Matius 1:18

The Birth of Jesus Christ

1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, ¹  she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Matius 1:23

1:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him ²  Emmanuel,” ³  which means ⁴  “God with us.” ⁵ 

Matius 2:6

2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” ⁶ 

Matius 2:9

2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again ⁷  the star they saw when it rose ⁸  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

Matius 3:3

3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ⁹ 

“The voice ¹⁰  of one shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ¹¹  his paths straight.’” ¹² 

Matius 3:9

3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

Matius 3:12

3:12 His winnowing fork ¹³  is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, ¹⁴  but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” ¹⁵ 

Matius 4:21

4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat ¹⁶  with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then ¹⁷  he called them.

Matius 5:13

Salt and Light

5:13 “You are the salt ¹⁸  of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, ¹⁹  how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.

Matius 5:16

5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Matius 5:25

5:25 Reach agreement ²⁰  quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, ²¹  or he ²²  may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.

Matius 6:1

Pure-hearted Giving

6:1 “Be ²³  careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. ²⁴  Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

Matius 6:23

6:23 But if your eye is diseased, ²⁵  your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matius 7:4

7:4 Or how can you say ²⁶  to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own?

Matius 7:6

7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. ²⁷ 

Matius 7:11

7:11 If you then, although you are evil, ²⁸  know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts ²⁹  to those who ask him!

Matius 7:21-22

Judgment of Pretenders

7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ³⁰  will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do ³¹  many powerful deeds?’

Matius 8:32

8:32 And he said, ³²  “Go!” So ³³  they came out and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned in the water.

Matius 9:35

Workers for the Harvest

9:35 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns ³⁴  and villages, teaching in their synagogues, ³⁵  preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. ³⁶ 

Matius 10:23

10:23 Whenever ³⁷  they persecute you in one place, ³⁸  flee to another. I tell you the truth, ³⁹  you will not finish going through all the towns ⁴⁰  of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Matius 10:28

10:28 Do ⁴¹  not be afraid of those who kill the body ⁴²  but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ⁴³ 

Matius 11:25

Jesus’ Invitation

11:25 At that time Jesus said, ⁴⁴  “I praise ⁴⁵  you, Father, Lord ⁴⁶  of heaven and earth, because ⁴⁷  you have hidden these things from the wise ⁴⁸  and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.

Matius 12:1

Lord of the Sabbath

12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His ⁴⁹  disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat ⁵⁰  and eat them.

Matius 12:41-42

12:41 The people ⁵¹  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ⁵²  – and now, ⁵³  something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South ⁵⁴  will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, ⁵⁵  something greater than Solomon is here!

Matius 13:19

13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one ⁵⁶  comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; ⁵⁷  this is the seed sown along the path.

Matius 13:31-32

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

13:31 He gave ⁵⁸  them another parable: ⁵⁹  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ⁶⁰  that a man took and sowed in his field. 13:32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, ⁶¹  so that the wild birds ⁶²  come and nest in its branches.” ⁶³ 

Matius 13:44

Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven

13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.

Matius 13:54

13:54 Then ⁶⁴  he came to his hometown ⁶⁵  and began to teach the people ⁶⁶  in their synagogue. ⁶⁷  They ⁶⁸  were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?

Matius 14:2

14:2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Matius 16:17

16:17 And Jesus answered him, ⁶⁹  “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood ⁷⁰  did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

Matius 16:27-28

16:27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. ⁷¹  16:28 I tell you the truth, ⁷²  there are some standing here who will not ⁷³  experience ⁷⁴  death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” ⁷⁵ 

Matius 17:5

17:5 While he was still speaking, a ⁷⁶  bright cloud ⁷⁷  overshadowed ⁷⁸  them, and a voice from the cloud said, ⁷⁹  “This is my one dear Son, ⁸⁰  in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” ⁸¹ 

Matius 17:12

17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In ⁸²  the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”

Matius 18:6

18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, ⁸³  it would be better for him to have a huge millstone ⁸⁴  hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. ⁸⁵ 

Matius 18:19

18:19 Again, I tell you the truth, ⁸⁶  if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ⁸⁷ 

Matius 19:21

19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ⁸⁸  to the poor, and you will have treasure ⁸⁹  in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matius 20:21

20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ⁹⁰  “Permit ⁹¹  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ⁹²  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

Matius 21:12

Cleansing the Temple

21:12 Then ⁹³  Jesus entered the temple area ⁹⁴  and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, ⁹⁵  and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.

