Matthew 11:12

11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.

Matthew 13:9

13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!”

Matthew 13:11

13:11 He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets 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: “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.

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 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.


tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

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.

tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).

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.

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

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.

tn Grk “the mysteries.”

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