The Book of Matthew

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Jesus’ Genealogy

1. The genealogy scroll of Jesus the Anointed;¹Most translations say “Jesus Christ” here. Contrary to popular belief, “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name; it’s a descriptive title. “Christ” is a transliteration of the Greek word “Χριστός” (Christos), with “Christ” being the Greek word and the “os” ending indicating its function in the sentence. Christ(os) literally means “anointed one” or “one who has been anointed”. the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2. Abraham fathered Isaac. And Isaac fathered Jacob. And Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.
3. And Judah fathered Perez and Zerah from Tamar. And Perez fathered Hezron. And Hezron fathered Ram.
4. And Ram fathered Amminadab. And Amminadab fathered Nahshon. And Nahshon fathered Salmon.
5. And Salmon fathered Boaz from Rahab. And Boaz fathered Obed from Ruth. And Obed fathered Jesse.
6. And Jesse fathered David the king. And David fathered Solomon from the widow of Uriah.
7. And Solomon fathered Rehoboam. And Rehoboam fathered Abijah. And Abijah fathered Asa.
8. And Asa fathered Jehoshaphat. And Jehoshaphat fathered Joram. And Joram fathered Uzziah.
9. And Uzziah fathered Jotham. And Jotham fathered Ahaz. And Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.
10. And Hezekiah fathered Manasseh. And Manasseh fathered Amos. And Amos fathered Josiah.
11. And Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers before the deportation to Babylon.
12. And after the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel. And Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel.
13. And Zerubbabel fathered Abiud. And Abiud fathered Eliakim. And Eliakim fathered Azor.
14. And Azor fathered Zadok. And Zadok fathered Achim. And Achim fathered Eliud.
15. And Eliud fathered Eleazar. And Eleazar fathered Matthan. And Matthan fathered Jacob.
16. And Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, the One being called “the Anointed”.
17. Therefore, all the generations from Abraham until David were 14 generations. And from David until the deportation to Babylon were 14 generations. And from the deportation to Babylon until the Anointed were 14 generations.

Jesus’ Conception and Birth

18. Now, the birth of Jesus the Anointed was like this: having been betrothed to Joseph, His mother Mary was found having a child in her womb from the Holy Spirit before they came together.
19. Yet Joseph her husband – being righteous and not wishing to publicly disgrace her – resolved to send her away secretly.
20. And having been greatly troubled²“having been greatly troubled” is a single word in Greek. This difficult to translate word literally means being in a state of passionate response/thinking, typically producing inner turmoil. by these things, behold; an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying; “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child which was conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21. “And she will bear a son, and you will call His name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.
22. “And all this has happened so it might be fulfilled, what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23. “Behold! The virgin will carry a child in her womb and will bear a son. And they will call His name Immanuel;”³quotation/allusion to Isaiah 7:14 which is translated: “God with us”.
24. And having been woken from his sleep, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took her as his wife.
25. Also, he wasn’t knowing her intimately until she gave birth to a son, and he called His name Jesus.

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The Magi Visit

1. Now, Jesus was born in Bethlehem¹the Hebrew word “Bethlehem” translates as “house of bread”, aka: a bakery. God arranged it so the bread of life (Jesus) was born in a town named “bakery”. of Judea in the days of Herod the king. And Behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem
2. saying: “Where is the One who was born King of the Jews? For we perceived His star in the east and came to bow down at His feet.”²“bow down at… …feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”. It comes from the Greek words: “pros” (meaning “towards”) and “kyneo” (meaning “to kiss”). It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure. Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered.
3. And having heard this, King Herod was perplexed and deeply shaken,³“perplexed and deeply shaken” is a single word in Greek, with that exact definition. and all Jerusalem with him.
4. And having gathered all the chief priests and scribes⁴“scribes” In the New Testament, this Greek word is typically applied to those learned in the Mosaic Law. of the people, he was asking them where the Anointed is born.
5. And they answered him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for it’s *written through the prophet this way:
6. “And you Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah. For He will go out from you leading; He who will shepherd My people Israel.”⁵quotation/allusion to Micah 5:2
7. Then having secretly called the Magi, Herod learned from them the precise time of the star’s appearing.
   
8. And having sent them to Bethlehem, he said; “Having traveled there, search carefully for the young child. And as soon as you find Him, report back to me so that having come, I also might bow down at His feet.”⁶“bow down at… …feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”. It comes from the Greek words: “pros” (meaning “towards”) and “kyneo” (meaning “to kiss”). It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure. Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered.
9. And they listened to the king and traveled there.  And behold, the star which they saw in the east was going before them until it arrived; then it stood over where the child was.
10. And having seen the star, they rejoiced with extremely great joy.
11. And having gone into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother. And having fallen down they bowed low at His feet.⁷“bowed low at… …feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”. It comes from the Greek words: “pros” (meaning “towards”) and “kyneo” (meaning “to kiss”). It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure. Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered. And having opened their store of treasures, they offered Him gifts of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12. And having been divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their land by another way.

The Escape to Egypt

13. Now, after they left, behold; an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph saying, “After waking up, take the child and His mother and flee to Egypt and live there until I tell you, for Herod intends to seek the child to kill Him.”
14. And having been woken, he took the child and His mother by night and fled into Egypt.
15. And he was living there until the death of Herod so it might be fulfilled, what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying; “I called My son out of Egypt.”⁸quotation/allusion to Hosea 11:1

Herod’s wrath

16. Then Herod – having seen that he was mocked by the Magi – was greatly enraged.  And having sent orders, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem and all in its districts, from two years old and under according to the precise time that he learned from the Magi.
17. Then it was fulfilled: what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, saying;
18. “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and much wailing, it’s Rachel weeping for her children and she wasn’t wanting to be comforted, because they are no more.”⁹quotation/allusion to Jeremiah 31:15
19. Now, when Herod died, behold; an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20. saying: “After waking up, take the child and His mother and travel into the land of Israel, for the men seeking the life of the child have died.
21. And having been woken, he took the child and His mother and entered into the land of Israel.
22. But having heard that Archelaus is reigning as king over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was frightened to go there. And having been divinely warned in a dream, he departed into the regions of Galilee.
23. And having arrived, he settled down in a city called Nazareth so what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, that He will be called a Nazarene.¹⁰quotation/allusion to Isaiah 11:1 “Nazarene” refers to the inhabitants of the town of Nazareth, which likely takes it’s name from the Hebrew word “Netzer”. Netzer refers to a shoot that springs up from a stump and thus this is likely a reference to Isaiah 11:1, which foretells that the Messiah will be a “netzer” from the trunk of Jesse (David’s father). Thus, in this sense Jesus was a “netzer-ene” (Nazarene, with “ene” indicating origin; thus originating from a netzer.)

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John The Baptizer

1. Then in those days, John the Baptizer comes preaching in the desert of Judea
2. and saying: “Repent!¹“Repent” this Greek word doesn’t speak of remorse or guilt for wrong actions. Rather, it literally means to “think differently after” or to “reconsider”, with an assumed change in behavior. To both the Hebrews and 1st century Greeks/Romans, a change in mind was synonymous with a change in behavior; you couldn’t have the first without the second. for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.”
3. For this is the man spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, saying; “The voice urgently pleading in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”²quotation/allusion to Isaiah 40:3
4. And John himself was wearing his robe made from camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist,³quotation/allusion to 2 Kings 1:8, which describes the prophet Elijah as “a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist”. and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5. At that time, Jerusalem was going out to him; and all Judea, and all the region neighboring the Jordan.
6. And they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River and openly confessing their sins.
7. And having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them; “You offspring of serpents!⁴“You offspring of serpents!” This isn’t mere name calling. Satan is always represented as a serpent. Therefore, calling them the “offspring of serpents” is akin to saying they are Satan’s children/followers. Further, this understanding makes John’s comment in 3:9 make much more sense. Who warned you to flee from the wrath⁵“wrath” the Greek word refers to anger or wrath that has built up over a longer period. This isn’t an outburst of anger in the moment; it’s matured over time. about to come?”
8. “Therefore, produce fruit worthy of repentance.”⁶See note on 3:2
9. “And don’t presume to say among yourselves; “We have Abraham as a father”. For I tell you that God has the power to raise up children of Abraham from these stones.”
10. “And already, the axe is laid near the root⁷“root” the Greek word here can also mean “descendant”, which is quite relevant considering the context. of the trees. Therefore, every tree not producing good fruit is cut off and thrown into the fire.”
11. “Indeed, I baptize you in water toward repentance.  But the One coming after me is mightier than I; He whose sandals I’m not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.”
12. “He whose winnowing fork⁸“winnowing fork” is a literal translation of the Greek word here. A “winnowing fork” is used for “winnowing”. Winnowing is the process of separating the useful/edible grain from the useless chaff. Chaff is the husks and stem fragments of a grain plant that are useless for anything. You “winnow” by using a winnowing fork to throw the mixture up into the air. The wind blows away the lighter chaff, while the heavier grain falls back down to be collected. This process was done on a “threshing floor”, which had to be cleaned prior to use because food was prepared (winnowed) there. is in His hand. And He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and will gather His grain into the barn.  But the chaff He will burn completely with unquenchable fire.

Jesus’ baptism

13. Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan, to John to be baptized by⁹“by” the Greek word here can also mean “under”, sometimes with the connotation of authority; i.e. “under” in the sense of authority. him.
14. But John was stubbornly hindering Him, saying; “I have a need to be baptized by¹⁰see previous note. you, and you come to me?”
15. But answering, Jesus said to him; “Let that go, just for now. For it’s proper for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.”  Then he lets it go.
16. And having been baptized, Jesus immediately came up away from the water.  And behold; the heavens were opened [to Him] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him.
17. And behold; there was a voice from the heavens saying; “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

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Jesus’ Temptation

1. Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the Accuser.¹“Accuser” The Greek word used here is “διάβολος” (diabolos), and it’s the root of our English word “devil”. Much like “Christ” (see note on Matt 1:1) “devil” isn’t a name but a descriptive title.
2. And having fasted²“fasting” doesn’t always refer to a complete denial of food.  Long fasts were often done with little or unpleasant food.  Jesus might not have forgone food and drink entirely, but rather was living on little or unpleasant food. forty days and forty nights, He was hungry afterwards.
3. And having approached, the one tempting Him told Him; “If you are God’s Son, command these stones so they become bread.
4. But answering, He said; “It is *written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every spoken word³“spoken word” the Greek word here refers only to words that are spoken, never to words that are written. proceeding from God’s mouth.”⁴quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 8:3
5. Then, the Accuser takes Him to the holy city and stood Him on the pinnacle of the temple.
6. And he tells Him; “If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down. For it is *written: “He will give orders to His angels concerning you.”⁵quotation/allusion to Psalm 91:11 Also, “They will raise you up on their hands, lest you stumble when your foot strikes against a stone.”⁶quotation/allusion to Psalm 91:12
7. Jesus was declaring to him; “Again, it is *written: you shall not test the Lord your God.”⁷quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 6:16
8. Again, the Accuser takes Him to a very high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9. And he told Him; “I will give you all these things if, having bowed down, you worship me.”
10. Then Jesus tells him; “Depart Satan! For it is *written: You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve Him alone.”⁸quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 6:13
11. Then the Accuser leaves Him and behold, angels came and were serving Him.
12. Now, because He heard that John was arrested, He went back into Galilee.
13. And having left Nazareth, He came and settled down in Capernaum by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14. so the word spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying;
15. “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea across the Jordan; Galilee of the gentiles.
16. “The people sitting in darkness saw a great light. And to the men sitting in the land and shadow of death, a light rose on them.”⁹quotation/allusion to Isaiah 9:1-2

Jesus Begins Teaching and Healing

17. From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim and say; “Repent!¹⁰“Repent” this Greek word doesn’t speak of remorse or guilt for wrong actions. Rather, it literally means to “think differently after” or to “reconsider”, with an assumed change in behavior. To both the Hebrews and 1st century Greeks/Romans, a change in mind was synonymous with a change in behavior; you couldn’t have the first without the second. All that meaning is captured by a single Greek word here. for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.”
18. Now, while walking beside the Sea of Galilee He saw two brothers – Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother – casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19. And He tells them; “Come! Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
20. And having immediately dropped the nets, they followed Him.
21. And having gone forward from there, He saw others. Two brothers – James the son of Zebedee and John his brother – were in a boat with Zebedee their father adjusting their nets and He called them.
22. And having immediately left the boat and their father, they followed Him.
23. Further, He was going through all Galilee; teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every chronic disease and every sickness in the people.
24. Now, the news about Him went out into all of Syria and they brought all the sick to Him: those having various chronic diseases, and persisting torments, and being demon possessed, and having seizures, and paralytics, and He cured them.
25. Further, many crowds followed Him from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

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The Sermon on the Mountain

1. Then having seen the crowds, He went up to the mountain.  And having sat down, His disciples approached Him.
2. And having opened His mouth, He was teaching them, saying;
3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
4. “Blessed are the men who are mourning, because they will be comforted.
5. “Blessed are the strong but gentle,¹“strong but gentle” this Greek word is often translated “meek” or “gentle”.  However, it doesn’t mean the absence of power as “meek” would suggest. Instead, it specifically refers to strength or power that is gently exercised without undue harshness. i.e. some who is strong but applies their strength gently. because they will inherit the land.
6. “Blessed are the men hungering and thirsting for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.
7. “Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy.
8. “Blessed are the pure of heart, because they will see God.
9. “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.
10. “Blessed are the men who have been persecuted on account of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
11. “Blessed are you when they disgrace and accuse²“disgrace and accuse” is one word in the Greek.  It can mean either, but both definitions were included because they both fit the context, and it seems likely that both were intended. you, and persecute you, and say every evil thing against you, lying about you on account of Me.
12. “Rejoice and jump for joy; because your reward is numerous in the heavens, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
13. “You are the salt of the land, but if the salt has become tasteless,³“become tasteless” is literally “become foolish”, as in “a fool is tasteless”. The double meaning here of foolish and tasteless is probably intended, and demonstrates some clever wordplay on Jesus’ part. by what will it be salted?  It’s potent enough for nothing any longer except being thrown outside to be trampled under foot by men.
14. “You are the light of the world. A city laying on a hill isn’t able to be hidden.
15. “And they don’t light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on the lampstand and shines light to all men in the house.
16. “In the same way, let your light shine before men so they might see your good works, and might glorify your Father in the heavens.

