Matthew 26:20-22

26:20 When ¹  it was evening, he took his place at the table ²  with the twelve. ³  26:21 And while they were eating he said, “I tell you the truth, ⁴  one of you will betray me.” ⁵  26:22 They ⁶  became greatly distressed ⁷  and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

[26:20]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:20]  ² tn Grk “he was reclining at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[26:20]  ³ tc Many witnesses, some of them important, have μαθητῶν (maqhtwn, “disciples”; א A L W Δ Θ 33 892 1241 1424 pm lat) or μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ (maqhtwn autou, “his disciples”; 0281 pc it) after δώδεκα (dwdeka, “twelve”). However, such clarifications are typical scribal expansions to the text. Further, the shorter reading (the one that ends with δώδεκα) has strong support in Ì^37vid,45vid B D K Γ Ë^1,13 565 579 700 pm. Thus both internally and externally the reading that ends the verse with “the twelve” is to be preferred.

[26:21]  ⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[26:21]  ⁵ tn Or “will hand me over.”

[26:22]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[26:22]  ⁸ tn The participle λυπούμενοι (lupoumenoi) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.