Matthew 20:20-21

A Request for James and John

20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. ¹  20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ²  “Permit ³  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ⁴  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

John 2:3-4

2:3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” ⁵  2:4 Jesus replied, ⁶  “Woman, ⁷  why are you saying this to me? ⁸  My time ⁹  has not yet come.”

[20:20]  ¹ tn Grk “asked something from him.”

[20:21]  ² tn Grk “said to him.”

[20:21]  ³ tn Grk “Say that.”

[20:21]  ⁴ tc A majority of witnesses read σου (sou, “your”) here, perhaps for clarification. At the same time, it is possible that the pronoun dropped out through haplography or was excised because of perceived redundancy (there are two other such pronouns in the verse) by א B. Either way, the translation adds it due to the requirements of English style. NA²⁷ includes σου here.

[2:3]  ⁵ tn The word “left” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[2:4]  ⁶ tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”

[2:4]  ⁷ sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the “Son of Man.” This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is “given” to Mary as her “new” son.

[2:4]  ⁸ tn Grk “Woman, what to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).