Text -- Matthew 9:34-38 (NET)

9:34 But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons.”

Workers for the Harvest

9:35 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 9:38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Mat 9:34

¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

² tn Or “prince.”

³ tc Although codex Cantabrigiensis (D), along with a few other Western versional and patristic witnesses, lacks this verse, virtually all other witnesses have it. The Western text’s reputation for free alterations as well as the heightened climax if v. 33 concludes this pericope explains why these witnesses omitted the verse.

NET Notes: Mat 9:35

¹ tn Or “cities.”

² sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

³ tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Mat 9:36

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn 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.

NET Notes: Mat 9:38

¹ sn The phrase Lord of the harvest recognizes God’s sovereignty over the harvest process.

² tn Grk “to thrust out.”