Matthew 2:3

2:3 When King Herod ¹  heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew 15:1

Breaking Human Traditions

15:1 Then Pharisees ²  and experts in the law ³  came from Jerusalem ⁴  to Jesus and said, ⁵ 

Matthew 3:5

3:5 Then people from Jerusalem, ⁶  as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him,

Matthew 4:25

4:25 And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, ⁷  Jerusalem, ⁸  Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. ⁹ 

Matthew 21:10

21:10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, ¹⁰  saying, “Who is this?”

Matthew 2:1

The Visit of the Wise Men

2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem ¹¹  in Judea, in the time ¹²  of King Herod, ¹³  wise men ¹⁴  from the East came to Jerusalem ¹⁵ 

Matthew 5:35

5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, ¹⁶  because it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 20:17-18

Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, ¹⁷  he took the twelve ¹⁸  aside privately and said to them on the way, 20:18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. ¹⁹  They will condemn him to death,

Matthew 21:1

The Triumphal Entry

21:1 Now ²⁰  when they approached Jerusalem ²¹  and came to Bethphage, ²²  at the Mount of Olives, ²³  Jesus sent two disciples,

Matthew 16:21

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

16:21 From that time on ²⁴  Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem ²⁵  and suffer ²⁶  many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, ²⁷  and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

¹ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

² sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

³ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

⁴ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁵ tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.

³ tn Grk “Then Jerusalem.”

⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the places in the list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).

⁵ tn Grk “was shaken.” The translation “thrown into an uproar” is given by L&N 25.233.

⁶ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

⁷ tn Grk “in the days.”

⁸ sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.

⁹ sn The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).

¹⁰ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁷ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁸ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁹ tc ‡ A number of significant witnesses (e.g., B C W 085 33 lat) have μαθητάς (maqhtas, “disciples”) after δώδεκα (dwdeka, “twelve”), perhaps by way of clarification, while other important witnesses lack the word (e.g., א D L Θ Ë^1,13). The longer reading looks to be a scribal clarification, and hence is considered to be secondary. NA²⁷ puts the word in brackets to show doubts about its authenticity.

⁹ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

¹¹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹² 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.

¹³ 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.

¹¹ tn Grk “From then.”

¹² map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹³ sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.

¹⁴ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.