Jesus and the Law

17. “Don’t think that I came to relax⁴“relax” the Greek word here literally means “loosen thoroughly”, often with the connotation of overthrowing or destroying because “loosen” can also mean dissolve. It comes from “thoroughly loosening” the straps of a pack animal at the end of a night or journey. Thus, it also has the connotation of ending something. The translation “relax” was chosen here because it best fits the context. Jesus spend the rest of the chapter “tightening” the moral standard of God’s (moral) law. the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to relax; but to fulfill.⁵“fulfill” could also be translated “complete”. The following verses do not touch on the Mosaic Law, but rather moral behavior.  Jesus “completed” God’s moral law in this passage because He extended guilt to our hearts, not just our actions.  Jesus didn’t relax God’s moral standard as revealed by the law and the prophets here; He completed it.
18. “For amen I tell you; until heaven and earth pass away, one iota⁶“iota” is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet, and the term can be applied to the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet (yod) as well. or one diacritic mark⁷“diacritic marks” are little lines or dots that change the meaning or sound of a word. For example, in the word “fiancé”, the little line above the “e” indicates a change of pronunciation. English rarely uses them, but Greek does.  Hebrew sometimes does, but they weren’t introduced into Hebrew until the mid first millennium.  However, this more likely refers to the slight extensions on certain Hebrew letters that distinguish them from other letters. definitely won’t pass away from the law until it all happens.
19. “Therefore, if someone relaxes⁸“relaxes” literally “loosens”; see note on verse 17. the least one of these commandments – and teaches others the same – he will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens. But, whoever keeps and teaches it; he will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.
20. “For I tell you; unless your righteousness abounds greater than the scribes⁹“scribes” In the New Testament, this Greek word is typically applied to those learned in the Mosaic Law. and Pharisees, you definitely won’t enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
21. “You heard that the ancients were told: “you shall not murder“,¹⁰quotation/allusion to Exodus 20:13 and whoever commits murder will be liable to judgement.
22. “But I tell you; every man being angry with his brother[without cause]¹¹“without cause” This phrase is present in the majority of manuscripts, including some early and important ones, but isn’t present in several earlier manuscripts.  Some of the earliest church fathers such as Irenaeus of Lyon (died 202 AD), Cyprian (died 258 AD), and Origen (died 253 AD) quoted it, and it’s present in the Diatessaron of Tatian (late 100s), Apostolic Constitutions (late 300s), and some early Syrian and Coptic translations as well.  However, several church fathers from slightly later explicitly argued against including it, saying it was a spurious addition to soften Jesus’s words.  Modern scholarly consensus is that it isn’t original, but most scholars will admit that it “is widespread from the second century onwards” (Metzger). will be liable to judgement. And whoever might say to his brother “You airhead”¹²“airhead” the word used here is transliterated, apparently from Aramaic. It literally means “empty-headed”, or a fellow who is stupid or without sense. will be liable to the Sanhedrin.¹³The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court of the day. And whoever might say “You fool” will be liable to the fire of the Valley of Hinnom.¹⁴Most translations render this “hell” but any lexicon will tell you it’s a proper noun referring to a specific valley – the Valley of Hinnom – just outside Jerusalem. Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife.  But this might refer to Israel’s history instead. Two kings of Israel sacrificed babies as burnt offerings to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1-3, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:30-31) As a result, God sentenced them to judgement through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 19:1-11) Their sentence was carried out about 20 years later when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem. He burned almost everything and enslaved all Judah. (2 kings 25:1-12) It was the worst sentence/judgement Israel had yet seen.  This happened again a few decades after Jesus’ death when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
23. “Therefore, if you offer your gift on the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24. “leave your gift there before the altar and depart; first be reconciled to your brother and then go offer your gift.
25. “Be reconciling quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge; and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
26. “Amen I tell you; you definitely won’t depart from that place until you pay the last penny.¹⁵“penny” the Greek word here refers to the smallest Roman coin, made from copper.
27. “You heard that it was said: “You shall not have sex with another man’s wife.”¹⁶quotation/allusion to Exodus 20:14.  “have sex with another man’s wife” is one word in the Greek, typically translated “commit adultery”. However, the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was typically called fornication.
28. “But I tell you; every man looking at a wife¹⁷“wife” in Greek, there is no separate word for “woman” versus “wife”. They are the exact same word, and only context determines which is meant. Given the context of the preceding verse (see note on previous verse) “wife” is contextually more likely. in order to covet¹⁸“covet” the Greek word used here was also used twice in quoting the 10th commandment. (Romans 7:7 and Romans 13:9)  It properly refers to any strong desire whether good or bad, and is typically translated “craving” in the BOS Bible. her, already had sex with the other man’s wife¹⁹“had sex with the other man’s wife” see note on previous verse. in his heart.
29. “And, if your right eye makes you stumble; remove it and throw it away from you. For it’s better for you that one of your organs might perish rather than your whole body being thrown into the Valley of Hinnom.²⁰“Valley of Hinnom” is literal; see note on Matthew 5:22.
30. “And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it’s better for you that one of your organs might perish and not have your whole body go into the Valley of Hinnom.²¹“Valley of Hinnom” is literal; see note on Matthew 5:22.
31. “And it was said: “whoever sends away²²“send away” is literal here, though it’s typically translated divorce in this passage. The same word is used of Jesus “sending away” crowds and Pilate “sending away” (releasing) Barabbas. Paul uses a different Greek word when talking about divorce in 1 Corinthians. For the relation between “send away” and divorce, see note(s) in next verse. his wife must give her a divorce certificate.²³quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 24:1
32. “And I tell you: every man only sending away²⁴“sending away” is literal; see note on previous verse his wife – except for the reason of fornication – makes her commit adultery.²⁵The Hebrew divorce procedure is found in Deut 24:1 and had three parts: 1) write a divorce certificate. 2) Give it to your wife. 3) Send her away from your house. However, if a man “sent her away” (kicked her out of his house) without a divorce certificate in that culture, she was destitute. She was still legally married because she didn’t have a divorce certificate, so she couldn’t marry anyone else without being an adulteress. Often, her only resort to feed herself was prostitution… which resulted in her committing adultery anyway. He “makes her commit adultery” (sex with another man while still married) to feed herself.  And whoever might marry a woman who has been merely²⁶“merely” see previous note sent away is guilty of sex with another man’s wife.²⁷“he is guilty of sex with another man’s wife” see note on Matthew 5:27
33. “Again, you heard that the ancients were told: “You shall not make false oaths.”²⁸quotation/allusion to Leviticus 19:12 And: “You shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord.²⁹quotation/allusion to Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21-23
34. “But I tell you not to make oaths at all. Not by heaven, because it’s the throne of God;
35. “nor by the land, because it is a footstool for His feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.
36. “Nor shall you make an oath on your head, because you aren’t able to make one hair white or black.
37. “So, let your word be meaningful; yes, if yes – no, if no.  More than these is from evil.
38. “You heard that it was said: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”³⁰quotation/allusion to Leviticus 24:20
39. “But I tell you not to forcefully resist³¹“forcefully resist” the Greek word used here is also a military term referring to troops “holding the line” against the opposing army, typically by fighting back. i.e. taking a firm stand and refusing to be moved. the wicked. On the contrary; whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other.³²“the one who strikes your right cheek”.  Jesus was almost certainly side-specific on purpose. In that culture, the right hand was used for clean tasks at the left was used for “dirty” tasks. (Such as wiping yourself; remember, there was no toilet paper.) Therefore, you would never hit someone with your left hand. If someone strikes your right cheek with their right (clean) hand, they must be giving you a backhanded slap. Backhanded slaps are only given to inferiors; never equals. If you offer your other cheek (your left) they are faced with a dilemma. If they strike you again with their right hand, they’ve slapped you as one slaps an equal, essentially making you their equal. But to backhand you as an inferior, they must use their left (unclean) hand– which would dishonor them as much as you. This was a non-violent way of resisting and simultaneously asserting your humanity.
40. “And to the man intending to sue you and take your tunic, give him your cloak also.
41. “And whoever will force you to go one mile, go with him two.
42. “Give to the man asking of you and don’t turn away from the man wanting to borrow from you.
43. “You heard that it was said: You shall ^love your neighbor³³quotation/allusion to Lev 19:18 and you shall hate your enemy.
44. “But I tell you; ^love your enemies and pray for the men persecuting you. [Bless the men cursing you. Do good to the men insulting and slandering³⁴“insulting and slandering” is one word in Greek.  It can mean either, and both meanings were likely intended. you and hating you]
45. “so that you might become sons of your Father in the heavens, because He makes His sun rise on evil and good and He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46. “For if you ^love the men ^loving you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
47. “And if you only greet your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Don’t even the pagans do the same?
48. “Therefore, you shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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Don’t Seek the praise of men

1. “Now, beware not to do your righteousness in front of men in order to be seen¹“be seen” The Greek word here is “θεάομαι” (theaomai), which refers to spectators who watch something, like a theater. In fact, theaomai is the root of the Greek word “θέατρον” (theatron); which both means “theater” and is the root of our English word “theater”. by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in the heavens.
2. “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, don’t sound a trumpet in front of you like the hypocrites²“hypocrites” the Greek word here literally refers to a “theater actor”. In those days, actors often wore masks during their performances and thus were (figuratively) a “two-faced” person; i.e. they say one thing and do another. Jesus was using some clever wordplay here. (see note on previous verse) do in the synagogues and on the crowded streets so they might be glorified by men.  Amen I tell you; they trade away³“trade away” is a single word in Greek meaning “to have something, because far away from something else“. their reward.
3. “But when you’re doing a charitable deed, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4. “so your charitable deed might be done in secret.  And your Father  – the One seeing what’s done in secret – will reward you.
5. “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love *standing to pray in the synagogues and on the corners of wide streets so they might be seen by men. Amen I tell you; they trade away⁴“trade away” is a single word in Greek meaning “to have something, because far away from something else“. their reward.
6. “But when you pray, go into your inner room. And having shut your door, pray to your Father in secret, and your Father – the One seeing what’s done in secret – will reward you.
7. “And, when praying, don’t prattle endlessly like the pagans, for they assume that they will be listened to in their long-windedness.
8. “Therefore, don’t become like them, for God your Father has seen what you have a need for before you ask Him.

The Lord’s Prayer

9. “Therefore, you pray this way; “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.
10. “Let your kingdom come.   Let your will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.
11. “Give us our daily bread today,
12. “and forgive us our debts,⁵“debts” the Greek word used here can also have the connotation of a sin or offense. just as we also forgave those indebted to us.
13. “And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from evil. [For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory through the ages. Amen.]
14. “For if you forgive men their missteps,⁶“missteps”. The Greek word used here doesn’t quite mean “sin”. It’s the word “παράπτωμα” (paraptóma) which is also used in Ephesians 2:1 in the phrase: “dead in your ‘paraptóma’ and sins”.  It carries the connotation of a “slip-up” with the strong implication – but not certainty – that it was unintentional. your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15. “But if you don’t forgive men [their missteps], neither will your Father forgive your missteps.
16. “Now, when you fast; don’t become gloomy like the hypocrites. For they neglect their faces so they might be seen as fasting to men.  Amen I tell you; they trade away⁷“trade away” is a single word in Greek meaning “to have something, because far away from something else“. their reward.
17. “When you’re fasting however, anoint your head with oil and wash your face,
18. “So that you might not appear as fasting to men, but to your Father in secret. And your Father – the One seeing what’s done in secret – will reward you.

Treasure in heaven

19. “Don’t store up treasures for yourselves on the earth where moth and eating consume, and where thieves break in and steal.
20. “But, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven; where neither moth nor eating consumes, and where thieves don’t break in or steal.
21. “For wherever your treasure is, your heart will be there also.
22. “The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, if your eye isn’t warped,⁸“eye isn’t warped” According to some sources, this is an idiom which means “to be generous”, in the sense of giving to others/charity.  This makes excellent sense when you consider the context.  The phrase is literally “is not warped”, with “not warped” being a single Greek word that literally means “without folds” (Thayers).   It carries a similar moral connotation of “upright”, in the sense of not being crooked, bent, evil, etc.  While “isn’t folded” would be more literally correct, it would be confusing because we don’t associate “folding” with crooked morals.  However, we do associate “warped” with them; hence the translation choice here. your whole body will be full of light.
23. “But if your eye is evil,⁹“eye is evil” according to some sources, this is an idiom which means “to be stingy”.  i.e. hoarding your wealth in an unhealthy way. your whole body will be full of darkness.  Therefore, if the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?¹⁰In Greek, an interrogative pronoun (similar to our word “how”) is used, making it a question.  Many translations end this sentence with an exclamation point, which makes it a statement rather than a true question.  Jesus may have intended it as a rhetorical question, but it’s hard to be certain from the text.  Therefore, it has been translated as a question here.
24. “No one can serve as a slave for two lords.  For either he will hate one and he will ^love the other, or he will be devoted to one and will despise the other.  You cannot serve as a slave to God and the treasure you trust in.¹¹“the treasure you trust in” is a single word in Greek, with that exact meaning.

