
11sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.
12tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13tn 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 Grk “but what.”
15sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
16tn Grk “And answering, he said.”
17tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to him.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
18tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn Grk “but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
20tn 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).
21tn Grk The participle ejxelqou'sa (exelqousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.
22tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle levgousa (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
23tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”
24tn Grk “And coming, his disciples begged him.” The participle proselqovnte" (proselqontes) is translated as a finite verb to make its antecedent time clear in English.
25tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
26tn 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.
27tn Grk “But coming, she bowed before him.” The participle ejlqou'sa (elqousa) is translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
28tn 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 LN 17.21).
29tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.” The participle levgousa (legousa) is translated as a finite verb to make its antecedent time clear in English.
30tn 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 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.” But here the context obviously suggests a less harsh idea. For further discussion, see note at Mark 7:27.
32tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
33tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.
34tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”
35tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
36tn 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.
37tn For the translation “faint from exhaustion” see LN 23.79.
38tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
39tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
40tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
41tn Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”
42tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
43tc 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 Syriac Curetonian Sahidic Boharic et alii), suggesting that this is the original reading.
44tn Grk “And those eating were four thousand men, apart from children and women.”
45sn Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.
1sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
2sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
3tn The object of the participle peiravzonte" (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been added here for clarity.
4tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and dev (de) has not been translated.
5tn Or “red and gloomy” (LN 14.56).
6tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
7sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
8sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
9tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
10tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
11tn Or “discussing.”
12sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
13sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
14sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
15sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
16tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
18tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and dev (de) has not been translated.
20tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
21tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ajpokriqeiv" (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
22tn Or “and the power of death” (taking the reference to the gates of Hades as a metonymy).
sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside ( Matt 11:23; Luke 16:23; Rev 20:13-14). Some translations render this by its modern equivalent, “hell”; others see it as a reference to the power of death.
23tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
24tn Grk “From then.”
25tn Or “and scribes.” 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.
26tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (LN 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”
27tn Grk “people.”
28tn This Greek word (yuchv, yuch) is translated “life” in the previous verse.
29sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
30tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
31tn The Greek negative here (ouj mhv, ou mh) is the strongest possible.
1tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
2tn 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).
3tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the appearance of Moses and Elijah prompted Peter’s comment.
4tn Grk “Peter answering said.” This construction is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
5tn Or “booths,” “dwellings” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).
sn Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the remark at the end of the verse makes it clear that it was not enough honor!
6tn 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).
7tn 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.
8tn 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” (LN 58.53; cf. also BAGD 6 s.v. 1).
9tn 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.”
10tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11tn Grk “Jesus commanded them, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
12tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
13tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
14tn Or “do the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 16:21.
15tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation.
16tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
17tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
18tn Grk “he is moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic,” although generally regarded as referring to an epileptic (LN 23.169).
19tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
20tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
21tn Grk “How long will I be with you?”
22tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “Then.”
23tn Grk “coming, the disciples said.” The participle proselqovnte" (proselqontes) is translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
24tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn Grk “For truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.” Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
26tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
27tc Many important manuscripts (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.
28tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
29tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn 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 The temple tax refers to the tax paid annually by male Jews to support the temple (Exod 30:13-16).
31tn Grk “spoke first to him, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
32sn 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.
33tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34sn See the note on the phrase their sons in the previous verse.
35sn 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 (LN 6.80).
1tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
2tn Grk “Therefore whoever.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
3tn The Greek term skandalivzw (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”
4tn Grk “to have the millstone of a donkey,” i.e., a large grinding stone needing a donkey to turn it.
5tn Grk “For it.” Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
6tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
7sn In Greek there is a word play 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.
8tn Grk “than having.”
9tn Grk “than having.”
10tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire” (a place of punishment for the dead).
11tc The most important manuscripts (Í B L* Q* Ë1 Ë13 33 892* et pauci) do not include 18:11 “For the Son of Man came to seek the lost.” The verse is included in D Lc W Qc 078vid Byz, but is almost certainly not original.
12tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
13tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
14tc The earliest and best witnesses omit “against you” after “if your brother sins.” It is quite possible that these witnesses (Í B 0281 Ë1 Sahidic 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 manuscripts 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 manuscripts. And since scribes normally added material rather than deleted it for intentional changes, on balance, the shorter reading appears to be original.
15tn Grk “go reprove him.”
16sn A quotation from Deut 19:15.
17tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn Grk “let him be to you as.”
20sn To treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector means not to associate with such a person.
21tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
22tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
23tn Grk “it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one.
24tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BAGD 16 s.v. ajdelfov" 2), whether male or female.
25tn Or “seventy times seven,” i.e., an unlimited number of times. See LN 60.74 and 60.77 for the two possible translations of the phrase.
26tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
27tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28sn A talent was a huge sum of money, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarius was the usual day’s wage for a worker. LN 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).”
29tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn Grk “and his wife.”
31tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in v. 23.
32tn 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.
33tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in v. 23.
35tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
36tn Traditionally “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in v. 23.
37tn 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.
38tn Here kaiv (kai) is translated as “then.”
39tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”
40tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
41tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated.
42tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
43tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in v. 23.
44tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to LN 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 Matt about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.
45tn 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).
46tn Grk “brother.” Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BAGD 16 s.v. ajdelfov" 2).
1tn Grk “it happened when.” The introductory phrase ejgevneto (egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2tn “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 Grk “And Pharisees.”
4tn Most manuscripts 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 manuscripts have neither noun (viz., Í * B L G 579 et pauci). As the harder reading, it best explains the rise of the others.
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6sn An allusion to Gen 1:27.
7sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.
8tc The reading adopted above 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.
sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
9tc A few important manuscripts (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 Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10tc 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).
11tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).
13tn Grk “people.”
14tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
15tn Grk “from there.”
16tn 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).
17tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
20sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.
21sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
22tn The words “the proceeds” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
23tn B C D G et pauci read oujranoi'" (ouranois) here, perhaps because of homoioteleuton to ptwcoi'" (ptwcoi").
24tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn This term (kth'ma, kthma) is often used for land as a possession. For the translation “many possessions” see LN 57.15.
26tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
27tn Grk “I say to you.”
28tc 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.
29sn 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.
30tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
31tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
32tn Grk “Then answering, Peter said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
33tn Grk “Behold we.” 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).
34tn Grk “Now Jesus.” Here dev (de) has not been translated.
35tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
36sn 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).
37tc A majority of manuscripts 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.
1sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
2tn Grk “agreeing with the workers for a denarius a day.”
sn The standard wage was a denarius a day. The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer in Palestine in the first century.
3tn Grk “about the third hour.”
4tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
5tn Grk “he went out again about the sixth and ninth hour.”
6tn Grk “about the eleventh hour.”
7tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8sn That is, six o’clock in the evening, the hour to pay day laborers. See Lev 19:13b.
9tc 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 Grk “each received a denarius.” See the note on the phrase “standard wage” in v. 2.
11tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn The imperfect verb ejgovgguzon (egonguzon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
13tn Grk “he”; the referent (the landowner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14tn 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 Grk “for a denarius a day.”
16tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn Grk “this last one,” translated as “this last man” because field laborers in first-century Palestine were men.
18tc 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 manuscripts (B D) and since manuscripts were copied predominantly by sight rather than by sound, even into the later centuries, the shorter reading is most likely original.
19tn Grk “Is your eye evil because I am good?”
20tc A number of significant witnesses add maqhtav" (maqhtas, “disciples”) after dwvdeka (dwdeka, “twelve”; including B C W 33 lat) by way of clarification.
21tn Grk “Behold we.” 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).
22tn Or “and the scribes.” 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.
23tn Traditionally, “scourged” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, LN 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.
24tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
25tn Grk “Say that.”
26tc 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.
27tn Grk “answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28tn Grk “the ten.”
29tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
30tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
31tn 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).
32tn Grk “shouted out, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
33tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34tc The majority of manuscripts 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 shorter reading enjoys widespread and early support (Í B D L Z Q 085 lat bo et alii), it was considered original.
35tn Grk “And Jesus stood and called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”
36tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
1tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2sn Bethphage. The exact location of this village 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 “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 Grk “the village lying before you” (BAGD 421 s.v. katevnanti 2.a).
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Grk “what was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The present participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
7tn Grk “the foal of an animal under the yoke,” i.e., a hard-working animal. This is a quotation from Zech 9:9.
8tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions in vv. 2-3.
9tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn Grk “were shouting, saying.” The participle levgonta" (legontas) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
13sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
14tn Grk “was shaken.” The translation “thrown into an uproar” is given by LN 25.233.
15tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
16sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.
17tn Or “a hideout” (see LN 1.57).
