Matius 18:1-5

Questions About the Greatest

18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 18:2 He called a child, had him stand among them, 18:3 and said, “I tell you the truth, ¹  unless you turn around and become like little children, ²  you will never ³  enter the kingdom of heaven! 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 18:5 And whoever welcomes ⁴  a child like this in my name welcomes me.

Matius 20:20-22

A Request for James and John

20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. ⁵  20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ⁶  “Permit ⁷  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ⁸  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 20:22 Jesus ⁹  answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! ¹⁰  Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” ¹¹  They said to him, “We are able.” ¹² 

Matius 23:6-7

23:6 They ¹³  love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues ¹⁴  23:7 and elaborate greetings ¹⁵  in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’

[18:3]  ¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:3]  ² sn The point of the comparison become like little children has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit, as well as willingness to be dependent and receive from others, than any inherent humility the child might possess.

[18:3]  ³ tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.

[18:5]  ⁴ tn This verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).

[20:20]  ⁵ tn Grk “asked something from him.”

[20:21]  ⁶ tn Grk “said to him.”

[20:21]  ⁷ tn Grk “Say that.”

[20:21]  ⁸ tc A majority of witnesses read σου (sou, “your”) here, perhaps for clarification. At the same time, it is possible that the pronoun dropped out through haplography or was excised because of perceived redundancy (there are two other such pronouns in the verse) by א B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style. NA²⁷ includes σου here.

[20:22]  ⁹ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:22]  ¹⁰ tn The verbs in Greek are plural here, indicating that Jesus is not answering the mother but has turned his attention directly to the two disciples.

[20:22]  ¹¹ tc Most mss (C W 33 Ï, as well as some versional and patristic authorities) in addition have “or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” But this is surely due to a recollection of the fuller version of this dominical saying found in Mark 10:38. The same mss also have the Lord’s response, “and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized” in v. 23, again due to the parallel in Mark 10:39. The shorter reading, in both v. 22 and v. 23, is to be preferred both because it better explains the rise of the other reading and is found in superior witnesses (א B D L Z Θ 085 Ë^1,13 pc lat, as well as other versional and patristic authorities).

[20:22]  ¹² sn No more naïve words have ever been spoken as those found here coming from James and John, “We are able.” They said it with such confidence and ease, yet they had little clue as to what they were affirming. In the next sentence Jesus confirms that they will indeed suffer for his name.

[23:6]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:6]  ¹⁴ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[23:7]  ¹⁵ sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.