Discovery BoxMatthew 11:2--13:53
Context11:2 Now when John 1 heard in prison about the deeds Christ 2 had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question: 3 11:3 “Are you the one who is to come, 4 or should we look for another?” 11:4 Jesus answered them, 5 “Go tell John what you hear and see: 6 11:5 The blind see, the 7 lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 11:6 Blessed is anyone 8 who takes no offense at me.”
11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 9 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 10 11:8 What 11 did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? 12 Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! 13 11:9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more 14 than a prophet. 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written:
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, 15
who will prepare your way before you.’ 16
11:11 “I tell you the truth, 17 among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least 18 in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 11:12 From 19 the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. 20 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. 21 11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 11:15 The one who has ears had better listen! 22
11:16 “To 23 what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, 24
11:17 ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; 25
we wailed in mourning, 26 yet you did not weep.’
11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 27 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, 28 a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors 29 and sinners!’ 30 But wisdom is vindicated 31 by her deeds.” 32
11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities 33 in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! 34 Woe to you, Bethsaida! If 35 the miracles 36 done in you had been done in Tyre 37 and Sidon, 38 they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! 11:23 And you, Capernaum, 39 will you be exalted to heaven? 40 No, you will be thrown down to Hades! 41 For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom 42 on the day of judgment than for you!”
11:25 At that time Jesus said, 43 “I praise 44 you, Father, Lord 45 of heaven and earth, because 46 you have hidden these things from the wise 47 and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. 11:26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 48 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 49 No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides 50 to reveal him. 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke 51 on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His 52 disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat 53 and eat them. 12:2 But when the Pharisees 54 saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 He 55 said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate 56 the sacred bread, 57 which was against the law 58 for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? 59 12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 12:6 I 60 tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 12:7 If 61 you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ 62 you would not have condemned the innocent. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord 63 of the Sabbath.”
12:9 Then 64 Jesus 65 left that place and entered their synagogue. 66 12:10 A 67 man was there who had a withered 68 hand. And they asked Jesus, 69 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 70 so that they could accuse him. 12:11 He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? 12:12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored, 71 as healthy as the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate 72 him.
12:15 Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great 73 crowds 74 followed him, and he healed them all. 12:16 But he sternly warned them not to make him known. 12:17 This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet: 75
12:18 “Here is 76 my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I take great delight. 77
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,
until he brings justice to victory.
12:21 And in his name the Gentiles 78 will hope.” 79
12:22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus 80 healed him so that he could speak and see. 81 12:23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees 82 heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, 83 the ruler 84 of demons!” 12:25 Now when Jesus 85 realized what they were thinking, he said to them, 86 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 87 and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if 88 Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons 89 cast them 90 out? For this reason they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God 91 has already overtaken 92 you. 12:29 How 93 else can someone enter a strong man’s 94 house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. 95 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, 96 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 97 12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, 98 but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. 99 But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 100 either in this age or in the age to come.
12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad 101 and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 12:35 The good person 102 brings good things out of his 103 good treasury, 104 and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 12:36 I 105 tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
12:38 Then some of the experts in the law 106 along with some Pharisees 107 answered him, 108 “Teacher, we want to see a sign 109 from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, 110 “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish 111 for three days and three nights, 112 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people 113 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 114 – and now, 115 something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South 116 will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 117 something greater than Solomon is here!
12:43 “When 118 an unclean spirit 119 goes out of a person, 120 it passes through waterless places 121 looking for rest but 122 does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 123 When it returns, 124 it finds the house 125 empty, swept clean, and put in order. 126 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 127 the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
12:46 While Jesus 128 was still speaking to the crowds, 129 his mother and brothers 130 came and 131 stood outside, asking 132 to speak to him. 12:47 133 Someone 134 told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting 135 to speak to you.” 12:48 To the one who had said this, Jesus 136 replied, 137 “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 12:49 And pointing 138 toward his disciples he said, “Here 139 are my mother and my brothers! 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is 140 my brother and sister and mother.”
13:1 On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake. 13:2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while 141 the whole crowd stood on the shore. 13:3 He 142 told them many things in parables, 143 saying: “Listen! 144 A sower went out to sow. 145 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds 146 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other 147 seeds fell on rocky ground 148 where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 149 13:6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 13:7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, 150 and they grew up and choked them. 151 13:8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!” 152
13:10 Then 153 the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, 154 “You have been given 155 the opportunity to know 156 the secrets 157 of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 158 13:13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will listen carefully 159 yet will never understand,
you will look closely 160 yet will never comprehend.