18sn An allusion to Jer 7:11.
19tn Or “and the scribes.” 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.
20tn 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.
21tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
22sn A quotation from Ps 8:2.
23tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
24tn Grk “one fig tree.”
25tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
26tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
27tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
28tn Grk “believing”; the participle here is conditional.
29tn Grk “he.”
30tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
31tn Grk “people.” That is, the question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.
32tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
33tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.
34tn Grk “answering Jesus, they said.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.
35tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
36tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
37tn 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.
38tn The Greek text reads here metamevlomai (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (LN 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.
39tn “And he”; here dev (de) has not been translated.
40tn 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.
41tc 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 manuscripts. 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 Ï many itala and Syriac witnesses. (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 f13 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 we were to argue simply from the parabolic logic, we would tend to see the second son 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).
42tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
43tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
44sn 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.
45tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
46tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
47tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
48tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
49tn Traditionally, “his servants”; see the note on the word “slaves” in the previous verse.
50tn Grk “Again.”
51tn Traditionally, “slaves”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 34.
52tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
53tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.
54tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle labovnte" (labontes) is translated as attendant circumstance.
55tn 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.
56sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
57tn Or “to a nation.”
58tc A few important manuscripts (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.
59tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
60sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
1tn Grk “And answering again, Jesus spoke.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
2tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
3tn Traditionally, “servants”; see the note on the word “slaves” in the previous verse.
4tn Grk “Behold, I have prepared my dinner.” In some contexts, however, to translate a[riston (ariston) as “dinner” somewhat misses the point (LN 23.22 here suggests, “See now, the feast I have prepared (for you is ready).”)
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Traditionally, “servants”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 3.
7tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8tn 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.
9tn The Greek text reads here povli" (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem.
10tn Traditionally, “servants”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 3.
11tn Traditionally, “servants”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 3.
12tn Grk “he was silent.”
13sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
14tn Grk “trap him in word.”
15tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
16tn Or “lawful.”
17tn According to LN 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.
18tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
19tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.
20tn 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 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.
21tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
22tn Or “whose image.”
23tn Grk “then he said to them.” This clause has been placed at the end of the verse for stylistic reasons, and tovte (tote) has not been translated to avoid redundancy.
24tn Grk “they were amazed; they marveled.”
25sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
26sn This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the evangelist.
27tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (LN 23.59).
28sn An allusion to Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1-12; Mishnah, m. Yebamoth; Josephus, Antiquities 4.254-6 [8.23]). 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.
29tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
31tn Grk “spoken to you by God, saying.” The participle levgonto" (legontos) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
32sn A quotation from Exod 3:6.
33tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
34sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
35sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
36tn Grk “for the same.” That is, for the same purpose that the Sadducees had of testing Jesus.
37tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.
38tn Grk “testing.” The participle, however, is telic in force.
39tn Or possibly “What sort of commandment in the law is great?”
40tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
41sn A quotation from Deut 6:5.
42tn Grk “the great and first.”
43sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
44tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
45sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
46tn Grk “asked them a question, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
47tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
48sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.
49tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
1tn Grk “saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2tn Or “The scribes.” 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.
3sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
7sn 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 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. LN 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 kravspedon denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”
sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).
9tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
10sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
11tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
12tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tn Grk “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
14sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
15tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”
16tc The most important manuscripts (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.
17tn Grk “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
18sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
19tn Or “one proselyte.”
20tn Grk “when he becomes [one].”
21tn Grk “a son of Gehenna” (“Gehenna” was understood to be a place of punishment for the dead). 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 (LN 9.4). Thus the phrase here means “a person who belongs to hell” (Gehenna).
22tn Grk “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
23sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
24sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
25tc 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.
26tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”
27tn Grk “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
28sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
29sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
30tn Grk “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
31sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
32sn 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 (LN 88.234; see also BAGD 821 s.v. toi'co"). See Deut 28:22; Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:27). See also Deut 28:22.
33tn Grk “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
34sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
35tn Grk “Because you.” Here o{ti (oti) has not been translated.
36tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see LN 7.75-76).
37tn Or “ancestors.”
38tn Or “ancestors.”
39tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna” (a place of punishment for the dead).
40tn 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).
41tn Grk “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 23:2.
42tn 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.”
43sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
44sn Spelling of this name (Baracivou, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
45tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
46tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”
47sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
1tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation. The kaiv (kai) has not been translated.
3tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
4tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down.”
