Matthew 26:20-29

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?” 26:23 He ⁸  answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me ⁹  will betray me. 26:24 The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.” 26:25 Then ¹⁰  Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus ¹¹  replied, “You have said it yourself.”

The Lord’s Supper

26:26 While ¹²  they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 26:27 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 26:28 for this is my blood, the blood ¹³  of the covenant, ¹⁴  that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 26:29 I ¹⁵  tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit ¹⁶  of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

[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]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[26:22]  ⁷ tn The participle λυπούμενοι (lupoumenoi) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.

[26:23]  ⁸ tn Grk “answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:23]  ⁹ sn The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me. The point of Jesus’ comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him – somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas’ betrayal.

[26:25]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “answering, Judas.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to reflect the sequence of events in the narrative.

[26:25]  ¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:26]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:28]  ¹³ tn Grk “for this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many.” In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies “blood” twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies “blood,” not “covenant.”

[26:28]  ¹⁴ tc Although most witnesses read καινῆς (kainhs, “new”) here, this is evidently motivated by the parallel in Luke 22:20. Apart from the possibility of homoioteleuton, there is no good reason for the shorter reading to have arisen later on. But since it is found in such good and diverse witnesses (e.g., Ì^37,45vid א B L Z Θ 0298^vid 33 pc mae), the likelihood of homoioteleuton becomes rather remote.

[26:29]  ¹⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:29]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “produce” (“the produce of the vine” is a figurative expression for wine).