Matius 21:15

21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law ⁹⁶  saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, ⁹⁷  “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant

Matius 21:23-25

The Authority of Jesus

21:23 Now after Jesus ⁹⁸  entered the temple courts, ⁹⁹  the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority ¹⁰⁰  are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus ¹⁰¹  answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” ¹⁰²  They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

Matius 21:32-33

21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although ¹⁰³  you saw this, you did not later change your minds ¹⁰⁴  and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner ¹⁰⁵  who planted a vineyard. ¹⁰⁶  He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then ¹⁰⁷  he leased it to tenant farmers ¹⁰⁸  and went on a journey.

Matius 21:38

21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’

Matius 23:34

23:34 “For this reason I ¹⁰⁹  am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, ¹¹⁰  some of whom you will kill and crucify, ¹¹¹  and some you will flog ¹¹²  in your synagogues ¹¹³  and pursue from town to town,

Matius 24:38

24:38 For in those days before the flood, people ¹¹⁴  were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.

Matius 24:45

The Faithful and Wise Slave

24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, ¹¹⁵  whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves ¹¹⁶  their food at the proper time?

Matius 25:44

25:44 Then they too will answer, ¹¹⁷  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’

Matius 26:29

26:29 I ¹¹⁸  tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit ¹¹⁹  of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matius 27:29

27:29 and after braiding ¹²⁰  a crown of thorns, ¹²¹  they put it on his head. They ¹²²  put a staff ¹²³  in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: ¹²⁴  “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹²⁵ 

Matius 27:40

27:40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! ¹²⁶  If you are God’s Son, come down ¹²⁷  from the cross!”

[1:18]  ¹ tn The connotation of the Greek is “before they came together in marital and domestic union” (so BDAG 970 s.v. συνέρχομαι 3).

[1:23]  ² tn Grk “they will call his name.”

[1:23]  ³ sn A quotation from Isa 7:14.

[1:23]  ⁴ tn Grk “is translated.”

[1:23]  ⁵ sn An allusion to Isa 8:8, 10 (LXX).

[2:6]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.

[2:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

[2:9]  ⁸ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

[3:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

[3:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:3]  ¹¹ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[3:3]  ¹² sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[3:12]  ¹³ sn 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.

[3:12]  ¹⁴ tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building to house livestock).

[3:12]  ¹⁵ sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.

[4:21]  ¹⁶ tn Or “their boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do here); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats), while Matthew does not.

[4:21]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:13]  ¹⁸ sn Salt was used as seasoning or fertilizer (BDAG 41 s.v. ἅλας a), or as a preservative. If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.

[5:13]  ¹⁹ sn The difficulty of this saying is understanding how salt could lose its flavor since its chemical properties cannot change. It is thus often assumed that Jesus was referring to chemically impure salt, perhaps a natural salt which, when exposed to the elements, had all the genuine salt leached out, leaving only the sediment or impurities behind. Others have suggested that the background of the saying is the use of salt blocks by Arab bakers to line the floor of their ovens; under the intense heat these blocks would eventually crystallize and undergo a change in chemical composition, finally being thrown out as unserviceable. A saying in the Talmud (b. Bekhorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca. a.d. 90), when asked the question “When salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again?” is said to have replied, “By salting it with the afterbirth of a mule.” He was then asked, “Then does the mule (being sterile) bear young?” to which he replied: “Can salt lose its flavor?” The point appears to be that both are impossible. The saying, while admittedly late, suggests that culturally the loss of flavor by salt was regarded as an impossibility. Genuine salt can never lose its flavor. In this case the saying by Jesus here may be similar to Matt 19:24, where it is likewise impossible for the camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle.

[5:25]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Make friends.”

[5:25]  ²¹ tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[5:25]  ²² tn Grk “the accuser.”

[6:1]  ²³ tc ‡ Several mss (א L Z Θ Ë¹ 33 892 1241 1424 al) have δέ (de, “but, now”) at the beginning of this verse; the reading without δέ is supported by B D W 0250 ˹³ Ï lat. A decision is difficult, but apparently the conjunction was added by later scribes to indicate a transition in the thought-flow of the Sermon on the Mount. NA²⁷ has δέ in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.

[6:1]  ²⁴ tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”

[6:23]  ²⁵ tn Or “if your eye is sick” (L&N 23.149).

[6:23]  sn There may be a slight wordplay here, as this term can also mean “evil,” so the figure uses a term that points to the real meaning of being careful as to what one pays attention to or looks at.

[7:4]  ²⁶ tn Grk “how will you say?”

[7:6]  ²⁷ tn Or “otherwise the latter will trample them under their feet and the former will turn around and tear you to pieces.” This verse is sometimes understood as a chiasm of the pattern a-b-b-a, in which the first and last clauses belong together (“dogs…turn around and tear you to pieces”) and the second and third clauses belong together (“pigs…trample them under their feet”).

[7:11]  ²⁸ tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.

