Discovery BoxMatthew 12:22--13:53
Context12:22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus 1 healed him so that he could speak and see. 2 12:23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees 3 heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, 4 the ruler 5 of demons!” 12:25 Now when Jesus 6 realized what they were thinking, he said to them, 7 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 8 and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if 9 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 10 cast them 11 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 12 has already overtaken 13 you. 12:29 How 14 else can someone enter a strong man’s 15 house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. 16 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, 17 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 18 12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, 19 but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. 20 But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 21 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 22 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 23 brings good things out of his 24 good treasury, 25 and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 12:36 I 26 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 27 along with some Pharisees 28 answered him, 29 “Teacher, we want to see a sign 30 from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, 31 “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 32 for three days and three nights, 33 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people 34 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 35 – and now, 36 something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South 37 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, 38 something greater than Solomon is here!
12:43 “When 39 an unclean spirit 40 goes out of a person, 41 it passes through waterless places 42 looking for rest but 43 does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 44 When it returns, 45 it finds the house 46 empty, swept clean, and put in order. 47 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 48 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 49 was still speaking to the crowds, 50 his mother and brothers 51 came and 52 stood outside, asking 53 to speak to him. 12:47 54 Someone 55 told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting 56 to speak to you.” 12:48 To the one who had said this, Jesus 57 replied, 58 “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 12:49 And pointing 59 toward his disciples he said, “Here 60 are my mother and my brothers! 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is 61 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 62 the whole crowd stood on the shore. 13:3 He 63 told them many things in parables, 64 saying: “Listen! 65 A sower went out to sow. 66 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds 67 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other 68 seeds fell on rocky ground 69 where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 70 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, 71 and they grew up and choked them. 72 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!” 73
13:10 Then 74 the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, 75 “You have been given 76 the opportunity to know 77 the secrets 78 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. 79 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 80 yet will never understand,
you will look closely 81 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.’ 82
13:16 “But your eyes are blessed 83 because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 For I tell you the truth, 84 many prophets and righteous people longed to see 85 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 86 comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; 87 this is the seed sown along the path. 13:20 The 88 seed sown on rocky ground 89 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; 90 when 91 trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 The 92 seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth 93 choke the word, 94 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.” 95
13:24 He presented them with another parable: 96 “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 97 among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When 98 the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves 99 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 100 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 101 harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then 102 gather 103 the wheat into my barn.”’”
13:31 He gave 104 them another parable: 105 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed 106 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, 107 so that the wild birds 108 come and nest in its branches.” 109
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with 110 three measures 111 of flour until all the dough had risen.” 112
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: 113
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 114
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 115 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 116 of the kingdom. The weeds are the people 117 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 118 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. 119 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, 120 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. 121 The one who has ears had better listen! 122
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, 123 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 124 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 125 Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.
[12:22] 1 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:22] 2 tn Grk “demoniac, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
[12:24] 3 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:24] 4 tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”
[12:25] 6 tc The majority of
[12:25] 7 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] 8 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
[12:26] 9 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] 10 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] 11 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] 12 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] 13 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] 14 tn Grk “Or how can.”
[12:29] 15 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
[12:29] 16 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] 17 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] 18 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
[12:31] 19 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
[12:32] 20 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
[12:32] 21 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
[12:33] 22 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[12:35] 23 tn The Greek text reads here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person.
[12:35] 24 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] 25 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] 26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:38] 27 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[12:38] 28 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.
[12:38] 29 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] 30 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] 31 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[12:40] 32 tn Grk “large sea creature.”
[12:40] 33 sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.
[12:41] 34 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] 35 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[12:42] 37 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] 39 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:43] 40 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
[12:43] 41 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] 42 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] 43 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[12:44] 44 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
[12:44] 46 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
[12:44] 47 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] 48 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
[12:46] 49 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:46] 50 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] 51 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] 52 tn “His mother and brothers came and” is a translation of “behold, his mother and brothers came.”
[12:47] 54 tc A few ancient
[12:47] 55 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:48] 57 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:48] 58 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] 59 tn Grk “extending his hand.”
[12:49] 60 tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”
[12:50] 61 tn The pleonastic pronoun αὐτός (autos, “he”) which precedes this verb has not been translated.
[13:2] 62 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] 63 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:3] 64 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] 66 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] 67 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] 68 tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:5] 69 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
[13:5] 70 tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”
[13:7] 71 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
[13:7] 72 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
[13:9] 73 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] 74 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[13:11] 75 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] 76 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] 77 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] 78 tn Grk “the mysteries.”
[13:12] 79 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] 80 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
[13:14] 81 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
[13:15] 82 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] 83 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
[13:17] 84 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.”
[13:17] 85 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] 86 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] 87 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] 88 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:20] 89 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] 90 tn Grk “is temporary.”
[13:21] 91 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 92 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 93 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
[13:22] 94 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
[13:23] 95 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] 96 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:25] 97 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] 98 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:27] 99 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[13:28] 100 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
[13:30] 101 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:30] 103 tn Grk “burned, but gather.”
[13:31] 104 tn Grk “put before.”
[13:31] 105 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:31] 106 sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
[13:32] 107 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] 108 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] 109 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] 111 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] 112 tn Grk “it was all leavened.”
[13:35] 113 tc A few important
[13:35] 114 sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
[13:37] 115 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] 116 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] 117 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] 118 tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[13:41] 119 tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
[13:42] 120 sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.
[13:43] 121 sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
[13:43] 122 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] 123 sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
[13:52] 124 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] 125 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.
