Matthew 20:17-19

Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, ¹  he took the twelve ²  aside privately and said to them on the way, 20:18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. ³  They will condemn him to death, 20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely ⁴  and crucified. ⁵  Yet ⁶  on the third day, he will be raised.”

Luke 18:31-34

Another Prediction of Jesus’ Passion

18:31 Then ⁷  Jesus ⁸  took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, ⁹  and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ¹⁰  18:32 For he will be handed over ¹¹  to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, ¹²  mistreated, ¹³  and spat on. ¹⁴  18:33 They will flog him severely ¹⁵  and kill him. Yet ¹⁶  on the third day he will rise again.” 18:34 But ¹⁷  the twelve ¹⁸  understood none of these things. This ¹⁹  saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp ²⁰  what Jesus meant. ²¹ 

[20:17]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:17]  ² tc ‡ A number of significant witnesses (e.g., B C W 085 33 lat) have μαθητάς (maqhtas, “disciples”) after δώδεκα (dwdeka, “twelve”), perhaps by way of clarification, while other important witnesses lack the word (e.g., א D L Θ Ë^1,13). The longer reading looks to be a scribal clarification, and hence is considered to be secondary. NA²⁷ puts the word in brackets to show doubts about its authenticity.

[20:18]  ³ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[20:19]  ⁴ tn Traditionally, “scourged” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “The ‘verberatio’ is denoted in the passion predictions and explicitly as action by non-Israelites Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33”; the verberatio was the beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system. Here the term μαστιγόω (mastigow) has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.

[20:19]  ⁵ sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63-66 §§163-70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.

[20:19]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[18:31]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[18:31]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:31]  ⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[18:31]  ¹⁰ tn Or “fulfilled.” Jesus goes to Jerusalem by divine plan as the scripture records (Luke 2:39; 12:50; 22:37; Acts 13:29). See Luke 9:22, 44.

[18:32]  ¹¹ sn The passive voice verb be handed over does not indicate by whom, but other passages note the Jewish leadership and betrayal (9:22, 44).

[18:32]  ¹² sn See Luke 22:63; 23:11, 36.

[18:32]  ¹³ tn Or “and insulted.” L&N 33.390 and 88.130 note ὑβρίζω (Jubrizw) can mean either “insult” or “mistreat with insolence.”

[18:32]  ¹⁴ sn And spat on. Later Luke does not note this detail in the passion narrative in chaps. 22-23, but see Mark 14:65; 15:19; Matt 26:67; 27:30 where Jesus’ prediction is fulfilled.

[18:33]  ¹⁵ tn Traditionally, “scourge” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1. states, “Of the beating (Lat. verberatio) given those condemned to death…J 19:1; cf. Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33.” Here the term has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.

[18:33]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[18:34]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.

[18:34]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the twelve, v. 31) has been specified in the context for clarity.

[18:34]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “And this.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[18:34]  ²⁰ sn This failure of the Twelve to grasp what Jesus meant probably does not mean that they did not understand linguistically what Jesus said, but that they could not comprehend how this could happen to him, if he was really God’s agent. The saying being hidden probably refers to God’s sovereign timing.

[18:34]  ²¹ tn Grk “the things having been said.” The active agent, Jesus, has been specified for clarity, and “said” has been translated as “meant” to indicate that comprehension of the significance is really in view here.