Don’t be anxious

25. “Because of this I tell you: don’t be anxious about your life, what you might eat or what you might drink; nor about your body and how you might clothe yourselves.  Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?
26. “Look at the birds of the sky, that they don’t plant, nor harvest, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them.  Aren’t you more valuable than they are?
27. “And who among you is able to add one hour to his life by being anxious?
28. “And about clothes; why are you anxious?  Study to fully understand¹²“Study to fully understand” is one word in Greek.  It means to understand something by studying it thoroughly.  This word is related to the Greek word for “disciple”, but has the added force of an intensifying prefix. the lilies of the field; how do they grow?  They don’t exhaust themselves with work nor do they spin.¹³Spinning is an ancient process of turning animal fibers (hair) into thread, which was then woven into fabric, which was made into clothes.  Spinning was a very labor intensive process before modern machinery.
29. “But I tell you: not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30. “And, if God clothes the grass of the field like this – despite it being here today and tomorrow being thrown into a furnace – won’t He much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31. “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying: what will we eat?  Or, what will we drink?  Or, how will we clothe ourselves?
32. “For the nations diligently seek all of these, for your heavenly Father *knows that you need them all.
33. “But seek first the kingdom [of God] and His righteousness, and all these will be added to you.
34. “Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble on its own.

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Judging Hypocritically

1. “Do not judge, so you might not be judged.
2. “For you will be judged by whatever verdict you judge.  And you will be measured by whatever standard you measure.
3. “And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t consider the log in your eye?
4. “Or how will you tell your brother: “Let me remove the splinter from your eye.” and look: the log is in your eye.
5. “You hypocrite!  First, remove the log from your eye; and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

Asking, gifts, and the narrow way

6. “Don’t give what’s holy to dogs,¹Wild dogs were regarded as scavengers and loathed much like coyotes or raccoons are today.  The lexicon even mentions that dog could refer to “a man of impure mind, an impudent man” (Thayer’s Greek lexicon) or even a “spiritual predator” (HELPS Word Studies). nor throw your pearls in front of pigs, lest they will trample them with their feet and having turned, they might tear you to pieces.
7. “Ask and it will be given to you.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and it will be opened to you.
8. “For every man asking, receives; and the man seeking, finds; and to the man knocking, it will be opened.
9. “Or what man is among you who – when his son will ask for bread – he won’t give him a stone will he?
10. “Or if he will ask for a fish, he won’t give him a snake will he?
11. “Therefore, if you being evil *know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to the men asking Him?
12. “In all things therefore – whatever you desire that men might do for you – you must also do thusly to them, for this is the law and the prophets.
13. “Enter through the narrow gate, because wide is the gate, and broad is the way leading to ruin,²“ruin” this word is often translated “destruction”, but it more accurately implies a “loss of well-being” rather than a “loss of being” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).   i.e. they don’t cease to exist (which would be “destruction”) but rather their quality of life is destroyed.  The word “destruction” can also have that connotation, but “ruin” seems to fit the Greek word better. and the men entering through it are many.
14. “For narrow is the gate, and *constricting is³“constricting is” is a single word in the Greek.  It refers to compressing via pressure, in a way that makes you feel constricted, restricted, or hemmed in. the way leading to life, and the men finding it are few.

Know them by their fruit

15. “Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothes, but inside they are marauding wolves.
16. “You will know them from their fruit.  They don’t gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles do they?
17. “So every good tree produces noble fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit.
18. “A good tree isn’t able to produce bad fruit, nor is a rotten tree able to produce noble fruit.
19. “Every tree not producing noble fruit is cut off and thrown into the fire.
20. “Therefore, you will know them from their fruit.
21. “Not every man saying to Me: “Lord, Lord” will enter into the kingdom of the heavens; but only the man doing the will of My Father in the heavens.
22. “Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord; didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name didn’t we cast out demons, and in your name didn’t we perform many miracles?”
23. “And then I will agree with them but say: “I never knew you.  Depart from Me; you men working without regard for God’s commands.⁴“without regard for God’s commands” is one word in Greek, and is more literally “ignoring God’s law”.  It’s a noun, and literally means “those who are without law”; i.e. those who –  either by ignorance or by rebellion – don’t obey God’s (moral) law. ⁵quotation/allusion to Psalm 6:8

Foundations compared

24. “Therefore, every man who hears these words of Mine and does them will be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25. “And the rain fell down, and the floods came, and the winds blew; and they battered that house.  And it didn’t fall, for its foundation had been built on the rock.
26. “And every man hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, he will be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.⁶In Israel, heavy rains from the hills cut long “trenches” through the limestone rock.  One of these water-cut trenches is called a “wadi”.  Most of the time, these are essentially dry riverbeds.  However, when heavy rains come, they turn back into streams or rivers for a time.  Often, the water comes through the wadi so fast that it resembles a flash-flood.  At the bottom of a wadi is sand.  Its likely Jesus was talking about someone who built a house in a (temporarily dry) riverbed – a wadi – that is known to flood.  That would be foolish indeed.
27. “And the rain fell down, and the floods came, and the winds blew; and they battered that house.  And it fell, and its fall was great.
28. And it happened, when Jesus finished these words, that the crowds were stunned in amazement at His teaching.
29. For He was teaching them like one having authority,⁷“authority” It’s possible that the “authority” that stunned the crowd was a technical term.   Properly called “semikhah”, the Jewish word literally means “laying on of hands”.  Its origins (as a technical term of authority) go back to Moses.  Moses was given authority by God, and God commanded him to pass some of that “authority” to Joshua by “laying hands on him” in the sight of the people.  (Num27:15-23, Deut 34:9)  The Jews believed this authority was then passed down through “laying on of hands” to Jesus’ day.  Rabbis with semikhah had the authority to make decisions in the meaning of the Law and other spiritual matters.  In Jesus case, that meant a new interpretation of the Law.  However, ordinary scribes (Torah teachers) could only teach what those with semikhah had established. and not like their scribes.⁸This Greek word literally means a “scribe”, or someone who writes as their profession.  However, it’s often used in the New Testament for those learned in the Mosaic Law.

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Jesus heals a leper

1. And Him having come down from the mountain, many crowds followed Him.
2. And behold, a leper¹A “leper” is a person suffering from “leprosy” (also called “Hansen’s Disease” in modern times).  The disease is caused by the bacteria “M. leprae“.  Symptoms includes the outbreak of unsightly skin sores and nerve damage. It was a great social stigma in the ancient world and remains so to this day in many places.  The Jews believed that leprosy was caused by sin.  Therefore they believed that only the promised messiah would be able to cure leprosy, because only God could forgive sin.  The leper coming to Jesus could be construed as an act of faith on his part. approached and was bowing down at His feet, saying; “Lord, if you want to, you are able to cleanse me.”
3. And having extended His hand, He touched him saying, “I want to; be cleansed.”  And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4. And Jesus tells him, “See that you tell no one.  But go show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded as evidence for them.”

The Centurion’s faith

5. And Him having entered Capernaum, a centurion²“centurion” was a rank in the Roman military. A normal centurion was in charge of 80 soldiers, plus ~20 support staff. However, there were different levels of centurion.  The highest ranking centurions could be in charge of up to 1000 men. approached Him, imploring Him
6. and saying: “Lord, my servant boy has been lying sick in the house, paralyzed and being horribly tormented.
7. And He tells him: “I will go heal him.”
8. But answering, the centurion was saying; “Lord, I’m not worthy that you might enter under my roof.  But only say the word and my servant boy will be healed.
9. “For I’m also a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I tell this one “Go”, and he goes. And to another “Come”, and he comes.  And to my slave “Do this”, and he does it.”
10. And having heard this, Jesus marveled and told the men following Him; “Amen I tell you; I found no one in Israel with such great faith.
11. “And, I tell you that many from the east and the west will arrive and will recline at the table³“recline” is literal.  In ancient times, they laid down on a low table to eat. Thus, “reclining” in those days is similar to “sitting down” today to share a meal. with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens.
12. “But the sons of this kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
13. And Jesus told the centurion, “Go; let it happen to you just as you believed.”  And his servant boy was healed in that hour.

Jesus heals many

14. And having come into Peter’s house, Jesus saw his⁴“his” that is, Peter’s mother-in-law, which is clear in Greek but less so in English. mother-in-law *lying sick with a fever.
15. And He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and was serving Him.
16. And when it became evening, they brought many demon-possessed men to Him and He cast out the spirits with a word, and He healed all having a sickness,
    
17. so what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet it might be fulfilled, saying: “He took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”⁵quotation/allusion to Isaiah 53:4
18. And having seen a great crowd around Him, Jesus gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.

The Cost of following Jesus

19. And having approached Him, one scribe told Him: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20. And Jesus tells him: “The foxes have dens and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere He might rest His head.”
21. And another of His disciples said to Him; “Lord, first allow me to go and bury my father.”
22. But Jesus tells him; “Follow Me and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

23. And having stepped into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
24. And behold; a great storm began on the sea so that the boat is covered by the waves, but He was sleeping.
25. And having approached Him, they woke Him up saying; “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26. And He tells them; “Why are you fearful?  O, you men of little faith.”  Then having woken up He scolded the winds and the sea, and a great calm began.
27. Then the men marveled, saying; “What kind of man⁶“What kind of man” is one word in Greek.  It can also be mean “from what country/region?”  And in that case is used to inquire about someone’s origins.  Thus, they could be asking where He’s from. is this?  Because even the winds and the sea listen to Him.”

Demons sent into pigs

28. And having come to the other side of the sea to the land of the Gadarenes,⁷The Gadarenes lived in the city Gadara, which was south-east of the Sea of Galilee.  It was an important Hellenized (Greek) city, and one of the ten cities of the Decapolis. two demon-possessed men met Him after coming out of the tombs.  They were very violent, so someone isn’t able to pass through that way.
29. And behold; they cried out saying; “What’s between you and us, Son of God?  Did you come here to torment us before the proper season?”
30. Now, far away from them was a large herd of pigs feeding.
31. So the demons were imploring Him, saying; “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32. And He told them “Go.”  And having gone out, they went into the pigs.  And behold; all of the herd dashed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.
33. Now, the men feeding them fled.  And having gone into the city, they reported all of this, even about the demon-possessed men.
34. And behold; all of the city went out to meet Jesus.  And having seen Him, they begged that He might depart from their region.⁸“region” is literally “regions”

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Jesus heals a paralyzed man

1. And having stepped into a boat, He crossed over the sea and came to His own city.
2. And behold; they were bringing to Him a paralyzed man *lying on a bed mat.  And having seen their faith, Jesus told the paralyzed man: “Have courage child; your sins are forgiven.”
3. And behold; some of the scribes¹“scribes” In the New Testament, this word is often used of those learned in the Mosaic Law. said to themselves “This man blasphemes!”
4. And *knowing their thoughts, Jesus said; “Why do you ponder evil in your hearts?
5. “For which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say; ‘Get up and walk’?
6. “However, so you might *know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”  Then He tells the paralyzed man; “After getting up, pick up your bed mat, and go to your house.”
7. And after getting up, he went to his house.
8. And having seen this, the crowds were alarmed and they glorified God; the One who gave such authority to men.

Jesus and the Tax Collectors

9. And passing on from there, Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting in a tax-collector’s office.  And He says to him: “Follow Me.”  And having stood up, he followed Him.
10. And it happened that He’s reclining²“reclining” is literal.  In ancient times, they didn’t sit at a table, they “reclined” at a low table.  Thus, reclining often meant eating together. in the house and behold: many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining at the table with Jesus and His disciples.
11. And having seen this, the Pharisees were saying to His disciples; “Why does your teacher eat with the tax collectors and sinners?”
12. But having heard this He said; “Healthy men don’t have a need of a doctor, but sick men do.
13. “But having departed, learn what is true: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice‘,³quotation/allusion to Hosea 6:6 for I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Fasting and Wineskins

14. Then the disciples of John come to Him, saying; “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”
15. And Jesus told them; “The groomsmen⁴“groomsmen” is literally “sons of the bridal chamber”.  In that age, this referred to the men who helped the groom prepare whatever was needed for the wedding, especially the “bridal chamber” (honeymoon suite).  The closest modern equivalent is groomsmen. aren’t able to mourn as long as the groom is with them, are they?  But the days will come when the groom was taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16. And no one puts an unshrunk cloth patch on an old cloak, for its patch pulls away from the cloak and it becomes a worse tear.
17. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins.⁵“wineskins” is literal, and refers to a leather “bag” used to hold liquids.  The phrase “new wine” refers to un-fermented grape juice.  As it ferments, it releases gas which causes the wineskin to stretch.  However, if an “old wineskin” is used with “new wine” (unfermented grape-juice), the gasses from the fermentation will stretch the already stretched leather bag so that it splits.  This makes the leather bag useless and the wine is spilled out and lost.  Old wineskins could be used for already fermented wine or other liquids, and thus were still useful.  And if they do, the wineskins tear, and the wine spills out, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

Raising the Dead and healing an issue of blood

18. While He’s telling them these things, behold; one of the Jewish elders came.  He was bowing low on his knees before Him, saying: “My daughter died just now.  But come lay your hand on her and she will live.”
19. And having stood up, Jesus and His disciples were following him.
20. And behold; there was a woman suffering from constant menstrual bleeding⁶“suffering from constant menstrual bleeding” is one word in the Greek.  It refers to a continuous flow of blood, aka: a hemorrhage.  It doesn’t specifically mean menstrual blood, but this exact word is used to refer to a menstrual blood in the Septuagint in Leviticus 15:33 and by medical writers. for twelve years.  Having approached from behind, she touched the edge of His cloak,
21. for she was saying within herself; “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.”⁷In Malachi 4:2, it says that “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.”  The Hebrew word translated “wings” in that verse is “כָּנָף” (kanaph).  It means any extremity, including wings and also the edge of a garment.  It could be accurately translated “healing in the edge of His clothes”.  This woman likely knew this verse, and that’s probably why she specifically touched the edge of His cloak.  The Jews believed Malachi 4:2 was a prophecy about the Messiah, so by touching His cloak, she was almost certainly expressing her faith that Jesus was the Messiah.  This is quite possibly why Jesus said her faith healed her.
22. And having turned and seen her, Jesus said; “Have courage daughter; your faith has healed you.”  And the woman was healed from that hour on.
23. And having come to the house of the Jewish elder, and having seen the flute players and the crowd making a noisy outcry,
24. Jesus was saying; “Leave.  For the girl didn’t die, but is sleeping.”  And they were laughing at Him.
25. And, when the crowd was sent outside, He entered, grabbed her hand, and the girl was raised up.
26. And the news of this went through that whole land.