13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’ 161
13:16 “But your eyes are blessed 162 because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 For I tell you the truth, 163 many prophets and righteous people longed to see 164 what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
13:18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one 165 comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; 166 this is the seed sown along the path. 13:20 The 167 seed sown on rocky ground 168 is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 13:21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; 169 when 170 trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 The 171 seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth 172 choke the word, 173 so it produces nothing. 13:23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” 174
13:24 He presented them with another parable: 175 “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds 176 among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When 177 the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves 178 of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 13:28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So 179 the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ 13:29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At 180 harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then 181 gather 182 the wheat into my barn.”’”
13:31 He gave 183 them another parable: 184 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed 185 that a man took and sowed in his field. 13:32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, 186 so that the wild birds 187 come and nest in its branches.” 188
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with 189 three measures 190 of flour until all the dough had risen.” 191
13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. 13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: 192
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 193
13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 13:37 He 194 answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 13:38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people 195 of the kingdom. The weeds are the people 196 of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 As 197 the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. 198 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, 199 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 200 The one who has ears had better listen! 201
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 13:46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 13:48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, 202 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” 13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law 203 who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
13:53 Now when 204 Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.
[11:2] 1 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[11:2] 2 tc The Western codex D and a few other
[11:2] 3 tc Instead of “by his disciples” (see the tn below for the reading of the Greek), the majority of later
[11:3] 4 sn Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Matt 3:1-12.
[11:4] 5 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[11:4] 6 sn What you hear and see. The following activities all paraphrase various OT descriptions of the time of promised salvation: Isa 35:5-6; 26:19; 29:18-19; 61:1. Jesus is answering not by acknowledging a title, but by pointing to the nature of his works, thus indicating the nature of the time.
[11:5] 7 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. Two other conjunctions are omitted in this series.
[11:7] 10 tn There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.
[11:8] 11 tn Grk “But what.” Here ἀλλά (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated. The same situation occurs at the beginning of v. 9.
[11:8] 12 sn The reference to fancy clothes makes the point that John was not rich or powerful, in that he did not come from the wealthy classes.
[11:9] 14 tn John the Baptist is “more” because he introduces the one (Jesus) who brings the new era. The term is neuter, but may be understood as masculine in this context (BDAG 806 s.v. περισσότερος b).
[11:10] 15 tn Grk “before your face” (an idiom).
[11:10] 16 sn The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.
[11:11] 17 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[11:11] 18 sn After John comes a shift of eras. The new era is so great that the lowest member of it (the one who is least in the kingdom of God) is greater than the greatest one of the previous era.
[11:12] 19 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:12] 20 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.
[11:13] 21 tn The word “appeared” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[11:15] 22 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 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[11:16] 23 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:16] 24 tn Grk “who call out to one another, saying.” The participle λέγουσιν (legousin) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[11:17] 25 sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 18-19) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.
[11:17] 26 tn The verb ἐθρηνήσαμεν (eqrhnhsamen) refers to the loud wailing and lamenting used to mourn the dead in public in 1st century Jewish culture.
[11:18] 27 sn John the Baptist was too separatist and ascetic for some, and so he was accused of not being directed by God, but by a demon.
[11:19] 28 tn Grk “Behold a man.”
[11:19] 29 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[11:19] 30 sn Neither were they happy with Jesus (the Son of Man), even though he was the opposite of John and associated freely with people like tax collectors and sinners. Either way, God’s messengers were subject to complaint.
[11:19] 31 tn Or “shown to be right.”
[11:19] 32 tc Most witnesses (B2 C D L Θ Ë1 33 Ï lat) have “children” (τέκνων, teknwn) here instead of “deeds” (ἔργων, ergwn), but since “children” is the reading of the parallel in Luke 7:35, scribes would be motivated to convert the less colorful “deeds” into more animate offspring of wisdom. Further, ἔργων enjoys support from א B* W (Ë13) as well as early versional and patristic support.
[11:20] 33 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.” “Cities” was chosen here to emphasize the size of the places Jesus’ mentions in the following verses.
[11:21] 34 sn Chorazin was a town of Galilee that was probably fairly small in contrast to Bethsaida and is otherwise unattested. Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after
[11:21] 35 tn This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.
