Discovery BoxMatthew 21:18--22:46
Context21:18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 21:19 After noticing a fig tree 1 by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once. 21:20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21:21 Jesus 2 answered them, “I tell you the truth, 3 if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, 4 you will receive.”
21:23 Now after Jesus 5 entered the temple courts, 6 the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority 7 are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus 8 answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” 9 They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 21:26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.” 21:27 So 10 they answered Jesus, 11 “We don’t know.” 12 Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you 13 by what authority 14 I am doing these things.
21:28 “What 15 do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 21:29 The boy answered, 16 ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart 17 and went. 21:30 The father 18 went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, 19 ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” 20 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 21 tax collectors 22 and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although 23 you saw this, you did not later change your minds 24 and believe him.
21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner 25 who planted a vineyard. 26 He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then 27 he leased it to tenant farmers 28 and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves 29 to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 30 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, 31 killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, 32 saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39 So 33 they seized him, 34 threw him out of the vineyard, 35 and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 36
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 37
21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people 38 who will produce its fruit. 21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” 39 21:45 When 40 the chief priests and the Pharisees 41 heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds 42 regarded him as a prophet.
22:1 Jesus spoke 43 to them again in parables, saying: 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 22:3 He sent his slaves 44 to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 22:4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. 45 My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 22:5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 22:6 The 46 rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 22:7 The 47 king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death 48 and set their city 49 on fire. 22:8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 22:9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 22:10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 22:11 But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 22:12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say. 50 22:13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
22:15 Then the Pharisees 51 went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. 52 22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, 53 saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 54 You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. 55 22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right 56 to pay taxes 57 to Caesar 58 or not?”
22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 22:19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” So 59 they brought him a denarius. 60 22:20 Jesus 61 said to them, “Whose image 62 is this, and whose inscription?” 22:21 They replied, 63 “Caesar’s.” He said to them, 64 “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 65 22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned, 66 and they left him and went away.
22:23 The same day Sadducees 67 (who say there is no resurrection) 68 came to him and asked him, 69 22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children 70 for his brother.’ 71 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. 22:26 The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. 22:27 Last 72 of all, the woman died. 22:28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” 73 22:29 Jesus 74 answered them, “You are deceived, 75 because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God. 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels 76 in heaven. 22:31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, 77 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 78 He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” 79 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
22:34 Now when the Pharisees 80 heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, 81 they assembled together. 82 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, 83 asked him a question to test 84 him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 85 22:37 Jesus 86 said to him, “‘Love 87 the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 88 22:38 This is the first and greatest 89 commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 90 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend 91 on these two commandments.”
22:41 While 92 the Pharisees 93 were assembled, Jesus asked them a question: 94 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ? 95 Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.” 96 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,
22:44 ‘The Lord said to my lord, 97
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 98
22:45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 99 22:46 No one 100 was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.
[21:19] 1 tn Grk “one fig tree.”
[21:21] 2 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[21:21] 3 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[21:22] 4 tn Grk “believing”; the participle here is conditional.
[21:23] 6 tn Grk “the temple.”
[21:23] 7 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.1
[21:24] 8 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:25] 9 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).
[21:27] 10 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.
[21:27] 11 tn Grk “answering Jesus, they said.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[21:27] 12 sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Matt 21:23-27 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question, they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
[21:27] 13 sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
[21:27] 14 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 23.
[21:28] 15 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:29] 16 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:29] 17 tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.
[21:30] 18 tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:30] 19 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:31] 20 tc Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex and difficult textual problem. The variants cluster into three different groups: (1) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. The second son is called the one who does his father’s will. This reading is found in the Western
[21:31] 21 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[21:31] 22 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[21:32] 23 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:32] 24 sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.
[21:33] 25 tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
[21:33] 26 sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.
[21:33] 27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[21:33] 28 sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.
[21:34] 29 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[21:34] 30 tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”
[21:35] 31 sn The image of the tenants mistreating the owner’s slaves pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.
[21:37] 32 sn The owner’s decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.
[21:39] 33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.
[21:39] 34 tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.
[21:39] 35 sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.
[21:42] 36 tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.
[21:42] 37 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
[21:43] 38 tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).