Jesus Heals the Blind and Demon Possessed

27. And passing on from there, two blind men followed Jesus, crying out and saying; “Show us mercy, Son of David⁸“Son of David” was a title of the promised messiah in Jewish eyes.  This stems from 2 Samuel 7:12-13, in which God promised David would have a descendant who would sit on the throne forever.  This could be construed as an act of faith by the blind men..”
28. And having come into the house, the blind men approached Him and Jesus says to them; “Do you believe that I’m able to do this?”  They say to Him; “Definitely Lord.”
29. Then He touched their eyes, saying; “Let it happen to you according to your faith.”
30. And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying; “See that you let no one know.”
31. But after going out, they spread the news about Him in that whole land.
32. And while they’re leaving, behold; they brought a mute, demon-possessed man to Him.
33. And when the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke.  And the crowds marveled, saying; “Something like this was never seen in Israel.”
34. But the Pharisees were saying; “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

The Harvest

35. And Jesus was going around to all the cities and villages; teaching in their synagogues, and announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every chronic disease and every sickness.
36. And having seen the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them because they were *troubled and *cast away, like sheep not having a shepherd.
37. Then He says to His disciples; “Truly, the harvest is great but the workers are few.”
38. “Therefore, implore the Lord of the harvest so that He might send out workers into His harvest.”

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Instructing the Twelve

1. And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal every chronic disease and every sickness.
2. And these are the names of the twelve apostles.  First, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother. Also, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother.
3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4. Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, the man who also betrayed Him.
5. Jesus sent out these twelve, having commanded them by saying; “Don’t go near the way of the gentiles and don’t go into a city of the Samaritans.”
6. “But rather go to the *lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7. “And while traveling, proclaim saying; ‘The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near’.
8. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received; freely give.
9. “Don’t acquire gold, nor silver, nor copper in your money belts.¹“money belts” in that age, belts were often hollow and used as a safe way to store money.
10. “Don’t bring a food pouch for the way, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff.  For the worker is worthy of his food.
11. “Now, whatever city or village you enter into, carefully inquire who is worthy in it, and remain there until you leave.
12. “Then entering into the house, greet it.
13. “And if the house is truly worthy, let your peace come on it.  But if it’s not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14. “And whoever didn’t welcome you nor hear your words, then going outside that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15. “Amen I tell you; it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than that city.

Warning about Persecution

16. “Behold; I send you out like sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore, become shrewd as serpents and pure as doves.
17. “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the Sanhedrins,²A Sanhedrin was a Jewish court that had authority in both civil and religious matters.  There was a lesser Sanhedrin in cities of significant size, and the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.  The Great Sanhedrin functioned like a Supreme Court over the lesser Sanhedrins. and will flog you in their synagogues.
18. “And also, you’ll be brought to governors and kings because of Me; to be a witness to them and to the gentiles.
19. “And when they hand you over, don’t be anxious about how or what you might say, for you will be given what to say in that very hour.
20. “For you aren’t the men speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the One speaking through you.
21. “And brother will betray brother to death, and a father will betray his child, and children will rise up against parents and will put them to death.
22. “And you will be hated by all because of My name.  But the man who endured to the end; he will be saved.
23. “And when they persecute you in that city, flee to another.  For amen I tell you: you definitely won’t have finished fleeing through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
24. “A disciple isn’t above the teacher, nor a slave above his master.
25. “It’s enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master.  If they called the master of the house Beelzebub,³From the Hebrew phrase “Baal Zebub” that translates as “lord of the flies”.   It’s likely a play on words for the pagan Canaanite god Baal.  One of his names was “Ba’al Zevul”, which roughly translates as “Lord of the exalted house”.  Since “Ba’al Zevul” sounds very similar to “Baal Zebub”, it was likely a derogatory Hebrew nickname for the Canaanite god.  Apparently, the title was later applied to an actual demon.  There is some debate on whether Beelzebub is a nickname for Satan, or for another high ranking demon. how much more the members of his household?

Fear God, not Man

26. “Therefore, don’t be scared of them.  For nothing is *hidden which won’t be uncovered; and there’s nothing secret which won’t be known.
27. “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light.  And what you hear whispered in the ear, preach on the rooftops.
28. “And don’t fear the men killing the body, but not able to kill the life.⁴“life” the Greek word here is “ψυχή” (psuché), usually translated “soul” here.  However, it does not mean the part of us which survives death and goes to reward or punishment (Biblically that’s our spirit.  In Revelation 8:9, animals are said to have “psuché”.)  Psuché literally means “breath” and is usually translated “life”.  It refers to the life; the vital force which – together with the body – enables a person to live.  It can also refer to mind, will, emotions, and desires, which together make up a person’s identity.  The exact same word is used in verse 39. where we must lose our psuché to gain it.  But rather, fear the One able to destroy⁵“destroy” the Greek word here is “ἀπόλλυμι” (apollumi).  It means to utterly lose (as in Matthew 10:6), to ruin, or to destroy.  Its root word emphasizes the loss incurred, not the destruction. both body and life⁶“life” see note earlier in verse in the Valley of Hinnom.⁷“the Valley of Hinnom” Most translations render this “hell” but any lexicon will tell you it’s a proper noun referring to a specific valley – the Valley of Hinnom – just outside Jerusalem. Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife.  But this might refer to Israel’s history instead. Two kings of Israel sacrificed babies as burnt offerings to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1-3, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:30-31) As a result, God sentenced them to judgement through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 19:1-11) Their sentence was carried out about 20 years later when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem. He burned almost everything and enslaved all Judah. (2 kings 25:1-12) This happened again a few centuries later when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. See following note. ⁸Verse Note: While Jesus might have been referring to judgement in the afterlife, it’s unlikely. (See note on the word “soul” in this verse.)  He might’ve been referring to the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  If you look at “soul” here in the sense of “identity” (again, see note) it makes some sense. Some of those trapped inside Jerusalem during the siege became so depraved, what they did isn’t fit to be put into print.  That could count as a destruction of “body and soul/identity”.
29. “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a brass coin?⁹“a brass coin” is literally and specifically an “assarion”.  It was worth one tenth of a drachma.  And one among them won’t fall to the ground without your Father willing it.
30. “And even the hairs on your head are all *numbered.
31. “So don’t fear; you have more value than many sparrows.
32. “Therefore; every man who will endorse Me in front of men, I will also endorse him in front of My Father in the heavens.
33. “But whoever denies Me in front of men, I will also deny him in front of My Father in the heavens.
34. “Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword.
35. “For I came to divide; a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a bride against her mother-in-law.
36. “And a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.¹⁰quotation/allusion to Micah 7:6
37. “The man loving his father or mother more than Me isn’t worthy of Me.  And the man loving his son or daughter more than Me isn’t worthy of Me.
38. “And whoever doesn’t take his cross and follow after Me isn’t worthy of Me.
39. “The man who found his life¹¹“life”The Greek word here is “ψυχή” (psuché); (see note on verse 28 above.)  It refers to the life; the vital force which – together with the body – enables a person to live.  It can also refer to mind, will, emotions, and desires, which together make up a person’s identity.  This latter sense adds an interesting nuance of meaning to this verse. will lose it.  And the man who lost his life¹²“life” see previous note. because of Me will find it.
40. “The man welcoming you welcomes Me.  And the man welcoming Me welcomes the One who sent Me.
41. “The man welcoming a prophet because¹³“because” literally “in the name of”, which in that culture was an idiom that was equivalent to “because”. he’s a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.  And the man welcoming a righteous man because¹⁴“because” literally “in the name of”, which in that culture was an idiom that was equivalent to “because”. he’s righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.
42. “And whoever merely gives one of these little ones a cup of cool water to drink because¹⁵“because” literally “in the name of”, which in that culture was an idiom that was equivalent to “because”. he’s a disciple; amen I tell you; he definitely won’t lose his reward.

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1. And it happened that when Jesus finished instructing His twelve disciples, He left there to teach and to proclaim in their cities.

John the Baptizer’s Question

2. Now John – having heard of the works of the Anointed while in prison – sent two of his disciples and
3. said to Him; “Are you the Coming One,¹“The Coming One” There are several Old Testament passages that the Jews believed referred to the messiah, which talk of Him “coming”.  (For example, Psalm 118:26, Psalm 40:7-8, and Malachi 3:1).  John was probably referring to Zechariah 9:9, which talks about the “coming King”, and in verse 11 speaks of setting prisoners free. Therefore, John was probably asking if Jesus was the messiah, and if so would he be freed. or should we wait for another?”
4. And answering them, Jesus said; “When you go, report to John what you hear and see:
5. “The blind see, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor are given good news.²Verse note: Jesus answered John’s question using a Jewish Rabbinic method called “remez” (or hint).  Jesus quotes portions of Isaiah 35:5-6, (blind, lame, deaf), Isaiah 42:6-7 (blind again) and Isaiah 61:1 (good news).  All three passages refer to the coming messiah/king, so Jesus was confirming that He was indeed Him.  However, in all three passages Jesus left off a part about setting prisoners free.  This was likely Jesus telling John that He was indeed the messiah, but John wouldn’t be set free.  This last part explains the following verse.
6. “And blessed is he who doesn’t stumble at Me.”
7. And while those men are leaving, Jesus began to tell the crowds about John: “What did you come out to the desert to watch?³“to watch” The Greek word here is “θεάομαι” (theaomai), which refers to spectators who watch something, like in a theater. In fact, theaomai is the root of the Greek word “θέατρον” (theatron); which both means “theater” and is the root of our English word “theater”. A reed shaken by the wind?
8. But what did you go out to see?  A man *clothed in soft clothes?  Look; the men wearing soft clothes are in the houses of kings.
9. But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  I tell you, yes!  And far more than a prophet.
10. “This is he about whom it is *written; “Behold; I send out My messenger before your presence; he who will carefully prepare your way before you.”⁴quotation/allusion to Malachi 3:1
11. “Amen I tell you: among those born from women, none has risen greater than John the Baptizer.  Yet the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.
12. “And from the days of John the Baptizer until now, men force their way into⁵“men force their way into” is a single word in Greek.  Most translations render it in the passive voice here (“suffers violence”).  However, the endings for the Greek middle voice and passive voice are the same in many verbs, this one included.  Therefore, it can be accurately translated as either passive or middle voice.  In the middle voice, it means to “use force” or to “force your way”.  When compared with a parallel passage in Luke 16:16 (which uses a verb that’s definitely middle voice) it seems the middle voice was intended.  However, that’s not certain and the passive voice is a legitimate translation here. the kingdom of the heavens, and zealous men seize it. ⁶Verse note: the latter half of this verse likely refer to the zeal with which John’s (and later Jesus’) disciples followed them.  In Luke 5:18-19, some men literally tore up a roof to get someone to Jesus.  In John 6:15, they wanted to make Jesus king by force.
13. “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14. “And if you desire to accept it, he is Elijah; the man about to come.
15. “The man having ears, let him hear.

This Wicked Generation

16. “And to what will I compare this generation?  It’s like small children sitting in the markets who are calling to others,
17. “They say: ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance.  We cried out in mourning and you didn’t grieve.’
18. “For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say; ‘he has a demon.’
19. “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say; ‘Look; this man is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’  Indeed, wisdom was declared righteous by her deeds.”
20. Then He started to condemn the cities in which most of His miracles happened because they didn’t repent.⁷“”Repent” this Greek word doesn’t speak of remorse or guilt for wrong actions. Rather, it literally means to “think differently after” or to “reconsider”, with an assumed change in behavior. To both the Hebrews and 1st century Greeks/Romans, a change in mind was synonymous with a change in behavior; you couldn’t have the first without the second.
21. “Woe to you Chorazin!  Woe to you Bethsaida!  For if the miracles which happened in you had happened in Tyre and Sidon,⁸Tyre and Sidon were ancient cities against which God prophesied destruction at length, especially against Tyre.  (Isaiah 23, Ezekiel chapters 26-28) they would’ve repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.⁹Sackcloth and ashes was a common way for Jews to mourn or express great regret.  The “sackcloth” was a rough weave, probably equivalent to modern day burlap or canvas.  They would throw ashes on their heads and clothes to indicate the regret or grief.
22. “Further I tell you: it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement than for you.
23. “And you Capernaum.  You won’t be raised up to heaven, but will go down to the underworld,¹⁰The Greek word here is “ᾍδης” (Hades).  Hades was the name of the Greek god of the underworld, and the word became synonymous with the underworld itself.  In Greek mythology, the underworld (Hades) was the place that all departed spirits went, whether good or bad.  It is directly equivalent to the Hebrew world “sheol”. because if the miracles which happened in you had happened in Sodom, it would remain to this day.
24. “Further I tell you that it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement than for you.

