Matthew 9:10-13

9:10 As ¹  Jesus ²  was having a meal ³  in Matthew’s ⁴  house, many tax collectors ⁵  and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees ⁶  saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ⁷  9:12 When ⁸  Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ⁹  9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ ¹⁰  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

[9:10]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ³ tn Grk “was reclining at table.”

[9:10]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[9:11]  ⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[9:11]  ⁷ sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.

[9:12]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:12]  ⁹ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.

[9:13]  ¹⁰ sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).