[21:44] 39 tc A few witnesses, especially of the Western text (D 33 it sys Or Eussyr), do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in א B C L W Z (Θ) 0102 Ë1,13 Ï lat syc,p,h co and should be included as authentic.
[21:45] 40 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[21:45] 41 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[21:46] 42 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowds) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Both previous occurrences of “they” in this verse refer to the chief priests and the Pharisees.
[22:1] 43 tn Grk “And answering again, Jesus spoke.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[22:3] 44 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[22:4] 45 tn Grk “Behold, I have prepared my dinner.” In some contexts, however, to translate ἄριστον (ariston) as “dinner” somewhat misses the point. L&N 23.22 here suggests, “See now, the feast I have prepared (for you is ready).”
[22:6] 46 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:7] 47 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:7] 48 tn Grk “he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers.” The verb ἀπώλεσεν (apwlesen) is causative, indicating that the king was the one behind the execution of the murderers. In English the causative idea is not expressed naturally here; either a purpose clause (“he sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death”) or a relative clause (“he sent his soldier who put those murderers to death”) is preferred.
[22:7] 49 tn The Greek text reads here πόλις (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem, so “city” is more appropriate here.
[22:12] 50 tn Grk “he was silent.”
[22:15] 51 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:15] 52 tn Grk “trap him in word.”
[22:16] 53 sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some
[22:16] 54 sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.
[22:16] 55 tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
[22:17] 56 tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.
[22:17] 57 tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.
[22:17] 58 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
[22:19] 59 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.
[22:19] 60 tn Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. In other places δηνάριον (dhnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note.
[22:20] 61 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[22:20] 62 tn Or “whose likeness.”
[22:21] 63 tn Grk “they said to him.”
[22:21] 64 tn Grk “then he said to them.” τότε (tote) has not been translated to avoid redundancy.
[22:21] 65 sn Jesus’ answer to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s was a both/and, not the questioners’ either/or. So he slipped out of their trap.
[22:22] 66 tn Grk “they were amazed; they marveled.”
[22:23] 67 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[22:23] 68 sn This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the author.
[22:23] 69 tn Grk “and asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:24] 70 tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).
[22:24] 71 sn A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1-12; Mishnah, m. Yevamot; Josephus, Ant. 4.8.23 [4.254-256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5-10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.
[22:27] 72 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:28] 73 tn Grk “For all had her.”
[22:29] 74 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[22:29] 75 tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).
[22:30] 76 tc Most witnesses have “of God” after “angels,” although some
[22:31] 77 tn Grk “spoken to you by God, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:32] 78 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6.
[22:32] 79 sn He is not God of the dead but of the living. Jesus’ point was that if God could identify himself as God of the three old patriarchs, then they must still be alive when God spoke to Moses; and so they must be raised.
[22:34] 80 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:34] 81 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[22:34] 82 tn Grk “for the same.” That is, for the same purpose that the Sadducees had of testing Jesus.
[22:35] 83 tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.
[22:35] 84 tn Grk “testing.” The participle, however, is telic in force.
[22:36] 85 tn Or possibly “What sort of commandment in the law is great?”
[22:37] 86 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:37] 87 tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).
[22:37] 88 sn A quotation from Deut 6:5. The threefold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.
[22:38] 89 tn Grk “the great and first.”
[22:39] 90 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[22:40] 91 tn Grk “hang.” The verb κρεμάννυμι (kremannumi) is used here with a figurative meaning (cf. BDAG 566 s.v. 2.b).
[22:41] 92 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:41] 93 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:41] 94 tn Grk “asked them a question, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:42] 95 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[22:42] 96 sn It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be the son of David in that he would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, he is both God and man.
[22:44] 97 sn The Lord said to my Lord. With David being the speaker, this indicates his respect for his descendant (referred to as my Lord). Jesus was arguing, as the ancient exposition assumed, that the passage is about the Lord’s anointed. The passage looks at an enthronement of this figure and a declaration of honor for him as he takes his place at the side of God. In Jerusalem, the king’s palace was located to the right of the temple to indicate this kind of relationship. Jesus was pressing the language here to get his opponents to reflect on how great Messiah is.
[22:44] 98 sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.