Rest for the Weary

25. At that time, Jesus began to speak and said; “I praise¹¹“Praise”.  The Greek word here has a primary connotation of confession and agreement.  It also has a nuanced meaning of praise and thanks.  Given the context, “praise” was chosen.  However, the other meanings are certainly applicable and probably intended. you, Father – Lord of heaven and earth – because you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to children.
26. “Yes Father, because it happening this way was pleasing before you.
27. “All things were delivered to Me by My Father.  And no one truly knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone truly know the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
28. “Come to Me, all you men exhausting yourselves working¹²“exhausting yourselves working” is one word in Greek.  It literally means to tire yourself out – to become weary – from doing hard work or labor.  Interestingly, this doesn’t say working is bad.  It refers to exhausting yourself from working. and *overloaded with burdens, and I will give you rest.¹³quotation/allusion to Exodus 33:14, which says (in context it’s Yahweh/God speaking) “and He said; “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Jesus was almost certainly making a claim to His deity by saying that He would do what God promised to do.
29. “Take up My yoke¹⁴A “yoke” is shaped like an upside-down “U”, and was put over the necks of oxen to enable them to pull with their shoulders. It’s what enables them to do hard work because they can put their full strength into the effort. upon you and learn from Me.  For I’m strong but gentle and humble of heart;¹⁵this is a double quotation/allusion to two different verses. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses says that God will raise up a prophet like him, and concludes with “you must listen to him.”  The Jews believed this was a messianic prophecy.  Numbers 12:3 says that Moses was the most humble man on the earth.  By quoting Moses here, Jesus was saying He was the promised Messiah, and that they should listen to/obey Him. and you will find rest for your souls.¹⁶quotation/allusion to Jeremiah 6:16.  Jesus statement here cannot be properly understood without reading that verse.  The verse reads: “Thus says Yahweh; “Stand at the road and look. Ask for the ancient paths – the good way – and walk in it, and you will find rest for your soul. But they said, “We won’t walk in it.” Jesus was saying they would only find rest if they were obedient.  Further, the ending of the verse is “we won’t walk in it”, which is likely an allusion to their disobedience.
30. “For My yoke¹⁷see note on previous verse. is pleasant and My burden is easy to bear.

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Working on the Sabbath

1. At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbaths, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat heads of grain.
2. And having seen this, the Pharisees said to Him; “Look, your disciples are doing what isn’t lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
3. So He told them; “Didn’t you read what David did when he and the men with him were hungry?”
4. “How he entered God’s house and they ate the consecrated bread, which wasn’t lawful for him nor for the men with him to eat, but was only for the priests?
5. “Or didn’t you read in the law that the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath¹The Mosaic law required sacrifices to be made in the temple twice a day, every day. (Exodus 29:38) Even on the Sabbath they were offered.  Of course, the priests had to work to perform the sacrifice. on the Sabbaths and yet are innocent?
6. “And I tell you that One greater than the temple is here.
7. “And if you had understood what is written: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”²quotation/allusion to Hosea 6:6 you wouldn’t have condemned the innocent.
8. “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

9. And having departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
10. And behold; a man having a withered hand was there.  And so they might accuse Him, they asked Him saying; “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths?”
11. Then He said to them; “What man will be among you who will have only one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on one of the Sabbaths, won’t he grab it and lift it out?
12. “Therefore, how much more valuable is a man than a sheep?  So then, it’s lawful to do good on the Sabbaths.”
13. Then He tells the man, “Reach out your hand.”  And he reached it out and it was restored to health like his other.
14. And having gone out, the Pharisees held a council against Him, so they might destroy Him.
15. But having known this, Jesus departed from there.  And many crowds followed Him and He healed them all.
16. And He warned them, so they might not make Him known.
17. This was so it might be fulfilled; what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18. “Behold; My servant whom I chose, My beloved in whom My soul found pleasure. I will put My Spirit on Him and He will announce justice to the nations.
19. “He won’t argue angrily, nor will He cry out,³“cry out” Is one word in Greek.  It can mean any sort of loud “cry”, shout, or shriek; but especially those made by animals. It’s root comes from the “caw” sound a raven makes. nor will someone hear His voice in the wide streets.
20. “He won’t crush a reed that has been broken, and He won’t quench a smoldering wick until He leads justice into victory.⁴quotation/allusion to Isaiah 42:1-4
21. “And in His name, the gentiles will hope.”

A Divided House

22. Then a blind and mute demon-possessed man was brought to Him, and He healed him so the mute man was able to speak and to see.
23. And all the crowds were marveling and were saying; “This man can’t be the Son of David,⁵“Son of David” was a title of the promised messiah in Jewish eyes.  This stems from 2 Samuel 7:12-13, in which God promised David would have a descendant who would sit on the throne forever. can He?”
24. But having heard this, the Pharisees said; “This man doesn’t cast out demons except by Beelzebub,⁶From the Hebrew phrase “Baal Zebub” that translates as “lord of the flies”.   It’s likely a play on words for the pagan Canaanite god Baal.  One of his names was “Ba’al Zevul”, which roughly translates as “Lord of the exalted house”.  Since “Ba’al Zevul” sounds very similar to “Baal Zebub”, it was likely a derogatory Hebrew nickname for the Canaanite god.  Apparently, the title was later applied to an actual demon.  There is some debate on whether Beelzebub is a nickname for Satan, or for another high ranking demon (see following note). a ruler⁷“a ruler” The Greek word here could mean the one of greatest authority, but it doesn’t have to.  It means any “ruler”, not necessarily the one of highest authority.  The traditional interpretation of this word in this verse is “prince”. of the demons.”
25. But *knowing their thoughts, He said to them; “Every kingdom that’s divided against itself is desolated. And every city or house that’s divided against itself won’t stand.
26. “And if Satan casts out Satan, he was divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
27. “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, then by whom do your sons cast them out? Because of this, they will be your judges.
28. “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God came upon you.
29. “Or; how is someone able to enter a mighty man’s house and to openly steal his goods unless he first ties up the mighty man?  And then he will plunder his house.
30. “The man not being with Me is against Me, and the man not assembling with Me scatters.
31. “Because of this, I tell you that every sin and blasphemy towards men will be forgiven.  But blasphemy against the Spirit won’t be forgiven.
32. “And whoever might speak a word against the Son of Man, he will be forgiven.  But whoever might speak against the Holy Spirit, he won’t be forgiven; neither in this age, nor in the age about to come.

Know them by their fruit

33. “Either make the tree lovely and its fruit lovely, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten.  For a tree is known by the fruit.
34. “You offspring of serpents!⁸Satan is typically represented as a serpent. Therefore, calling them “offspring of serpents” is akin to saying they are Satan’s children or followers.  How are you able to speak good things while being evil?  For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
35. “The good man brings out good things from the good storehouse of his heart.⁹“storehouse of his heart” is one word in Greek.  It refers to a place where treasure is stored, and can include things “treasured” in the heart or mind of a person. And the wicked man brings out wicked things from the wicked storehouse of his heart.¹⁰“storehouse of his heart” is one word in Greek.  It refers to a place where treasure is stored, and can include things “treasured” in the heart or mind of a person.
36. “But I tell you that every careless word that men will speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgement.
37. “For by your words, you will be declared righteous.  And by your words, you will be condemned as guilty.

The Sign of Jonah

38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying; “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
39. But answering, He told them; “A wicked generation and an adulteress¹¹The traditional interpretation here is “a wicked and adulterous generation”.  However, the word translated “adulteress” is a noun here, not an adjective. Additionally, a feminine singular pronoun – “she” in English – is used later in the verse.  In order to make the traditional interpretation fit, “she” must be changed to the neuter pronoun, “it”.  Jesus was calling that whole generation an “adulteress”, or a woman guilty of adultery. seeks a sign, and a sign won’t be given to her, except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
40. “For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
41. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation in the judgement and will condemn it because they repented,¹²“repented” this Greek word doesn’t primarily speak of remorse or guilt for wrong actions. Rather, it literally means to “think differently after” or to “reconsider”, with an assumed change in behavior. To both the Hebrews and 1st century Greeks/Romans, a change in mind was synonymous with a change in behavior; you couldn’t have the first without the second. at the preaching of Jonah.  And behold; One greater than Jonah is here.
42. “The queen of the south will be raised in the judgement with this generation, and she will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom.  And behold; One greater than Solomon is here.

The Evil Spirit Returns

43. “Now, when the unclean spirit comes out of the man, it travels through waterless places seeking rest and doesn’t find it.
44. “Then it says: “I’ll return to my house; from where I left.”  And having gone back, it finds the house vacant, having been *swept and beautifully *decorated.
45. “Then it goes and takes with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself.  And having entered the house, they settle down there and the end of that man becomes worse than the beginning.  It will also be like that for this wicked generation.

Sons do the Father’s will

46. Now, while He’s speaking to the crowds, behold; His mother and brothers had been standing outside seeking to speak to Him.
47. So someone told Him; “Look, your mother and your brothers are *standing outside seeking to speak to you.”
48. But answering the man telling Him this, He said; “Who is My mother?  And who are My brothers?”
49. And having reached His hand toward His disciples, He said; “Look, My mother and My brothers.
50. “For whoever does the will of My Father in the heavens; he is My brother and sister and mother.”

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The Parable of the Sower

1. Later in that day, Jesus left the house and was sitting beside the sea.
2. And many crowds were gathered to Him, so He stepped into a boat to sit down, and the whole crowd had stood on the seashore.
3. And He told them many things in parables, saying; “Behold, the man sowing seed went out to sow.
4. “And in his sowing, some seeds indeed fell beside the road.¹“the road” is literal.  However, it can also be translated “the way”, which is how it’s typically translated in the BOS Bible for good reason.  In the early Christian church, they often referred to the Christian life as “The Way”.  Interestingly, the seed fell “beside” or “next to” “the way”.  And having come down, the birds devoured them.
5. “And other seeds fell on rocky places where it didn’t have much soil. And it sprang up at once because it doesn’t have depth in the soil.
6. “But it was scorched when the sun rose, and it was dried up because it doesn’t have a root.
7. “And other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8. “And other seeds fell on the good soil and they were bearing fruit; indeed, some a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty.
9. “The man having ears, let him hear.”

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables

10. And having approached Him, the disciples said to Him; “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11. And answering, He told them; “Because it has been granted for you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens.  But it hasn’t been granted to those men.
12. “For whoever has, more will be given to him and he will have abundance.  But whoever doesn’t have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13. “I speak to them in parables because of this, because while seeing, they don’t see.  And while hearing, they don’t hear, nor do they understand.
14. “And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, saying: “You will hear in your ear and definitely won’t understand; and you will see, and despite seeing definitely won’t perceive.
15. “For the heart of this people grew calloused and their ears barely listened, and their eyes shut.  Lest, when they see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and they return, and I will heal them.”²quotation/allusion to Isaiah 6:9-10
16. “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17. “For amen I tell you that many prophets and righteous men yearned to see what you see, and didn’t see it; and yearned to hear what you hear, and didn’t hear it.

The Parable Explained

18. “Therefore, you must hear and understand³“hear and understand” is one word in the Greek.  It literally means to hear, sometimes with the connotation of understanding what is being said.  In this passage, it’s in the imperative mood, making it a command. the parable of the man who sowed seed.
19. “To every man hearing the word of the kingdom and not understanding it, the evil one comes and openly steals what has been sown in his heart.  This is the seed which was sown beside the road.
20. “Now, the seed which was sown on the rocky places: this is the man hearing the word and immediately receiving it with great joy.
21. “But he doesn’t have root in himself, but is temporary; only lasting for a season.⁴“temporary; only lasting for a season” is one word in the Greek.  Its’ colloquial meaning is “temporary”, but the full technical meaning is “lasting (only) for a season”.  Technically, including both is double translating a Greek word.  However, the additional nuance of the full definition adds meaning to the verse, therefore it was included.  And when constricting distress⁵“constricting distress ” The Greek word here focuses on the internal distress of an external situation.  It refers to a narrow place that makes someone feel confined, trapped, and without options.  This could indicate that Jesus was referring to the rocky seed falling away because they find the Christian life is too restricting/confining. or persecution happened because of the word, he immediately falls away.
22. “Now, the seed which was sown among the thorns: this is the man hearing the word, and the anxiety of this age and the deception of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23. “Now, the seed which was sown on good soil: this is the man hearing the word and understanding it who truly bears fruit and produces.  Indeed, some produce a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty.

The Wheat and False Wheat (tares)

24. He set another parable before them, saying; “The kingdom of the heavens can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.”
25. “But when the men laid down to sleep, his enemy came and sowed false wheat⁶“False wheat” is one word in Greek.  It refers to the plant “Lolium temulentum”, commonly called darnel, cockle, tares, and false wheat.  Darnel looks almost identical to wheat until the ear appears at maturity (the ear is different from wheat).  Further, wheat is brown when ripe, whereas darnel is black.  The differences between wheat and darnel are subtle and hard to spot while growing, but obvious and easily spotted when the plants mature.  This made it a frustrating weed for much of human history. among the true wheat and departed.
26. “And when the crop sprouted and made fruit, then the false wheat was also revealed.
27. “So having come to the master of the house, the slaves said to him; “Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field?  So how does it have false wheat?”
28. “And he was telling them; “A man – an enemy – did this.”  And the slaves say to him; “Then, do you want us to go out and gather them?”
29. “And he says; “No, lest when gathering the false wheat you might uproot the true wheat with them.
30. “Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the harvesters; “First gather the false wheat and tie them into bundles to burn them, but gather the true wheat into my barn.”

