Matthew 5:3

5:3 “Blessed ¹  are the poor in spirit, ²  for the kingdom of heaven belongs ³  to them.

Matthew 5:10

5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Matthew 5:19-20

5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others ⁴  to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law ⁵  and the Pharisees, ⁶  you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:10

6:10 may your kingdom come, ⁷ 

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:33

6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom ⁸  and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 10:7

10:7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’

Matthew 11:11-12

11:11 “I tell you the truth, ⁹  among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least ¹⁰  in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 11:12 From ¹¹  the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. ¹² 

Matthew 13:11

13:11 He replied, ¹³  “You have been given ¹⁴  the opportunity to know ¹⁵  the secrets ¹⁶  of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.

Matthew 13:24

The Parable of the Weeds

13:24 He presented them with another parable: ¹⁷  “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.

Matthew 13:31

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

13:31 He gave ¹⁸  them another parable: ¹⁹  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ²⁰  that a man took and sowed in his field.

Matthew 13:33

The Parable of the Yeast

13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with ²¹  three measures ²²  of flour until all the dough had risen.” ²³ 

Matthew 13:44-45

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.

13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

Matthew 13:47

13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish.

Matthew 13:52

13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law ²⁴  who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”

Matthew 18:1-4

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, ²⁵  unless you turn around and become like little children, ²⁶  you will never ²⁷  enter the kingdom of heaven! 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:23

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

18:23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁸ 

Matthew 20:1

Workers in the Vineyard

20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner ²⁹  who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

Matthew 22:2

22:2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.

Matthew 23:13

23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law ³⁰  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! ³¹  You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! ³²  For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.

Matthew 25:1

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Matthew 25:14

The Parable of the Talents

25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves ³³  and entrusted his property to them.

Daniel 2:44

2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.

Luke 6:20

6:20 Then ³⁴  he looked up ³⁵  at his disciples and said:

“Blessed ³⁶  are you who are poor, ³⁷  for the kingdom of God belongs ³⁸  to you.

Luke 9:2

9:2 and he sent ³⁹  them out to proclaim ⁴⁰  the kingdom of God ⁴¹  and to heal the sick. ⁴² 

Luke 10:9-11

10:9 Heal ⁴³  the sick in that town ⁴⁴  and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God ⁴⁵  has come upon ⁴⁶  you!’ 10:10 But whenever ⁴⁷  you enter a town ⁴⁸  and the people ⁴⁹  do not welcome ⁵⁰  you, go into its streets ⁵¹  and say, 10:11 ‘Even the dust of your town ⁵²  that clings to our feet we wipe off ⁵³  against you. ⁵⁴  Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.’ ⁵⁵ 

John 3:3-5

3:3 Jesus replied, ⁵⁶  “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁵⁷  unless a person is born from above, ⁵⁸  he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁵⁹  3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” ⁶⁰ 

3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁶¹  unless a person is born of water and spirit, ⁶²  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Colossians 1:13

1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, ⁶³ 

[5:3]  ¹ sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.

[5:3]  ² sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.

[5:3]  ³ sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.

[5:19]  ⁴ tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).

[5:20]  ⁵ tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[5:20]  ⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[6:10]  ⁷ sn Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God’s promised rule.

[6:33]  ⁸ tc ‡ Most mss (L W Θ 0233 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy mae) read τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ (thn basileian tou qeou kai thn dikaiosunhn aujtou, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness”) here, but the words “of God” are lacking in א B pc sa bo Eus. On the one hand, there is the possibility of accidental omission on the part of these Alexandrian witnesses, but it seems unlikely that the scribe’s eye would skip over both words (especially since τοῦ θεοῦ is bracketed by first declension nouns). Intrinsically, the author generally has a genitive modifier with βασιλεία – especially θεοῦ or οὐρανῶν (ouranwn) – but this argument cuts both ways: Although he might be expected to use such an adjunct here, scribes might also be familiar with his practice and would thus naturally insert it if it were missing in their copy of Matthew. Although a decision is difficult, the omission of τοῦ θεοῦ is considered most likely to be original. NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

[11:11]  ⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[11:11]  ¹⁰ sn After John comes a shift of eras. The new era is so great that the lowest member of it (the one who is least in the kingdom of God) is greater than the greatest one of the previous era.

[11:12]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[11:12]  ¹² tn 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.

[13:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[13:11]  ¹⁴ tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[13:11]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.

[13:11]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “the mysteries.”

[13:24]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[13:31]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “put before.”

[13:31]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[13:31]  ²⁰ sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.

[13:33]  ²¹ tn Grk “hid in.”

