‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart 5 is far from me.
8:34 Then 6 Jesus 7 called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, 8 he must deny 9 himself, take up his cross, 10 and follow me.
9:25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked 14 the unclean spirit, 15 saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
1 tc Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (th" qugatro" aujtou Jerwdiado"), is supported by א B D L Δ 565 pc; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (th" qugatro" auth" th" &erwdiado", “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ Ë13 33 Ï, but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by Ë1 pc, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.
2 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence has been changed for clarity.
3 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (Jumeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
4 sn The silver coin referred to here is the denarius. A denarius, inscribed with a picture of Tiberius Caesar, was worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer. Two hundred denarii was thus approximately equal to eight months’ wages. The disciples did not have the resources in their possession to feed the large crowd, so Jesus’ request is his way of causing them to trust him as part of their growth in discipleship.
3 tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Grk “to follow after me.”
7 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
8 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.
5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
6 tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to Jesus.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
7 tn Or “dwellings,” “booths” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).
6 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
7 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
7 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
8 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.
9 sn The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
10 sn An allusion to Dan 7:13.