The Mustard Seed, Leaven, and Reason for Parables

31. He set another parable before them, saying; “The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;
32. “which is truly smaller than all the common⁷The word “common” is not in the Greek, but was added to provide cultural context. The mustard seed was the smallest seed of all the plants that the Jews cultivated. seeds.  But when it’s grown, it’s greater than the garden plants and becomes a tree.  Therefore, the birds of the air come and make nests on its branches.”
33. He told them another parable; “The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour until it was all mixed and began to rise.”⁸“was… …mixed and began to rise” is one word in Greek.  It means to mix some type of leaven (such as yeast, sourdough, etc.) into dough in order to make it rise.
34. Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables, and He was speaking nothing to them without a parable,
35. so that it might be fulfilled; what was spoken through the prophet, saying; “I will open My mouth in parables.  I will declare things which have been hidden from the foundation of the world.”⁹quotation/allusion to Psalm 78:2

The Parable of the False Wheat (Tares) Explained

36. Then having sent away the crowds, He went into the house. And His disciples approached Him saying; “Explain to us the parable of the false wheat in the field.”
37. Then answering, He said: “The man sowing the good seed is the Son of Man;
38. “and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the false wheat, these are the sons of the evil one,
39. “and the enemy who sowed them is the Accuser;¹⁰“the Accuser” The Greek word used here is “διάβολος” (diabolos), and it’s the root of our English word “devil”. Much like “Christ” (see note on Matt 1:1) “devil” isn’t a name but a descriptive title.  Matthew uses the name “Satan” only 4 times in his gospel, far less than Mark and Luke, but even more than John (who only uses it once). and the harvest is the culmination of the age, and the harvesters are the angels.
40. “So just as the false wheat is gathered and completely burned by fire, it will be just like this in the culmination of the age.
41. “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather all the baits that ensnare¹¹“baits that ensnare” is a single word in the Greek.  It specifically refers to a “bait stick”, meaning the trigger stick of a trap or snare to which the bait is attached.  Think of the part of a mouse trap to which you affix the cheese. On reaching for the bait, the “bait stick” triggers the trap and ensnares the unsuspecting victim. out of His kingdom and the men acting without regard for God’s commands,¹²“without regard for God’s commands ” is one word in Greek, and is more literally “without regard for God’s law”. It’s a noun, and literally means “those who are without law”; i.e. those who – either by ignorance or by rebellion – don’t obey God’s (moral) law.
42. “and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
43. “Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun¹³quotation/allusion to Daniel 12:3 in the kingdom of their Father. The man having ears, let him hear.

The kingdom is like: treasure, pearl, dragnet

44. “The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure that has been hidden in a field, which having found it, a man hid again.  And for the joy of finding it, he departs and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45. “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a traveling merchant searching for magnificent pearls.
46. “And having found one extremely valuable pearl, he left and *sold all that he had and bought it.
47. “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a dragnet¹⁴“dragnet” is literal.  It’s a slang term for a type of fishing net that’s properly called a “seine”.  A dragnet is a long net with weights at the bottom and floats at the top.  It’s dragged through the sea either by men walking or boats.  Notably, it catches everything between the surface and the bottom of the net, regardless of the type of fish the fishers want to catch. that was cast into the sea and gathered every kind of fish.
48. “Which when it was filled, they pulled it up to the shore.  And having sat down, they collected the good fish into containers; but they threw out the rotten fish.
49. “It will be like this in the culmination of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous,
50. “and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
51. “Did you understand all these things?”  They tell Him; “Yes.”
52. Then He told them; “Because of this, every scribe¹⁵“scribe” in the New Testament, this Greek word is typically applied to those learned in the Mosaic Law. discipled into the kingdom of the heavens is like a man – a master of a house – who brings out new and old things from the treasury of his heart.”¹⁶“the treasury of his heart” is one word in Greek.  It refers to a place where valuable things are stored, which can include thoughts or ideas stored in the heart or mind.

Jesus returns to Nazareth

53. And it happened, when Jesus finished these parables, that He left that place.
54. And having come into His hometown,¹⁷“hometown” is literally “fatherland”, as in the place his father lived/lives.  This was another way of saying the place He came from, i.e. His hometown. He was teaching them in their synagogue so that they are stunned in amazement and saying: “From where did this man get this wisdom and the power to perform miracles?
55. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
56. And indeed, aren’t all His sisters with us?  So then, where did He get all these things?
57. And they were being offended at Him.  But Jesus told them; “A prophet isn’t without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
58. And He didn’t do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

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The Death of John the Baptist

1. At that time, Herod the Tetrarch¹“Tetrarch” is composed of two Greek words; the first means “four”, the second means “ruler”.  Properly, it means someone who rules over a fourth part of a region.  Essentially, this means a minor governor. heard the news of Jesus.
2. And he told his servants; “This is John the Baptist.  He was raised from the dead and these miraculous powers are working in him because of this.”
3. For having seized John, Herod bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.
4. For John was saying to him; “It’s not lawful for you to have her.”
5. Although wishing to kill him, Herod was frightened of the crowd because they were regarding him as a prophet.
6. And having celebrated Herod’s birthday feast, the daughter of Herodias²“daughter of Herodias” History tells us that her name was Salome, who had become Herod’s stepdaughter at this point.  A common estimate for her birth year is 14 AD, meaning she was in her mid-teens when she danced before Herod. One common theory is that Salome danced sensually to entice, but that seems unlikely given these two facts. danced in their midst and pleased Herod.
7. For this reason, he promised with a vow to give her whatever she asked.
8. But having been urged by her mother, she says; “Give me John the Baptist’s head, here on a platter.”
9. And the king – having been deeply grieved because of his vows and the men reclining³“recline” in the first century, you didn’t “sit” at a table in chairs.  Rather, you laid down with your feet sticking out in a reclining position. at the table with him – commanded John’s head to be given.
10. And having sent orders, he had John beheaded in the prison.
11. And his head was brought on a platter, and it was given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
12. And having come forward, his disciples took the body and buried it.  And having gone to Jesus, they told Him.

Feeding the Five Thousand

13. And having heard this, Jesus withdrew from there on His own by boat to a desolate place. And having heard this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the cities.
14. And having gone out, He saw a great crowd and was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
15. Now, it having become evening, the disciples approached Him saying; “This place is desolate, and the dinner hour has already passed. Therefore, dismiss the crowds so that after going into the towns, they might buy food for themselves.”
16. But Jesus told them; “They have no need to leave. You give them something to eat.”
17. And they tell Him; “We don’t have anything here except five loaves and two fish.”
18. And He said; “Bring them here to Me.”
19. And having commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish.  Having looked up to heaven, He spoke a blessing.  And having broken the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
20. And all ate and were satisfied.  And they picked up the pieces left over, twelve baskets full.
21. Now, the men eating were about five thousand men, without counting women and children.

Jesus Walks On Water

22. And He immediately compelled the disciples to step into the boat and to go before Him to the other side of the sea, until He sent away the crowds.
23. And having sent away the crowds, He went up to the mountain on His own to pray. And it having become evening, He was there alone.
24. Now, the boat was already many stadia⁴a “stadia” is ~606 English feet, or ~185 meters. from the land, and it was being buffeted by the waves for the wind was hostile.
25. And in the fourth watch of the night,⁵“fourth watch of the night” Both the Jews and Romans divided the night into four “watches”, each approximately three hours long.  The fourth watch was between 3am and 6am. Depending on the specific time that this took place and the time of year, it could’ve pitch black or during the fairly light dawn hours. He went to them walking on the sea.⁶quotation/allusion to Job 9:8 and Job 38:16
26. And having seen Him walking on the sea, the disciples were deeply shaken, saying; “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out from fear.
27. And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying; “Have courage: I Am.⁷“I Am” the Greek construction here is identical to John 8:58, where Jesus proclaims His Deity, thus the translation “I Am” here.  This is a reference several Old Testament passages, primarily Exodus 3:14 where God appears to Moses and reveals Hisself as “I Am”.  Don’t fear.”
28. And answering Him, Peter said; “Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to you on the waters.”
29. And He said; “Come.”  And having come down out of the boat, Peter walked on the waters and came to Jesus.
30. But seeing the violent wind, he was frightened.  And having begun to sink into the sea, he cried out saying; “Lord save me!”
31. And having reached out His hand, Jesus immediately caught him and says to him; “O you of little faith; why did you doubt?”
32. And as they entered into the boat, the wind ceased.
33. And the men in the boat bowed down at His feet,⁸“bowed down at… …feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”, which isn’t inaccurate (Jesus is God, and thus is worthy of our worship).  It comes from the Greek words: “pros” meaning “towards”, and “kyneo” meaning “to kiss”.  It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure.  Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered. saying; “Truly, you are God’s Son.”

Healing at Gennesaret

34. And having crossed over the sea, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
35. And having recognized Him, the men of that place sent messengers into that whole neighboring region, and they brought all the men being sickly to Him.
36. And they were begging Him, so they might merely touch the fringe of His robe, and as many as touched it were completely cured.⁹Malachi 4:2 speaks of the “sun of righteousness” which has “healing in it’s wings”.  The Jews believed this prophecy referred to the Messiah. The Hebrew word translated “wings” literally means any extremity (wing, arm, leg, etc.), including the “extremity” – or fringe – of a garment. Thus they believed touching the fringe of the Messiah’s robe would bring healing.  This is almost certainly an indication that they believed Jesus was the Messiah, because they applied a Messianic prophecy to Him.

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Man’s Tradition vs God’s Commandments

1. Then some scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem approach Jesus, saying;
2. “Why do your disciples defy the tradition of the elders?  For, they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3. But answering, He said to them; “And why do you defy the command of God because of your tradition?
4. “For God commanded; ‘Honor your father and mother‘,¹quotation/allusion to Exodus 20:12 and: ‘The man cursing²“cursing” the Greek word which means to curse literally means to speak evil of.  Likewise, the Greek word for bless literally means to speak well of.  Therefore, in this verse it could also be translated “speaks evil of”.  Either or both could be intended. his father or mother must end in death.’³quotation/allusion to Exodus 21:17
5. “But you say; ‘Someone may tell his father or mother; ‘If you might be helped by something from me, it’s a gift to God instead.’⁴“it’s a gift to God instead”.  In Greek, this phrase is only one word, “δῶρον” meaning “gift” or “sacrifice”.  Mark 7:11 uses the word “Corban”, which is specifically a gift consecrated/devoted to God.   The Pharisees believed that it was wrong to use something which was devoted/consecrated to God for “normal” use.   Therefore, the Pharisees said if a man devoted (gave) everything he owned to God, he couldn’t use it for another purpose (such as helping family).  However, there was no time requirement to deliver his goods, so he could keep them indefinitely while avoiding his obligations.  This loophole was apparently invented by the Pharisees to allow men to shirk the Biblical and moral obligation of taking care of their own parents.
6. “He definitely won’t honor his father [or his mother], and thus you nullified God’s command because of your tradition.
7. “You hypocrites!  Isaiah prophesied about you rightly, saying;
8. “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me
9. “and they worship Me pointlessly, teaching the precepts of men as doctrines.”⁵quotation/allusion to Isaiah 29:13

What Defiles A Man

10. And having summoned the crowd, He told them; “Listen and understand:
11. “It’s not something entering into the mouth that defiles a man, but something coming out of the mouth; this defiles the man.”
12. Then having approached Him, the disciples say; “Do you *know that the Pharisees were offended after hearing this word?”
13. And answering, He said; “Every plant that My heavenly Father didn’t plant will be pulled up by the roots.
14. “Leave them alone.  They are blind guides of the blind; and if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
15. And answering, Peter said to Him; “Explain this parable to us.”
16. But He said; “Are you men also still without understanding,⁶“without understanding” is one word in Greek.  It specifically refers to those who are unable or unwilling to put facts together in a coherent manner.  Thus it also has the connotation of being foolish or stupid. even now?”
17. “Don’t you recognize that everything entering into the mouth proceeds into the stomach and is expelled into a sewage pit.⁷“sewage pit” the Greek word here literally means “a place of sitting apart”, referring to a drain or latrine for human waste.
18. “But the things coming out of the mouth come out of the heart, and these defile a man.
19. “For from the heart come out wicked thoughts,⁸“thoughts” the Greek word here indicates back-and-forth reasoning, sometimes with yourself.  It also carries the connotation of leading to confusion or doubting. murders, men having sex with other men’s wives,⁹“men having sex with other men’s wives” is one word in Greek, usually translated “adulteries” in this verse.  However, the Greek (and Hebrew) words specifically mean a man (married or unmarried) having sex with another man’s wife.  The Hebrews divided sexual sins into two classes based on the marital status of the woman.  A man having sex with another man’s wife (or betrothed) was adultery.   A man having sex with an unmarried woman was fornication. Both are serious sins, but they are differentiated by the Greek and Hebrew words. fornications, thefts, perjuries, and blasphemies.
20. “These are the things defiling a man.  But to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile a man.”

