Matius 14:1--16:12
Konteks14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch 1 heard reports about Jesus, 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.” 14:3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, 2 and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 14:4 because John had repeatedly told 3 him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 4 14:5 Although 5 Herod 6 wanted to kill John, 7 he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 14:6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 14:7 so much that he promised with an oath 8 to give her whatever she asked. 14:8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 14:9 Although it grieved the king, 9 because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 14:10 So 10 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 14:11 His 11 head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 14:12 Then John’s 12 disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.
14:13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it, 13 they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 14:14 As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 14:15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place 15 and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 14:16 But he 16 replied, “They don’t need to go. You 17 give them something to eat.” 14:17 They 18 said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 14:18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied. 14:19 Then 19 he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples, 20 who in turn gave them to the crowds. 21 14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full. 14:21 Not counting women and children, there were about five thousand men who ate.
14:22 Immediately Jesus 22 made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 14:23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 14:24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, 23 was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 14:25 As the night was ending, 24 Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 25 14:26 When 26 the disciples saw him walking on the water 27 they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 14:27 But immediately Jesus 28 spoke to them: 29 “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 14:28 Peter 30 said to him, 31 “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 14:29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, 32 “Lord, save me!” 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 14:32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 14:33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
14:34 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 33 14:35 When the people 34 there recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding area, and they brought all their sick to him. 14:36 They begged him if 35 they could only touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
15:1 Then Pharisees 36 and experts in the law 37 came from Jerusalem 38 to Jesus and said, 39 15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their 40 hands when they eat.” 41 15:3 He answered them, 42 “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, 43 ‘Honor your father and mother’ 44 and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 45 15:5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” 46 15:6 he does not need to honor his father.’ 47 You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. 15:7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said,
15:8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart 48 is far from me,
15:9 and they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” 49
15:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, 50 “Listen and understand. 15:11 What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what 51 comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.” 15:12 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that when the Pharisees 52 heard this saying they were offended?” 15:13 And he replied, 53 “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 15:14 Leave them! They are blind guides. 54 If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, 55 both will fall into a pit.” 15:15 But Peter 56 said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 15:16 Jesus 57 said, “Even after all this, are you still so foolish? 15:17 Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer? 58 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. 15:19 For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 15:20 These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person.” 59
15:21 After going out from there, Jesus went to the region of Tyre 60 and Sidon. 61 15:22 A 62 Canaanite woman from that area came 63 and cried out, 64 “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!” 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. Then 65 his disciples came and begged him, 66 “Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us.” 15:24 So 67 he answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 15:25 But she came and bowed down 68 before him and said, 69 “Lord, help me!” 15:26 “It is not right 70 to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” 71 he said. 72 15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, 73 “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 15:28 Then 74 Jesus answered her, “Woman, 75 your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
15:29 When he left there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain, where he sat down. 15:30 Then 76 large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They 77 laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 15:31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
15:32 Then Jesus called the 78 disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.” 15:33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?” 15:34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven – and a few small fish.” 15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. 79 15:37 They 80 all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 15:38 Not counting children and women, 81 there were four thousand men who ate. 82 15:39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. 83
16:1 Now when the Pharisees 84 and Sadducees 85 came to test Jesus, 86 they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 87 16:2 He 88 said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ 89 You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, 90 but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then 91 he left them and went away.
16:5 When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread. 16:6 “Watch out,” Jesus said to them, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees 92 and Sadducees.” 93 16:7 So 94 they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “It is because we brought no bread.” 16:8 When Jesus learned of this, 95 he said, “You who have such little faith! 96 Why are you arguing 97 among yourselves about having no bread? 16:9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 16:10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? 16:11 How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” 16:12 Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
[14:1] 1 sn A tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
[14:3] 2 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א2 C D L W Z Θ 0106 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various important witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 pc ff1 h q). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
[14:4] 3 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
[14:4] 4 sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
[14:5] 5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[14:5] 6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:5] 7 tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:7] 8 tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (Jomologew); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise with an oath” for certain contexts such as here.
[14:9] 9 tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”
[14:9] sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
[14:10] 10 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[14:11] 11 tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 12 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[14:13] 13 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[14:15] 15 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
[14:16] 16 tc ‡ The majority of witnesses read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsous, “Jesus”) here, perhaps to clarify the subject. Although only a few Greek
[14:16] 17 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (Jumeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
[14:17] 18 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:19] 19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[14:19] 20 tn 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.
[14:19] 21 tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”
[14:22] 22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:24] 23 tn Grk “The boat was already many stades from the land.” A stade (στάδιον, stadion) was a unit of distance about 607 feet (187 meters) long.
[14:25] 24 tn Grk “In the fourth watch of the night,” that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
[14:25] 25 tn Or “on the lake.”
