Proverbs 13:10

13:10 With pride ¹  comes only ²  contention,

but wisdom is with the well-advised. ³ 

Matthew 20:21-22

20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ⁴  “Permit ⁵  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ⁶  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 20:22 Jesus ⁷  answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! ⁸  Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” ⁹  They said to him, “We are able.” ¹⁰ 

Luke 22:24

22:24 A dispute also started ¹¹  among them over which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ¹² 

Romans 12:10

12:10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

Philippians 2:3

2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ¹³  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Philippians 2:3

2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ¹⁴  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Philippians 1:9

1:9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight

¹ sn The parallelism suggests pride here means contempt for the opinions of others. The wise listen to advice rather than argue out of stubborn pride.

² tn The particle רַק (raq, “only”) modifies the noun “contention” – only contention can come from such a person.

³ tn The Niphal of יָעַץ (ya’ats, “to advise; to counsel”) means “to consult together; to take counsel.” It means being well-advised, receiving advice or consultation (cf. NCV “those who take advice are wise”).

⁴ tn Grk “said to him.”

⁵ tn Grk “Say that.”

⁶ tc A majority of witnesses read σου (sou, “your”) here, perhaps for clarification. At the same time, it is possible that the pronoun dropped out through haplography or was excised because of perceived redundancy (there are two other such pronouns in the verse) by א B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style. NA²⁷ includes σου here.

⁷ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸ tn The verbs in Greek are plural here, indicating that Jesus is not answering the mother but has turned his attention directly to the two disciples.

⁹ tc Most mss (C W 33 Ï, as well as some versional and patristic authorities) in addition have “or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” But this is surely due to a recollection of the fuller version of this dominical saying found in Mark 10:38. The same mss also have the Lord’s response, “and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized” in v. 23, again due to the parallel in Mark 10:39. The shorter reading, in both v. 22 and v. 23, is to be preferred both because it better explains the rise of the other reading and is found in superior witnesses (א B D L Z Θ 085 Ë^1,13 pc lat, as well as other versional and patristic authorities).

¹⁰ sn No more naïve words have ever been spoken as those found here coming from James and John, “We are able.” They said it with such confidence and ease, yet they had little clue as to what they were affirming. In the next sentence Jesus confirms that they will indeed suffer for his name.

¹¹ tn Or “happened.”

¹² tn Though the term μείζων (meizwn) here is comparative in form, it is superlative in sense (BDF §244).

¹³ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”