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
7tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
8tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see LN 55.2.
9tn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.
10tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
12tn Or “many will fall away.” This could also refer to apostasy.
13tn Or “and lead many astray.”
14tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
15sn A quotation from Dan 9:27.
16sn 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.
17sn The swiftness and devastation of the judgment will require a swift escape. There will be no time to go down from the roof and pick up anything from inside one’s home.
18tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
20tn Or “great suffering”; traditionally, “great tribulation.”
21tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
22tn Or “Messiahs”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
23tn Or “Pay attention!” Grk “Behold.”
24tn Grk “they say.” The third person plural is used here as an indefinite and translated “someone” (Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 402).
25tn Or “in the desert.”
26sn This term can refer to “eagles” (LN 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). See also Luke 17:37.
27tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28tn Or “suffering”; traditionally, “tribulation.”
29sn A quotation from Isa 13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Joel 2:10.
30tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
31tn Or “in the sky”; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
32tn Here tovte (tote, “then”) is not translated to avoid redundancy in English.
33tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
34sn An allusion to Dan 7:13.
35tn Or “of the sky”; the Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
36tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
37tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
38tc 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 evangelist. 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 Vulgate Syriac Coptic, along with several manuscripts 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 manuscripts 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 we would expect at least some consistency on the part of a few scribes).
39tn Grk “they,” but in an indefinite sense, “people.”
40tn Grk “So also will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
41tn According to LN 46.16, this refers to a hand mill normally operated by two women.
42tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
43tn Grk “give them.”
44tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in the previous verse.
45tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
46tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slave” in v. 45.
47tn Grk “says in his heart.”
48tn Traditionally, “servant’s”; see the note on the word “slave” in v. 45.
49tn Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
1tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn Grk “Five of them.”
3tn Grk “For when.” Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
4tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see LN 6.202.
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tc 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 Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied from v. 10.
10tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
11tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
12tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
13tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
14sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.
15tn Grk “traded with them.”
16tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
17tn Traditionally, “servants”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 14.
18tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
19tn Grk “His master said to him.”
20tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 14.
21tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
22tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 14.
23tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
24tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
25tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 14.
26tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see LN 57.216.
27tn Traditionally, “servant”; see the note on the word “slaves” in v. 14.
28tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
29tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
30tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
31tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
32tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
33tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
34tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
35tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
36tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
37tc A number of important witnesses add oiJ (Joi) before kathramevnoi (kathramenoi), but the shorter reading is both harder (the articular nominative for vocative is generally used in addressing an inferior) and is found in the better manuscripts (Í B L 0128 0281 33 et pauci).
38tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
39tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
40tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
1tn 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 Or “will be delivered up.”
3tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
4sn A flask or 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.
5tn 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 (LN 6.205).
sn 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.
6tn Grk “as he was reclining at table.”
sn First 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.
7tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
8tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
9tn Grk “For she.” Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
10tn Grk “For when.” Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
11tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
12tn Grk “What will you give to me, and I will betray him to you?”
13tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
14tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
16tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.
17tn 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.
18tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
19tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
20tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
21tn Grk “he was reclining at table,” as first 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.
22tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
23tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
24tn The participle lupouvmenoi (lupoumenoi) is translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
25tn Grk “answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26tn 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.
27tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
28tc 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.
29tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
30tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
31sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.
32tn Grk “answering, Peter said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
33tn Grk “Truly (ajmhvn, amhn), I say to you.”
34tn Grk “my soul is deeply sorrowful” (an idiom for speaking about oneself, meaning “I am deeply sorrowful”).
35tn Or “and stay awake.”
36tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
37tn Grk “ground, praying and saying.” Here the participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
38tn Grk “if it is possible.”
39tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
40tn Or “not keep watch.”
41tn Traditionally, “come into temptation.”
42tn Grk “saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
43tn Grk “because their eyes were weighed down,” an idiom for becoming extremely or excessively sleepy (LN 23.69).
44tn Grk “the one who betrays me.”
45tn 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).
46tn Grk “the one who betrays.”
47tn Grk “The one I kiss is he.”
48sn This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.
49tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
50tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
51tn Grk “and put their hands on Jesus.”
52tn 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).
53tn Grk “extending his hand, drew out his sword, and struck.” Because rapid motion is implied in the circumstances, the translation “grabbed” was used.
54tn Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man 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. dou'lo"). 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.
55tn The translation “put your sword back in its place” for this phrase is given in LN 85.52.
