Matthew 2:13

The Escape to Egypt

2:13 After they had gone, an ¹  angel of the Lord ²  appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod ³  is going to look for the child to kill him.”

Matthew 5:29

5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. ⁴ 

Matthew 6:6

6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, ⁵  close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ⁶ 

Matthew 17:25

17:25 He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, ⁷  “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons ⁸  or from foreigners?”

Matthew 18:8

18:8 If ⁹  your hand or your foot causes you to sin, ¹⁰  cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have ¹¹  two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

Matthew 22:16

22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, ¹²  saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ¹³  You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. ¹⁴ 

¹ tn Grk “behold, an angel.” 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).

² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

³ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.

⁴ sn On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.

⁷ sn The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).

⁸ tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.

¹⁰ tn Grk “spoke first to him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

¹¹ sn The phrase their sons may mean “their citizens,” but the term “sons” has been retained here in order to preserve the implicit comparison between the Father and his Son, Jesus.

¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁴ sn In Greek there is a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in English here. The verb translated “causes…to sin” (σκανδαλίζω, skandalizw) comes from the same root as the word translated “stumbling blocks” (σκάνδαλον, skandalon) in the previous verse.

¹⁵ tn Grk “than having.”

¹⁶ sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some mss also read “Herodians” instead of “Herod” in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.

¹⁷ sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.

¹⁸ tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”