Discovery BoxMatthew 17:1
Context17:1 Six days later 1 Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, 2 and led them privately up a high mountain.
Matthew 2:1-23
Context2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem 3 in Judea, in the time 4 of King Herod, 5 wise men 6 from the East came to Jerusalem 7 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose 8 and have come to worship him.” 2:3 When King Herod 9 heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 2:4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, 10 he asked them where the Christ 11 was to be born. 2:5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:
2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 12
2:7 Then Herod 13 privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He 14 sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again 15 the star they saw when it rose 16 led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. 17 2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down 18 and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, 19 and myrrh. 20 2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 21 they went back by another route to their own country.
2:13 After they had gone, an 22 angel of the Lord 23 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 24 is going to look for the child to kill him.” 2:14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during 25 the night, and went to Egypt. 2:15 He stayed there until Herod 26 died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 27
2:16 When Herod 28 saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men 29 to kill all the children in Bethlehem 30 and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing, 31
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted, because they were 32 gone.” 33
2:19 After Herod 34 had died, an 35 angel of the Lord 36 appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 2:20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 2:21 So 37 he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus 38 was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, 39 he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. 2:23 He came to a town called Nazareth 40 and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus 41 would be called a Nazarene. 42
Matthew 13:1-58
Context13:1 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 43 the whole crowd stood on the shore. 13:3 He 44 told them many things in parables, 45 saying: “Listen! 46 A sower went out to sow. 47 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds 48 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other 49 seeds fell on rocky ground 50 where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 51 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, 52 and they grew up and choked them. 53 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!” 54
13:10 Then 55 the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, 56 “You have been given 57 the opportunity to know 58 the secrets 59 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. 60 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 61 yet will never understand,
you will look closely 62 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.’ 63
13:16 “But your eyes are blessed 64 because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 For I tell you the truth, 65 many prophets and righteous people longed to see 66 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 67 comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; 68 this is the seed sown along the path. 13:20 The 69 seed sown on rocky ground 70 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; 71 when 72 trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 The 73 seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth 74 choke the word, 75 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.” 76
13:24 He presented them with another parable: 77 “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 78 among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When 79 the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves 80 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 81 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 82 harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then 83 gather 84 the wheat into my barn.”’”
13:31 He gave 85 them another parable: 86 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed 87 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, 88 so that the wild birds 89 come and nest in its branches.” 90
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with 91 three measures 92 of flour until all the dough had risen.” 93
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: 94
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 95
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 96 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 97 of the kingdom. The weeds are the people 98 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 99 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. 100 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, 101 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. 102 The one who has ears had better listen! 103
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, 104 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 105 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 106 Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there. 13:54 Then 107 he came to his hometown 108 and began to teach the people 109 in their synagogue. 110 They 111 were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? 13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? 112 And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 13:56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?” 113 13:57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
[17:1] 1 tn Grk “And after six days.”
[17:1] 2 tn Grk “John his brother” with “his” referring to James.
[2:1] 3 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[2:1] 5 sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37
[2:1] 6 sn The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).
[2:1] 7 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:2] 5 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).
[2:3] 7 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:4] 9 tn Or “and scribes of the people.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
[2:4] 10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[2:6] 11 sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.
[2:7] 13 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:8] 15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[2:9] 17 tn Grk “and behold the star.”
[2:9] 18 tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.
[2:10] 19 tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”
[2:11] 21 tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
[2:11] 22 sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).
[2:11] 23 sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.
[2:12] 23 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:13] 25 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).
[2:13] 26 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.
[2:13] 27 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.
[2:14] 27 tn The feminine singular genitive noun νυκτός (nuktos, “night”) indicates the time during which the action of the main verb takes place (ExSyn 124).
[2:15] 29 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:15] 30 sn A quotation from Hos 11:1.
[2:16] 31 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
[2:16] 33 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[2:18] 33 tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later
[2:18] 34 tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
[2:18] 35 sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.
[2:19] 35 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4
[2:19] 36 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).
[2:19] 37 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.
[2:21] 37 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s instructions.
[2:22] 39 sn Archelaus took after his father Herod the Great in terms of cruelty and ruthlessness, so Joseph was afraid to go there. After further direction in a dream, he went instead to Galilee.
[2:22] 40 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
[2:23] 41 sn Nazareth was a very small village in the region of Galilee (Galilee lay north of Samaria and Judea). The town was located about 15 mi (25 km) west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee. According to Luke 1:26, Mary was living in Nazareth when the birth of Jesus was announced to her.
[2:23] 42 tn There is no expressed subject of the third person singular verb here; the pronoun “he” is implied. Instead of this pronoun the referent “Jesus” has been supplied in the text to clarify to whom this statement refers.
[2:23] 43 tn The Greek could be indirect discourse (as in the text), or direct discourse (“he will be called a Nazarene”). Judging by the difficulty of finding OT quotations (as implied in the plural “prophets”) to match the wording here, it appears that the author was using a current expression of scorn that conceptually (but not verbally) found its roots in the OT.
[13:2] 43 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] 45 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:3] 46 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] 48 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] 47 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] 49 tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:5] 50 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
[13:5] 51 tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”
[13:7] 51 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
[13:7] 52 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
[13:9] 53 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] 55 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[13:11] 57 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] 58 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] 59 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] 60 tn Grk “the mysteries.”
[13:12] 59 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] 61 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
[13:14] 62 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
[13:15] 63 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] 65 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
[13:17] 67 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.”
[13:17] 68 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] 69 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] 70 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] 71 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:20] 72 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] 73 tn Grk “is temporary.”
[13:21] 74 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 75 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:22] 76 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
[13:22] 77 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
[13:23] 77 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] 79 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:25] 81 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] 83 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[13:27] 85 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[13:28] 87 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
[13:30] 89 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[13:30] 91 tn Grk “burned, but gather.”
[13:31] 91 tn Grk “put before.”
[13:31] 92 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
[13:31] 93 sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.
[13:32] 93 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] 94 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] 95 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] 96 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] 97 tn Grk “it was all leavened.”
[13:35] 97 tc A few important
[13:35] 98 sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.
[13:37] 99 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] 101 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] 102 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] 103 tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[13:41] 105 tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”
[13:42] 107 sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.
[13:43] 109 sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.
[13:43] 110 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] 111 sn An allusion to Dan 3:6.
[13:52] 113 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] 115 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.
[13:54] 117 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
[13:54] 118 sn Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.
[13:54] 119 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:54] 120 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.
[13:54] 121 tn Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here ὥστε (Jwste) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.
[13:55] 119 sn The reference to Jesus as the carpenter’s son is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to his mother…Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1-2; John 4:41; 8:41; 9:29).