[11:21] 36 tn Or “powerful deeds.”
[11:21] 37 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[11:21] 38 sn Tyre and Sidon are two other notorious OT cities (Isa 23; Jer 25:22; 47:4). The remark is a severe rebuke, in effect: “Even the sinners of the old era would have responded to the proclamation of the kingdom, unlike you!”
[11:23] 39 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
[11:23] 40 tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.
[11:23] 41 sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).
[11:24] 42 sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious, and will result in more severe punishment, than the worst sins of the old era. The phrase region of Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
[11:25] 43 tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[11:25] 45 sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.
[11:25] 47 sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.
[11:26] 48 tn Grk “for (to do) thus was well-pleasing before you,” BDAG 325 s.v. ἔμπροσθεν 1.b.δ; speaking of something taking place “before” God is a reverential way of avoiding direct connection of the action to him.
[11:27] 49 sn This verse has been noted for its conceptual similarity to teaching in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined.
[11:27] 50 tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.
[11:29] 51 sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restrictions that a teacher or rabbi would place on his followers.
[12:1] 52 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:1] 53 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).
[12:2] 54 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:3] 55 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:4] 56 tc The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (efagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (Ì70 C D L W Θ Ë1,13 33 Ï latt sy co) in place of ἔφαγον (efagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B pc. ἔφαγεν is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).
[12:4] 57 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”
[12:4] 58 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
[12:4] 59 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
[12:6] 60 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:7] 61 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:7] 62 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
[12:8] 63 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
[12:9] 64 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:9] 65 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:9] 66 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[12:10] 67 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).
[12:10] 68 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
[12:10] 69 tn Grk “and they asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated. The referent of the pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:10] 70 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
[12:13] 71 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
[12:15] 73 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[12:15] 74 tc א B pc lat read only πολλοί (polloi, “many”) here, the first hand of N reads ὄχλοι (ocloi, “crowds”), while virtually all the rest of the witnesses have ὄχλοι πολλοί (ocloi polloi, “great crowds”). In spite of the good quality of both א and B (especially in combination), and the testimony of the Latin witnesses, the longer reading is most likely correct; the shorter readings were probably due to homoioteleuton.
[12:17] 75 tn Grk “so that what was said by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying.” This final clause, however, is part of one sentence in Greek (vv. 15b-17) and is thus not related only to v. 16. The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
[12:18] 76 tn Grk “Behold my servant.”
[12:18] 77 tn Grk “in whom my soul is well pleased.”
[12:21] 78 tn Or “the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[12:21] 79 sn Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
[12:22] 80 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:22] 81 tn Grk “demoniac, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
[12:24] 82 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:24] 83 tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”
[12:25] 85 tc The majority of
[12:25] 86 sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 25-28) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 29) about tying up the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-11) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 12:31-32).
[12:25] 87 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
[12:26] 88 tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
[12:27] 89 sn Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists (cf. “your followers,” L&N 9.4), but more likely this is a reference to the disciples of Jesus themselves, who are also Jewish and have been healing as well (R. J. Shirock, “Whose Exorcists are they? The Referents of οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19,” JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). If this is a reference to the disciples, then Jesus’ point is that it is not only him, but those associated with him whose power the hearers must assess. The following reference to judging also favors this reading.
[12:27] 90 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:28] 91 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong.
[12:28] 92 tn The phrase ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (efqasen ef’ Juma") is quite important. Does it mean merely “approach” (which would be reflected in a translation like “has come near to you”) or actually “come upon” (as in the translation given above, “has already overtaken you,” which has the added connotation of suddenness)? Is the arrival of the kingdom merely anticipated or already in process? Two factors favor arrival over anticipation here. First, the prepositional phrase ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (ef’ Jumas, “upon you”) in the Greek text suggests arrival (Dan 4:24, 28 Theodotion). Second, the following illustration in v. 29 looks at the healing as portraying Satan being overrun. So the presence of God’s authority has arrived. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of φθάνω (fqanw) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already.”
[12:29] 93 tn Grk “Or how can.”
[12:29] 94 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
[12:29] 95 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
[12:30] 96 sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.
[12:30] 97 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
[12:31] 98 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
[12:32] 99 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
[12:32] 100 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
[12:33] 101 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[12:35] 102 tn The Greek text reads here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person.