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith

21. And having departed from there, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22. And behold; a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him.  She was crying out and saying; “Have mercy on me Lord, Son of David.¹⁰“Son of David” was a title of the promised messiah in Jewish eyes. This stems from 2 Samuel 7:12-13, in which God promised David would have a descendant who would sit on the throne forever. This could be construed as declaration of faith by the Canaanite woman.  My daughter is grievously demon possessed.”
23. But He didn’t answer her a word.  And having approached Him, His disciples were urging Him saying; “Send her away because she cries out after us.”
24. But answering her, He said; “I wasn’t sent to anyone except to the *lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25. But having come to Him, she was bowing down at His feet, saying; “Lord, help me.”
26. But answering, He said; “It’s not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs.”¹¹“pet dogs” The Greek word here is the diminutive form of the Greek word that means “dog”.  Hence, a small dog or a puppy.  The implication is of a household pet (which would probably be beloved), but it doesn’t have to be a pet.
27. But she said; “Yes Lord, for even the pet dogs eat from the breadcrumbs falling from their masters’ table.”
28. Then answering, Jesus said to her; “O woman, your faith is great!  Let it happen to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Feeding Four Thousand

29. And having departed from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee.  And having gone up to the mountain, He was sitting there.
30. And many crowds approached Him, having with themselves lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others.  And they dropped¹²“dropped” is literal.  The Greek word means to throw or set down carelessly (drop).  It’s used 7 times in the New Testament, 6 of which it’s typically translated “throw” or “cast”. them at His feet, and He healed them.
31. So the crowd marveled at seeing the mute speaking, and the crippled made whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing.  And they glorified the God of Israel.
32. And having summoned His disciples, Jesus said; “I’m moved with compassion for the crowd, because they already remain with Me three days and don’t have anything they could eat.  And I don’t wish to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”
33. And the disciples say to Him; “From where in this wilderness would we get so much bread as to satisfy so numerous a crowd?”
34. And Jesus says to them; “How many loaves of bread do you have?”  And they said; “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35. And having commanded the crowd to recline¹³“recline” is literal.  In the 1st century, they didn’t sit at a table.  Rather, they laid down with their feet sticking out. on the ground,
36. He took the seven loaves and the fish.  And having given thanks, He broke them.  And He was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
37. And all ate and were satisfied.  And they picked up the leftover pieces, seven baskets full.
38. Now, the men eating were four thousand men, without counting women and children.
39. And having sent away the crowds, He stepped into the boat and came to the region of Magadan.

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Looking For A Sign

1. And having approached Jesus intent on testing Him, the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
2. And answering, He told them; “It having become evening, you say: ‘It’ll be good weather, for the sky is red’.
3. And in the morning you say: ‘today will be a storm, for the sky is red cloudy’.  Indeed, you know how to discern the sky’s appearance, but you aren’t able to discern the signs of the times.
4. A wicked generation and an adulteress¹“adulteress” the traditional interpretation here is “a wicked and adulterous generation”.  However, the word translated “adulteress” is a noun here, not an adjective. Additionally, a feminine singular pronoun – “she” in English – is used later in the verse.  In order to make the traditional interpretation fit, “she” must be changed to the neuter pronoun, “it”.  Jesus was calling that whole generation an “adulteress”, or a woman guilty of adultery.seeks a sign. And a sign won’t be given to her except the sign of Jonah.”  And having left them behind, He departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees

5. And having come to the other side of the sea, the disciples forgot to take bread.
6. Then Jesus told them; “Look out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7. And they were reasoning among themselves, saying; “He said this because we didn’t bring bread.”
8. But having known this, Jesus said; “Why are you reasoning among yourselves?  Because you don’t have bread?  O you men of little faith.
9. “You don’t yet understand nor remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?
10. “Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?
11. “How do you not understand that I didn’t speak to you about bread?  Now, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12. Then they understood that He didn’t say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ teaching.

Jesus, the Rock on Which the Church is Built

13. Then having come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus was questioning His disciples, saying; “Who do men declare the Son of Man to be?”
14. And they said; “Indeed, some say John the Baptizer, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15. He says to them; “But who do you declare Me to be?”
16. And answering, Simon Peter said; “You are the Anointed; The Son of the living God.”
17. And answering, Jesus told him; “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood didn’t reveal this to you, but My Father in the heavens.
18. And I also tell you that you are Peter.  And on that²“that”, the Greek demonstrative pronoun is traditionally translated “this” here.  While some say that the church was build on the ‘rock’ of Peter (since his name means rock), that’s impossible because in Greek, the word here is grammatically feminine, while Peter is grammatically masculine.  In order for the demonstrative pronoun to refer to Peter, it would need to match grammatical gender with the word Peter by being masculine, which it isn’t. rock I will build My church, and the gates of the underworld³“underworld” the Greek word here is “ᾍδης” (Hades).  Hades was the name of the Greek god of the underworld, and the word became synonymous with the underworld itself.  In Greek mythology, the underworld (Hades) was the place that all departed spirits went, whether good or bad.  It is directly equivalent to the Hebrew world “sheol”. won’t overpower her.
19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens.  And whatever you bind on earth will have been bound⁴“will have been bound” is two words in Greek.  The first is the Greek word for “to exist” in the future tense, so “will be”.  The second is the Greek work for “bind”.  Here it’s in the Greek Perfect tense here, which indicates an action that was completed in the past that results in a state that’s ongoing until the present. in the heavens.  And whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed⁵“will have been loosed” Is two words in Greek.  The first is the Greek word for “to exist” in the future tense, so “will be”.  The second is the Greek work for “loosen”, which is in the Greek Perfect tense here. The perfect tense is (sort of) a combination of our past and present tenses.  It indicates an action that was completed in the past that results in a state that’s ongoing until the present. in the heavens.
20. Then He clearly ordered the disciples, so they would tell no one that He is the Anointed.
21. From that time on, Jesus the Anointed began to show His disciples that it’s essential for Him to go to Jerusalem, and to suffer many things from the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day.
22. And having taken Him aside, Peter began to scold Him, saying; “God forbid⁶“God forbid” is one word in Greek.  The primary meaning is “merciful” or to “have mercy”, and it’s only used one other place: Hebrews 8:12 where it’s typically translated “merciful”.  A more colloquial meaning was “God have mercy”, in the sense of forbidding something because God was merciful. you Lord; this definitely won’t happen to you.”
23. But having turned around, He said to Peter; “Get behind Me Satan!  You’re an offense to Me because you aren’t thinking the things of God, but the things of men.”

The Cost of Discipleship

24. Then Jesus told His disciples; “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, and pick up his cross, and follow Me.
25. “For whoever wants to save his life⁷“life” the Greek word here is “ψυχή” (psuché).  It literally means “breath” and is usually translated “life”, though sometimes it’s translated “soul”.  It refers to the life; the vital force which – together with the body – enables a person to live.  It can also refer to mind, will, emotions, and desires, which together make up a person’s identity.  This latter sense adds an interesting nuance of meaning to this verse. will lose it.  But whoever loses his life⁸“life” see previous note for My sake will find it.
26. “For how will a man be benefited if he gains the whole world but loses his life?⁹“life” the Greek word here is “ψυχή” (psuché).  It’s typically translated “soul” in this verse, but “life” in the previous verse.  That destroys the parallelism and distorts this verse, making it sound like this verse is about the afterlife.  However, psuché does not mean the part of us which survives death and goes to reward or punishment. (Biblically that’s our spirit.  In Revelation 8:9, animals are said to have “psuché”.)  Psuché literally means “breath” and is usually translated “life”.  It refers to the life; the vital force which – together with the body – enables a person to live.  It can also refer to mind, will, emotions, and desires, which together make up a person’s identity, or soul in that sense.  Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?¹⁰“life” see previous note
27. “For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels.  And then ‘He will pay back each according to his deeds’.¹¹quotation/allusion to Psalms 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12
28. “Amen I tell you: some who are *standing here definitely won’t taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

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The Transfiguration

1. And after six days, Jesus takes Peter, and James, and John his brother with Him and He leads them up to a high mountain on their own.
2. And He was transfigured in front of them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light.
3. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, discussing with Him.
4. Then answering, Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I’ll make three tabernacles¹A tabernacle is a moveable structure like a tent. However, they are typically much more rigid, expensive, and much nicer.  In the Old Testament, God didn’t have a temple until Solomon’s day.  Before that, He “dwelled” in a tabernacle built to exacting standards. here: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5. While he’s still speaking, behold, a shining cloud overshadowed them.  And behold, a voice came from the cloud saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”
6. And having heard this, the disciples fell on their face and were extremely terrified.
7. And Jesus approached, and having touched them He said: “Stand up and don’t fear.”
8. And having lifted their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
9. And while coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: “Tell no one of the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
10. And the disciples questioned Him, saying: “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11. And answering, He said: “Indeed, Elijah comes first and will restore all things.
12. “But I tell you that Elijah already came.  And they didn’t recognize him, but did whatever they wished to him.  In the same way also, the Son of Man is about to suffer under them.”
13. Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptizer.

Healing a Demon Possessed Boy

14. And having come to the crowd, a man approached Him, falling on his knees before Him
15. and saying: “Lord, have mercy on my son because he is epileptic and suffers terribly.  For he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16. “And I brought him to your disciples, and they couldn’t heal him.”
17. Then answering, Jesus said: “O, you unbelieving and *perverted generation.  How long will I be with you?  How long will I put up with you?  Bring him here to Me.”
18. And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out from him, and the boy was healed from that very hour.
19. Then having approached Jesus in private, the disciples said: “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
20. And He tells them: “Because of your weak faith. For amen I tell you: if you had faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: “Move from here to there” and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
21. [“But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.]²This textual variant is essentially identical to Mark 9:29 – so it changes nothing doctrinally – but the authenticity of this verse to Matthew’s gospel is disputed.  There are strong arguments on both sides, but the argument doesn’t center on theology.  It is merely about if this verse was copied over from Mark’s gospel by scribes, or original to Matthew.
22. And while being assembled in Galilee, Jesus told them: “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.
23. “And they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”  And they were deeply grieved.

The Temple Tax

24. And when they came to Capernaum, the men collecting the two-drachma³A “drachma” is an ancient Greek silver coin that weighed 4.3 grams, or 0.15 ounces. tax approached Peter and said: “Doesn’t your teacher pay the two-drachma tax?”
25. He says: “Yes.”  And having gone into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying: “What do you think Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take taxes or tribute?  From their sons or from strangers?”
26. And Peter said: “From the strangers.” Jesus was saying to him: “Then the sons are free.”
27. “But, so that we don’t offend them, having gone to the sea, cast a fishhook and pick up the fish that comes up first.  And having opened its mouth, you’ll find a statér⁴“statér”, an Greek coin worth four drachma. worth four drachma.  Having taken that coin, give it to them for Me and you. “

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The Greatest in the Kingdom

1. In that hour, the disciples approached Jesus saying: “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?”
2. And having summoned a young child, He stood the child in their midst,
3. and He said: “Amen I tell you: If you aren’t changed and become like the little children, you definitely won’t enter the kingdom of the heavens.
4. “Therefore, whoever will humble himself like this young child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.
5. “And whoever welcomes one such young child in My name, he welcomes Me.
6. “But whoever lays bait to ensnare¹“lays bait to ensnare” is a single word in the Greek. It specifically refers to a “bait stick”, meaning the trigger stick of a trap or snare to which the bait is attached. Think of the part of a mouse trap to which you affix the cheese. On reaching for the bait, the “bait stick” triggers the trap and ensnares the unsuspecting victim.  It can also refer to offending someone or someone stumbling, and is often used those ways. one of these little ones believing in Me, it’s better for him that a heavy millstone should be hung around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7. “Woe to the world for the baits that ensnare.²“baits that ensnare” the noun form of the verb used in verse 6, see note on verse 6 For it’s necessary for the baits that ensnare to come, yet woe to the man through whom this bait that ensnares comes.
8. “And if your hand or your foot ensnares³“ensnares” see footnote on “bait that ensnares” in verse 6, since this is the same Greek word. you, cut it off and throw it from you.  It’s better for you to enter into the life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the fire of ages.⁴“fire of ages” is literal, though it’s traditionally translated “eternal fire” here.  However, that’s less literal and “fire of ages” captures the severity of the fire, which the traditional interpretation doesn’t.  The word translated “ages” (αἰώνιον) here is the adjective form of the Greek word “αἰών” (aion), which is used – for example – in Matthew 24:3 when the disciples asked about the “culmination of the age“.
9. “And if your eye ensnares you, pluck it out and throw it from you. It’s better for you to enter into the life one-eyed, than having two eyes and to be thrown into the fire of the Valley of Hinnom.⁵Most translations render this “hell” but any lexicon will tell you it’s a proper noun referring to a specific valley – the Valley of Hinnom – just outside Jerusalem. Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife.  However, it also has historical significance which is lost when it’s merely translated “hell”.  Two kings of Israel sacrificed babies as burnt offerings to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1-3, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:30-31) As a result, God sentenced them to judgement through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 19:1-11) Their sentence was carried out about 20 years later when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem. He burned almost everything and enslaved all Judah. (2 kings 25:1-12) It was the worst judgement Israel had yet seen. This happened again a few decades after Christ when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
10. “See that you don’t scorn one of these little ones. For I tell you: their angels in the heavens continually see the face of My Father in the heavens.
11. [“For the Son of Man came to save the *lost.]⁶It’s unclear whether this verse was originally part of Matthew or added later, and there are good arguments on both sides of the debate.  It’s nearly identical to Luke 19:10, so it changes nothing doctrinally.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

12. “What do you think?  If any man happens to have one hundred sheep and one of them was led astray, won’t he surely⁷“won’t… …surely”  The Greek here is a stronger word for “no” than is typically used and always carries an emphatic sense. leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and having departed from there, seek the one led astray?
13. “And if he happens to find it, amen I tell you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which haven’t been led astray.
14. “Thus, it’s not the will of your Father in the heavens that one of these little ones should perish.