[13:33]  ²² sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” Three of these was a very large quantity of flour, since a saton is a little over 16 pounds (7 kg) of dry measure (or 13.13 liters). So this was over 47 lbs (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.

[13:33]  ²³ tn Grk “it was all leavened.”

[13:52]  ²⁴ tn Or “every scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4. It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the author, Matthew, to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe [JSNTSup].

[18:3]  ²⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:3]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.

[18:23]  ²⁸ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[20:1]  ²⁹ sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

[23:13]  ³⁰ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:13]  ³¹ tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).

[23:13]  ³² tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”

[25:14]  ³³ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[6:20]  ³⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[6:20]  ³⁵ tn Grk “lifting up his eyes” (an idiom). The participle ἐπάρας (epara") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[6:20]  ³⁶ sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.

[6:20]  ³⁷ sn You who are poor is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.

[6:20]  ³⁸ sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized. Jesus was saying, in effect, “the kingdom belongs even now to people like you.”

[9:2]  ³⁹ sn “To send out” is often a term of divine commission in Luke: 1:19; 4:18, 43; 7:27; 9:48; 10:1, 16; 11:49; 13:34; 24:49.

[9:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “to preach.”

[9:2]  ⁴¹ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[9:2]  ⁴² sn As Jesus’ own ministry (Luke 4:16-44) involved both word (to proclaim) and deed (to heal) so also would that of the disciples.

[10:9]  ⁴³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[10:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “in it”; the referent (that town) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:9]  ⁴⁵ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[10:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “come near to you,” suggesting the approach (but not arrival) of the kingdom. But the combination of the perfect tense of ἐγγίζω (engizw) with the preposition ἐπί (epi) most likely suggests that the sense is “has come upon” (see BDAG 270 s.v. ἐγγίζω 2; W. R. Hutton, “The Kingdom of God Has Come,” ExpTim 64 [Dec 1952]: 89-91; and D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1000; cf. also NAB “is at hand for you”). These passages argue that a key element of the kingdom is its ability to overcome the power of Satan and those elements in the creation that oppose humanity. Confirmation of this understanding comes in v. 18 and in Luke 11:14-23, especially the parable of vv. 21-23.

[10:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “whatever town you enter,” but this is more often expressed in English as “whenever you enter a town.”

[10:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “city.”

[10:10]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “and they”; the referent (the people who live in the town) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:10]  ⁵⁰ sn More discussion takes place concerning rejection (the people do not welcome you), as these verses lead into the condemnation of certain towns for their rejection of God’s kingdom.

[10:10]  ⁵¹ tn The term πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to the “broad street,” so this refers to the main roads of the town.

[10:11]  ⁵² tn Or “city.”

[10:11]  ⁵³ sn See Luke 9:5, where the verb is different but the meaning is the same. This was a sign of rejection.

[10:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Here ὑμῖν (Jumin) has been translated as a dative of disadvantage.

[10:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “has come near.” As in v. 9 (see above), the combination of ἐγγίζω (engizw) with the preposition ἐπί (epi) is decisive in showing that the sense is “has come” (see BDAG 270 s.v. ἐγγίζω 2, and W. R. Hutton, “The Kingdom of God Has Come,” ExpTim 64 [Dec 1952]: 89-91).

[3:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[3:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:3]  ⁵⁸ tn The word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in 3:3, 7; 3:31; 19:11 and 23. In the latter 3 cases the context makes clear that it means “from above.” Here (3:3, 7) it could mean either, but the primary meaning intended by Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” The author uses the technique of the “misunderstood question” often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.

[3:3]  ⁵⁹ sn What does Jesus’ statement about not being able to see the kingdom of God mean within the framework of John’s Gospel? John uses the word kingdom (βασιλεία, basileia) only 5 times (3:3, 5; 18:36 [3x]). Only here is it qualified with the phrase of God. The fact that John does not stress the concept of the kingdom of God does not mean it is absent from his theology, however. Remember the messianic implications found in John 2, both the wedding and miracle at Cana and the cleansing of the temple. For Nicodemus, the term must surely have brought to mind the messianic kingdom which Messiah was supposed to bring. But Nicodemus had missed precisely this point about who Jesus was. It was the Messiah himself with whom Nicodemus was speaking. Whatever Nicodemus understood, it is clear that the point is this: He misunderstood Jesus’ words. He over-literalized them, and thought Jesus was talking about repeated physical birth, when he was in fact referring to new spiritual birth.

[3:4]  ⁶⁰ tn The grammatical structure of the question in Greek presupposes a negative reply.

[3:5]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:5]  ⁶² tn Or “born of water and wind” (the same Greek word, πνεύματος [pneumatos], may be translated either “spirit/Spirit” or “wind”).

[1:13]  ⁶³ tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).