Matthew 6:19

Lasting Treasure

6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth ¹  and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

Matthew 12:2

12:2 But when the Pharisees ²  saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.”

Matthew 12:5

12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?

Matthew 13:2

13:2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while ³  the whole crowd stood on the shore.

Matthew 23:4

23:4 They ⁴  tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.

Matthew 23:18

23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. ⁵  But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’

Matthew 26:7

26:7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar ⁶  of expensive perfumed oil, ⁷  and she poured it on his head as he was at the table. ⁸ 

Matthew 26:17

The Passover

26:17 Now on the first day of the feast of ⁹  Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said, ¹⁰  “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹¹ 

[6:19]  ¹ tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.

[12:2]  ² sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[13:2]  ³ tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.

[23:4]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”

[26:7]  ⁶ sn A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used.

[26:7]  ⁷ tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205).

[26:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “as he was reclining at table.”

[26:17]  ⁷ tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[26:17]  ⁸ tn Grk “the disciples came to Jesus, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.

[26:17]  ⁹ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 26:20). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.