Matthew 10:29

10:29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? ¹  Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ² 

Matthew 20:30

20:30 Two ³  blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, ⁴  “Have mercy ⁵  on us, Lord, Son of David!” ⁶ 

Matthew 21:1

The Triumphal Entry

21:1 Now ⁷  when they approached Jerusalem ⁸  and came to Bethphage, ⁹  at the Mount of Olives, ¹⁰  Jesus sent two disciples,

Matthew 21:28

The Parable of the Two Sons

21:28 “What ¹¹  do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

Matthew 25:15

25:15 To ¹²  one he gave five talents, ¹³  to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

Matthew 26:2

26:2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over ¹⁴  to be crucified.” ¹⁵ 

Matthew 26:61

26:61 and declared, “This man ¹⁶  said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Matthew 27:21

27:21 The ¹⁷  governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!”

Matthew 27:51

27:51 Just then ¹⁸  the temple curtain ¹⁹  was torn in two, from top to bottom. The ²⁰  earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

¹ sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.

² tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”

³ tn Grk “And behold.” 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).

⁴ tn Grk “shouted, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

⁵ sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.

⁶ sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).

⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

⁶ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁷ sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.

⁸ sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.

⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹⁰ sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.

¹¹ tn Or “will be delivered up.”

¹² sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

¹³ tn Grk “This one.”

¹⁵ tn Grk “answering, the governor said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁷ tn Grk “And behold.”

¹⁸ tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.

¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.