Matthew 5:46
Context5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors 1 do the same, don’t they?
Matthew 9:10
Context9:10 As 2 Jesus 3 was having a meal 4 in Matthew’s 5 house, many tax collectors 6 and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.
Matthew 21:32
Context21:32 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 7 you saw this, you did not later change your minds 8 and believe him.
Matthew 21:31
Context21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” 9 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 10 tax collectors 11 and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!


[5:46] 1 sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.
[9:10] 2 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[9:10] 3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 4 tn Grk “was reclining at table.”
[9:10] 5 tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 6 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
[21:32] 3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[21:32] 4 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.
[21:31] 4 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