[12:35] 103 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“his evil treasury”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
[12:35] 104 sn The treasury here is a metaphorical reference to a person’s heart (cf. BDAG 456 s.v. θησαυρός 1.b and the parallel passage in Luke 6:45).
[12:36] 105 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:38] 106 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[12:38] 107 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.
[12:38] 108 tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
[12:38] 109 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[12:39] 110 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[12:40] 111 tn Grk “large sea creature.”
[12:40] 112 sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.
[12:41] 113 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[12:41] 114 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[12:42] 116 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
[12:43] 118 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:43] 119 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
[12:43] 120 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
[12:43] 121 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
[12:43] 122 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[12:44] 123 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
[12:44] 125 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
[12:44] 126 sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
[12:45] 127 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
[12:46] 128 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:46] 129 tn Grk “crowds, behold, his mother.” 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).
[12:46] 130 sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.
[12:46] 131 tn “His mother and brothers came and” is a translation of “behold, his mother and brothers came.”
[12:47] 133 tc A few ancient
[12:47] 134 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:48] 136 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:48] 137 tn Grk “And answering, he said to the one who had said this.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) at the beginning of the clause has not been translated.
[12:49] 138 tn Grk “extending his hand.”
[12:49] 139 tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”
[12:50] 140 tn The pleonastic pronoun αὐτός (autos, “he”) which precedes this verb has not been translated.
[13:2] 141 tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
[13:3] 142 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:3] 143 sn Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. the remainder of chapter 13), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.
[13:3] 145 sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable, drawn from a typical scene in the Palestinian countryside, is a field through which a well-worn path runs. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots (Isa 55:10-11). The point of the parable of the sower is to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God.
[13:4] 146 tn In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 (ἅ…αὐτά [Ja…auta]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [epesen]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).
[13:5] 147 tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:5] 148 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
[13:5] 149 tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”
[13:7] 150 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
[13:7] 151 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
[13:9] 152 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).
[13:10] 153 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[13:11] 154 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.
[13:11] 155 tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).
[13:11] 156 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.
[13:11] 157 tn Grk “the mysteries.”
[13:12] 158 sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.
[13:14] 159 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
[13:14] 160 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
[13:15] 161 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
[13:16] 162 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
[13:17] 163 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.”
[13:17] 164 sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.
[13:19] 165 sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Mark 4:15 has “Satan,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.
[13:19] 166 sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.
[13:20] 167 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:20] 168 tn Grk “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one.” The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.
[13:21] 169 tn Grk “is temporary.”
[13:21] 170 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 171 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 172 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
[13:22] 173 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
[13:23] 174 tn The Greek is difficult to translate because it switches from a generic “he” to three people within this generic class (thus, something like: “Who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one instance a hundred times, in another, sixty times, in another, thirty times”).
[13:24] 175 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:25] 176 tn Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).
[13:26] 177 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:27] 178 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[13:28] 179 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
[13:30] 180 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:30] 182 tn Grk “burned, but gather.”
[13:31] 183 tn Grk “put before.”
[13:31] 184 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:31] 185 sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
[13:32] 186 sn This is rhetorical hyperbole, since technically a mustard plant is not a tree. This could refer to one of two types of mustard plant popular in Palestine and would be either ten or twenty-five ft (3 or 7.5 m) tall.
[13:32] 187 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[13:32] 188 sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.
[13:33] 190 sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” Three of these was a very large quantity of flour, since a saton is a little over 16 pounds (7 kg) of dry measure (or 13.13 liters). So this was over 47 lbs (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.
[13:33] 191 tn Grk “it was all leavened.”
[13:35] 192 tc A few important
[13:35] 193 sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
[13:37] 194 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:38] 195 tn Grk “the sons of the kingdom.” This idiom refers to people who should properly be, or were traditionally regarded as, a part of God’s kingdom. L&N 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”
[13:38] 196 tn Grk “the sons of the evil one.” See the preceding note on the phrase “people of the kingdom” earlier in this verse, which is the opposite of this phrase. See also L&N 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.
[13:40] 197 tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[13:41] 198 tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
[13:42] 199 sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.
[13:43] 200 sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
[13:43] 201 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, 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
[13:50] 202 sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
[13:52] 203 tn Or “every scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4. It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the author, Matthew, to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe [JSNTSup].
[13:53] 204 tn Grk “Now it happened that when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