[7:11]  ²⁹ sn The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.

[7:21]  ³⁰ sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

[7:22]  ³¹ tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:32]  ³² tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[8:32]  ³³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.

[9:35]  ³⁴ tn Or “cities.”

[9:35]  ³⁵ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[9:35]  ³⁶ tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[10:23]  ³⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:23]  ³⁸ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”

[10:23]  ³⁹ tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[10:23]  ⁴⁰ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.” “Town” was chosen here to emphasize the extensive nature of the disciples’ ministry. The same word is translated earlier in the verse as “place.”

[10:28]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[10:28]  ⁴² sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.

[10:28]  ⁴³ sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.

[11:25]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[11:25]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “thank.”

[11:25]  ⁴⁶ sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.

[11:25]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “that.”

[11:25]  ⁴⁸ sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.

[12:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).

[12:41]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).

[12:41]  ⁵² tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”

[12:41]  ⁵³ tn Grk “behold.”

[12:42]  ⁵⁴ sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.

[12:42]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

[13:19]  ⁵⁶ sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Mark 4:15 has “Satan,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.

[13:19]  ⁵⁷ sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.

[13:31]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “put before.”

[13:31]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[13:31]  ⁶⁰ sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.

[13:32]  ⁶¹ sn This is rhetorical hyperbole, since technically a mustard plant is not a tree. This could refer to one of two types of mustard plant popular in Palestine and would be either ten or twenty-five ft (3 or 7.5 m) tall.

[13:32]  ⁶² tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[13:32]  ⁶³ sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.

[13:54]  ⁶⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”

[13:54]  ⁶⁵ sn Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.

[13:54]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:54]  ⁶⁷ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.

[13:54]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here ὥστε (Jwste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.

[16:17]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.

[16:17]  ⁷⁰ tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.

[16:27]  ⁷¹ sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.

[16:28]  ⁷² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[16:28]  ⁷³ tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is the strongest possible.

[16:28]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[16:28]  ⁷⁵ sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.

[17:5]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “behold, a.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[17:5]  ⁷⁷ sn This cloud is the cloud of God’s presence and the voice is his as well.

[17:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “surrounded.”

[17:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.

[17:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).

[17:5]  ⁸¹ sn The expression listen to him comes from Deut 18:15 and makes two points: 1) Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a leader-prophet, and 2) they have much yet to learn from him.

[17:12]  ⁸² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[18:6]  ⁸³ tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”

[18:6]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.

[18:6]  sn The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.

[18:6]  ⁸⁵ tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”

[18:19]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:19]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.

[19:21]  ⁸⁸ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:21]  ⁸⁹ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[20:21]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “said to him.”

[20:21]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “Say that.”

[20:21]  ⁹² 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.

[21:12]  ⁹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[21:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “the temple.”

[21:12]  sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.

[21:12]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “the temple.”

[21:12]  sn Matthew (here, 21:12-27), Mark (11:15-19) and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.

[21:15]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[21:15]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “crying out in the temple [courts] and saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[21:23]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “he.”

[21:23]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “the temple.”

[21:23]  ¹⁰⁰ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.1

[21:24]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:25]  ¹⁰² tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).

[21:25]  sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.

[21:32]  ¹⁰³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:32]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.

[21:33]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

[21:33]  ¹⁰⁶ sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.

[21:33]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[21:33]  ¹⁰⁸ sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.

[23:34]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[23:34]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:34]  ¹¹¹ sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

[23:34]  ¹¹² tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”

[23:34]  ¹¹³ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[24:38]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “they,” but in an indefinite sense, “people.”

[24:45]  ¹¹⁵ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[24:45]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “give them.”

[25:44]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[26:29]  ¹¹⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:29]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “produce” (“the produce of the vine” is a figurative expression for wine).

[27:29]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “weaving.”

[27:29]  ¹²¹ sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.

[27:29]  ¹²² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:29]  ¹²³ tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BDAG 502 s.v. κάλαμος 2.

[27:29]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “they mocked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

[27:29]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”

[27:29]  sn The statement Hail, King of the Jews! is a mockery patterned after the Romans’ cry of Ave, Caesar (“Hail, Caesar!”).

[27:40]  ¹²⁶ sn There is rich irony in the statements of those who were passing by, “save yourself!” and “come down from the cross!” In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life.

[27:40]  ¹²⁷ tc ‡ Many important witnesses (א* A D pc it sy^[s],p) read καί (kai, here with the force of “then”) before κατάβηθι (katabhqi, “come down”). The shorter reading may well be due to homoioarcton, but judging by the diverse external evidence (א² B L W Θ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) it is equally possible that the shorter reading is original (and is so considered for this translation). NA²⁷ puts the καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.