[14:26] 26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:26] 27 tn Grk “on the sea”; or “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 25).
[14:27] 28 tc Most witnesses have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsous, “Jesus”), while a few lack the words (א* D 073 892 pc ff1 syc sa bo). Although such additions are often suspect (due to liturgical influences, piety, or for the sake of clarity), in this case it is likely that ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς dropped out accidentally. Apart from a few albeit important witnesses, as noted above, the rest of the tradition has either ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς αὐτοῖς (Jo Ihsous autois) or αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (autois Jo Ihsous). In uncial letters, with Jesus’ name as a nomen sacrum, this would have been written as autoisois_ or ois_autois. Thus homoioteleuton could explain the reason for the omission of Jesus’ name.
[14:27] 29 tn Grk “he said to them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:28] 30 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[14:28] 31 tn Grk “answering him, Peter said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:30] 32 tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[14:34] 33 sn Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Mark 6:53). The Sea of Galilee was also sometimes known as the Sea of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).
[14:35] 34 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).
[14:36] 35 tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”
[15:1] 36 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[15:1] 37 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[15:1] 38 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:1] 39 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.
[15:2] 40 tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 Ë1 579 700 892 1424 pc f g1); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA27 has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[15:2] 41 tn Grk “when they eat bread.”
[15:3] 42 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”
[15:4] 43 tc Most
[15:4] 44 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
[15:4] 45 sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
[15:5] 46 tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.
[15:6] 47 tc The logic of v. 5 would seem to demand that both father and mother are in view in v. 6. Indeed, the majority of
[15:6] tn Grk “he will never honor his father.” Here Jesus is quoting the Pharisees, whose intent is to release the person who is giving his possessions to God from the family obligation of caring for his parents. The verb in this phrase is future tense, and it is negated with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest negation possible in Greek. A literal translation of the phrase does not capture the intended sense of the statement; it would actually make the Pharisees sound as if they agreed with Jesus. Instead, a more interpretive translation has been used to focus upon the release from family obligations that the Pharisees allowed in these circumstances.
[15:6] sn Here Jesus refers to something that has been set aside as a gift to be given to God at some later date, but which is still in the possession of the owner. According to contemporary Jewish tradition, the person who made this claim was absolved from responsibility to support or assist his parents, a clear violation of the Mosaic law to honor one’s parents (v. 4).
[15:8] 48 tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
[15:9] 49 sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.
[15:10] 50 tn Grk “And calling the crowd, he said to them.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as attendant circumstance. The emphasis here is upon Jesus’ speaking to the crowd.
[15:12] 52 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[15:13] 53 tn Grk “And answering, he said.”
[15:14] 54 tc ‡ Most
[15:14] 55 tn Grk “If blind leads blind.”
[15:15] 56 tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to him.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[15:16] 57 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[15:17] 58 tn Or “into the latrine.”
[15:20] 59 tn Grk “but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
[15:21] 60 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[15:21] 61 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[15:22] 62 tn Grk “And behold a Canaanite.” 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).
[15:22] 63 tn Grk The participle ἐξελθοῦσα (exelqousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.
[15:22] 64 tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:23] 65 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[15:23] 66 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[15:24] 67 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The construction in Greek is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ request.
[15:25] 68 tn In this context the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew), which often describes worship, probably means simply bowing down to the ground in an act of reverence or supplication (see L&N 17.21).
[15:25] 69 tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.”
[15:26] 70 tn 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 δέ (de) has not been translated.
[15:26] 71 tn 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 κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”
[15:26] sn The term dogs does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus’ ministry. The woman’s response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request.
[15:26] 72 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[15:28] 74 tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.
[15:28] 75 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.
[15:30] 76 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[15:30] 77 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:32] 78 tc ‡ Although the external evidence is not great (א W Θ 700 pc), the internal evidence for the omission of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after “disciples” is fairly strong. The pronoun may have been added by way of clarification. NA27, however, includes the pronoun, on the basis of the much stronger external evidence.
[15:36] 79 tn Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”
[15:37] 80 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[15:38] 81 tc ‡ Although most witnesses (B C L W Ë13 33 Ï f sys,p,h mae) 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., א D [Θ Ë1] 579 lat syc sa bo), and has more compelling internal arguments on its side, suggesting that this is the original reading. NA27, however, agrees with the majority of witnesses.
[15:38] 82 tn Grk “And those eating were four thousand men, apart from children and women.”
[15:39] 83 sn Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.
[16:1] 84 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:1] 85 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:1] 86 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
[16:1] 87 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[16:2] 88 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:3] 89 tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).
[16:3] 90 tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
[16:4] 91 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[16:6] 92 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:6] 93 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:7] 94 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
[16:8] 95 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