56sn A legion was a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be 72,000.
57tn Grk “and” (kaiv, kai), a conjunction that is elastic enough to be used to indicate a contrast, as here.
58tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic (i.e., Jesus’ trial).
59tn Or “where the scribes.” 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.
60tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
61sn The officers would have been the officers of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.
62tn Grk “Now the.” Here dev (de) has not been translated.
63tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
64tn Grk “This one.”
65tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the false testimony.
66tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
67tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
68sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
69sn An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30).
70tn 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).
71tn Grk “What do you think?”
72tn Grk “answering, they said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here dev (de) has not been translated.
73tn Grk “he is guilty of death.” LN 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.”
74tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn 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.
75tn Grk “Who is the one who hit you?”
76tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
77tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
78tn The words “slave girl” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the feminine singular form a[llh (allh).
79tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
80tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
81tn Grk “your speech.”
1tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
2tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
3tn Grk “Then when.” Here tovte (tote) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical interlude in the sequence of events.
4tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the leaders’ response to Judas.
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
7tn 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), 562-63, for a discussion of the textual and especially hermeneutical problem.
8tn Grk “the sons of Israel,” an idiom referring to the people of Israel as an ethnic entity (LN 11.58).
9sn A quotation from Zech 11:12-13; Jer 32:6-9(?).
10tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
11tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
12tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
13tn 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 jIhsou'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).
14tn 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.
15tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
16sn This remark is parenthetical in nature and has thus been placed in parentheses in the translation.
17tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
18tn Or “the judge’s seat.”
sn 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.
19tn The word “message” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
20tn Grk “saying.” The participle levgousa (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
21tn Or “suffered greatly in a dream.” See the discussion on the construction kat* o[nar (kat onar) in BAGD 569 s.v. o[nar.
22tn 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.
23tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
24tn 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.”
25tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
26sn 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.
27tn Grk “answering, all the people said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
28tn 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 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.
29tn Or “into their headquarters”; Grk “into the praetorium.”
sn 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.
30sn A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, about 500-600 soldiers.
31tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
32tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
33tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BAGD 398 s.v. kavlamo" 2.
34tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
35tn Or “the reed.”
36tn The verb here has been translated as an iterative imperfect.
37tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
38tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
39tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
40tn This is an Aramaic name; see John 19:17.
41sn 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).
42tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
43tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
44tn 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 LN 6.219 a term for “dice” is particularly appropriate.
45tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
46tn Grk “was written.”
47tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
48tc 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.
49tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
50tn Or “with the scribes.” 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.
51tn Here the aorist imperative katabavtw (katabatw) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern imperative + kaiv + future indicative outlined by Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 489.
52tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
53tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical comment about the darkness.
54tn Grk “from the sixth hour to the ninth hour.”
55tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
56tn Grk “with a loud voice, saying.” The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
57sn A quotation from Ps 22:1.
58tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
59tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
60sn 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.
61tn Grk “a reed.”
62tn 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).
63tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
64tn Grk “many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep” (“fall asleep” is a common NT idiom for death).
65tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
66sn See the note on the word centurion in Matt 8:5.
67tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
68tn Grk “and ministered to him.”
69tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
70tn Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated.
71tc 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.
72tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”
73tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
74sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
75tn Grk “him.”
76tn Grk “You have a guard.”
77tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Pilate’s order.
78tn 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 Here dev (de) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2tn 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).
3tn 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 Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Studies (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975) 324-35.
4tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
5tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
6tn Grk “But answering, the angel said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
7tn 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).
8tn Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s instructions to tell the disciples.
9tn 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).
10tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
11tn Here dev (de) has not been translated.
12tn 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).
13tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
14tn Grk “him.”
15tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
16tn Here ejpiv (epi) followed by the genitive = “before,” especially in the language of lawsuits (BAGD 286 s.v. ejpiv I.1.a.d).
17tc 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.
18tn Grk “and you will not have to be worried” = “we will keep you out of trouble.”
19tc 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.
20tn Here dev (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions in v. 10.
21tn Here kaiv (kai) is not translated.
22tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
23tn 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., Hagner, Matthew 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.
24tn 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.
25tn “Go…baptize…teach” are participles modifying the imperative verb “make disciples.” According to 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.
26tn The Greek word ijdouv (idou) is translated remember here (BAGD 371 s.v. 1.c).
27sn 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 evangelist 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.