Church Discipline

15. “Now, if your brother sins [against you],⁸There is a great debate on whether the words “against you” were original to Matthew. Several of the earliest manuscripts don’t contain “against you”, but the vast majority of later manuscripts do. The context of verse 21 (with Peter asking how many times to forgive someone who sins “against me”) would support the longer reading.  However, the context of the previous verse is about sheep who are “led astray” and those who hurt “little children”, which wouldn’t include offenses “against you”.  There is also Galatians 6:1, which – though a different book – would seem to support the shorter reading.  On the other hand, the sheer volume of manuscripts that support the longer reading can’t be ignored.  The debate is ongoing. go rebuke him with evidence of his fault⁹“rebuke him with evidence of his fault” is one word in Greek.  It means to correct or expose something (typically bad/wrong), which includes the idea of supporting evidence for the correction or exposition. between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you won over your brother.
16. “But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you so that “By the mouth of two or three witnesses, every spoken word might be confirmed.”¹⁰quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 19:15
17. “But if he disregards them, tell the church assembly.  But if he also disregards the church assembly, let him be exactly like a pagan and a tax collector to you.
18. “Amen I tell you all: Whatever you bind¹¹“Binding and Loosing” were recognized legal terms in the Jewish faith.  Binding and loosing meant to “forbid” or to “permit” a practice in the faith.  Josephus says that that the Pharisees “became the administrators of all public affairs so as to be empowered to banish and readmit whom they pleased, as well as to loose and to bind.”  Jesus gave the church assembly to the authority to do what previously only the Pharisees – the religious elite – had been permitted to do.  Given the context here, it likely means to bind (forbid) or to loose (permit) associating with someone who has fallen into sin.  However, it could also refer to forbidding or permitting religious practices, though that idea isn’t contained in the immediate context. on earth will have been bound¹²“will have been bound” is two words in Greek.  The first is the Greek word for “to exist” in the future tense, so “will be”.  The second is the Greek work for “bind”.  Here it’s in the Greek Perfect tense here, which indicates an action that was completed in the past that results in a state that’s ongoing until the present. in heaven. And whatever you loose¹³“loose”, see note on “bind” earlier in this verse on earth will have been loosed¹⁴“will have been loosed is two words in Greek.  The first is the Greek word for “to exist” in the future tense, so “will be”.  The second is the Greek work for “loose”.  Here it’s in the Greek Perfect tense here, which indicates an action that was completed in the past that results in a state that’s ongoing until the present. in heaven.
19. “Again, amen I tell you all: If two of you on earth agree about any matter – if they ask for that – it will become so for them through My Father in the heavens.
20. “For where two or three are *gathered together in My name, I’m there in their midst.”

Forgiveness and the Unforgiving Slave

21. Then having approached Jesus, Peter said to Him: “Lord, how often shall I forgive my brother when he will sin against me? Up to seven times?”
22. Jesus tells him: “I don’t tell you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
23. “Because of this, the kingdom of the heavens can be compared to a man – a king – who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
24. “And having begun to settle his accounts, one debtor who owed ten thousand talents¹⁵A “talent” is not a coin but a measure of weight.  It was about 75lbs, or 3000 silver shekels in weight. A talent of silver was worth about 6,000 denarii, which was the going rate for a day’s worth of unskilled labor.  However, the Greek word translated “ten thousand” here can also mean “countless” in a figurative sense, so the exact number might not be important. was brought to him.
25. “But with him having nothing to repay the debt, the master ordered him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he has, and the debt to be repaid.
26. “So having fallen down, the slave was bowing at his feet,¹⁶“was bowing at… …feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”. It comes from the Greek words: “pros” (meaning “towards”) and “kyneo” (meaning “to kiss”). It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure. Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered. saying: “Be patient with me and I will repay all of it to you.”
27. “And having been moved with compassion, that slave’s master released him and forgave him the debt.
28. “But having departed, that slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii.¹⁷“denarii” is the plural of “denarius”, an ancient silver coin.  It was the going wage for a day’s worth of manual labor. And having seized him, he was choking him, saying: “Pay back what you owe!”
29. “Then having fallen down, his fellow slave was begging him, saying: “Be patient with me and I will pay you back.”
30. “Yet he wasn’t willing.  But having departed, he threw him into prison until he paid back what’s owed.
31. “So having seen the things which happened, his fellow slaves were extremely grieved.  And having gone to their master, they explained all that happened.
32. “Then having summoned him, his master says to him: “You wicked slave! I forgave all that debt for you because you begged me.
33. “Weren’t you also required to have mercy on your fellow slave, just like I also had mercy on you?
34. “And having been provoked to anger, his master handed him over to the prison torturers¹⁸“prison torturers” is one word in Greek.  It refers to a prison guard whose job it was to extract information from prisoners through torture. until that man paid back all that’s owed [to him].
35. “And My heavenly Father will do likewise to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your heart.”

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1. And it happened, when Jesus finished these words, He departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
2. And many crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

Marriage and Separation

3. And some Pharisees approached Him, testing Him and saying: “Is it lawful for a man to send away¹“send away” is literal here, though it’s typically translated divorce in this passage. The same word is used of Jesus “sending away” crowds and Pilate “sending away” (releasing) Barabbas. Paul uses a different Greek word when talking about divorce in 1 Corinthians. The Hebrew divorce procedure is found in Deut 24:1 and had three parts: 1) write a divorce certificate. 2) Give it to your wife. 3) Send her away from your house. However, if a man “sent her away” (kicked her out of his house) without a divorce certificate, in that culture she was destitute. She was still legally married because she didn’t have a divorce certificate, so she couldn’t marry anyone else without being an adulteress. Often, her only resort to feed herself was prostitution.  There was a debate as to whether this was lawful according to the Mosaic Law. This was one of the two great debates centering on divorce. (See following note for the other debate) The Pharisees cleverly asked about both in a single question here.  Jesus’ response makes it clear that spouses should live together as long as they are married. his wife for every²“every reason” is literal.  During Jesus day, there was a great debate between the rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel on what was an acceptable reason for a divorce (or merely “sending away”; see previous note).  The Hebrew divorce procedure is found in Deut 24:1 and includes this preamble: “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and she doesn’t find favor in his eyes because he finds some indecency in her…“.  The school of Shammai took the “indecency” part to mean there must be some kind of sexual indiscretion/exposure before a man could divorce her.  While Hillel’s school focused on the “not finding favor” part.  They said anything he didn’t like – even burning his dinner – could be grounds for divorce.  Essentially, Hillel’s school said a man could divorce his wife for “every reason”.  This was one of the two great debates centering on divorce. (See previous note for the other debate) The Pharisees cleverly asked about both in a single question here. reason?”³“reason” The Greek word here is often used in the judicial sense of an accusation of a crime.
4. And answering, He said: “Didn’t you read that from the beginning, the One who created them made them male and female?⁴Quotation/allusion to Genesis 1:26-27
5. “And He said: For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will be⁵ Most translations use the word “become” here, but the Greek word for “become” isn’t in this passage despite Matthew using it with great latitude elsewhere.  In this verse, it’s simply the Greek word that means is/are/am/be/being/etc. in one flesh,⁶Quotation allusion to Genesis 2:24.  Jesus appears to be talking solely about a physical union here (not a spiritual one). Paul makes this clearer in 1 Corinthians 6:16, where the Genesis 2:24 is also applied to sex with prostitutes.
6. “so they’re no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore, what God yoked together,⁷“yoked together” is literal.  A “yoke” is a contoured wooden beam used to join two beast of burden (cows, oxen, etc.) together so they can pull a heavy load together. man must not separate.⁸“separate” the Greek word here literally means to depart, vacate, or “create space”; or to “place room between” (Strong’s).  See note on “send away” in verse 3. Paul uses this word in 1 Corinthians 7 in the section on divorce, but it’s not translated divorce there.  There, it’s typically translated “leave” instead.
7. They say to Him: “So why did Moses command to give her a scroll of divorce and to send her away?”⁹quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 24:1, which lists the three things a man must do to divorce his wife. The final two parts of the divorce procedure were to give the wife a scroll of divorce and send her away from his house.  See note on verse 3.
8. He tells them: “Moses allowed you to send away¹⁰see note on “send away” in verse 3. your wives because of your hardness of heart, but from the beginning it hasn’t happened this way.
9. “But I tell you that whoever sends away¹¹see note on “send away” in verse 3. his wife not on account of sexual immorality, and married another woman of the same kind¹²“another woman of the same kind” is one word in Greek, with that exact definition.  The “of the same kind” part likely refers to a woman who is merely “sent away” and not properly divorced. See note on “send away” in verse 3. is guilty of sex with another man’s wife.¹³“is guilty of sex with another man’s wife” is one word in the Greek, typically translated “commits adultery”. However, the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was still a serious sin, but the not the specific sin of adultery. [And the man who married her who has been merely sent away is guilty of sex with another man’s wife.]¹⁴This textual variant is essentially identical to Mathew 5:32.  There is debate over whether it was copied over from that verse, or Matthew wrote it in both places.
10. His disciples say to Him: “If the accusation against¹⁵“accusation against“, the Greek word here is usually used in the judicial sense of an accusation of a crime. a man with wife is like this, it’s better not to marry.”
11. And He told them: “Not all receive this word, but only those to whom it has been given.
12. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb.  And there are eunuchs who were made into eunuchs by men.  And there are eunuchs¹⁶“eunuchs”, the Greek word for eunuch literally means “alone in bed”, and can refer either to a man who is castrated, or to one who voluntarily abstains from marriage and sex. who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. The man able to receive this, let him receive it.

Let the Children Come

13. Then some young children were brought to Him so He might lay hands on them and pray, but the disciples scolded them.
14. But Jesus said: “Allow the young children, and don’t forbid them to come to Me.  For the kingdom of the heavens is of such a kind.
15. And having laid hands on them, He departed from there.

The Rich Young Man

16. And behold; having approached Him, one man said: “Teacher, what good should I do so that I might have the life of ages?¹⁷“life of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the quality of the life, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal life” doesn’t.  The word translated “ages” (αἰώνιον) is the adjective form of the Greek word “αἰών” (aion), which is used – for example – in Matthew 24:3 “what are the signs of your coming and the end of the age?”
17. And He said to him: “Why are you asking Me about good?  Only one is good.  But if you wish to enter into the life, keep the commandments.”
18. He says to Him: “What sort of commandments?”  And Jesus said: “You shall not murder, you shall not have sex with another man’s wife,¹⁸“have sex with another man’s wife” is one word in the Greek, typically translated “commit adultery”. However, the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was typically called fornication or sexual immorality. you shall not steal, you shall not commit perjury.¹⁹quotation/allusion to Exodus 20:13-16
19. “honor your father and mother,²⁰quotation/allusion to Exodus 20:12 and you shall ^love your neighbor as yourself.”²¹quotation/allusion to Leviticus 19:18
20. The young man says to Him: “I vigilantly observed all of these; what do I still lack?”
21. Jesus was declaring to him: “If you desire to be perfect, go, sell the things you’re possessing, and give the money to the poor, and you will have stored-up treasure in the heavens, and come follow Me.
22. But having heard this word, the young man departed grieving, for he was a man having many properties.²²“properties” the Greek word here can refer to possessions, but more properly refers to land or real estate with buildings.
23. And Jesus told His disciples: “Amen I tell you: A rich man will enter into the kingdom of the heavens with difficulty.
24. “And again I tell you: It’s easier for a camel²³“camel”.  The Greek word for camel is almost identical to the Greek word for a rope. (“καμιλου vs. καμήλου”) Some contest that Jesus said “rope”.  However, there’s very little manuscript evidence for this and all of them are 9th century or later.  Others contest that Jesus was referring to a small gate – called a “eye of the needle” gate – in Jerusalem that was only large enough for an unladen camel to pass through.  The story goes, these smaller gates allowed entrance after dark when the main gates closed, but it was difficult because you had to unpack the camel before it could fit through the tiny “needle gate”.  However, there is no historical evidence for this and the story only dates to the 9th century at the earliest. to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
25. And having heard this, the disciples were incredibly stunned, saying: “Then who’s able to be saved?”
26. And having scrutinized them, Jesus said to them: “This is impossible with men: but all things are possible with God.”
27. Then answering, Peter said to Him: “Look, we left everything²⁴“everything” is literally “all things“ and followed you.  Therefore, what will our reward be?”
28. And Jesus said to them: “Amen I tell you: in the renewal when the Son of Man sits down on His glorious throne, you men who followed Me, you will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29. “And every man who left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, [or wife,] or children, or lands, for My name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit the life of ages.”²⁵“life of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the quality of the life, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal life” doesn’t.  The word translated “ages” (αἰώνιον) is the adjective form of the Greek word “αἰών” (aion), which is used – for example – in Matthew 24:3 “what are the signs of your coming and the end of the age?”  Virtually all lexicons define αἰών (the noun form) as “age”, but some want to change the adjective form’s meaning to “eternal” instead of “age-long” or “of ages”.  This despite “of ages” conveying a similar – and more literally accurate – meaning.
30. “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

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Parable of the Worker’s Pay

1. “For the kingdom of the heavens is like a man – a master of a house – who at dawn immediately went out to hire workmen for his vineyard.
2. “And having agreed with the workmen to pay a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3. “And having gone out about the third hour,¹“The third hour”, the Jews counted hours from dawn, which was typically around 6:00 in the morning. Therefore, “the third hour” is about 9:00am. he saw other workmen *standing idle in the marketplace.
4. “And he told those men: “You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.”
5. “And they went.  And having gone out again about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did the same thing again.
6. “And having gone out at about the eleventh hour, he found other workmen *standing idle.  And he says to them: “Why have you stood here idle all day?
7. “They tell him: “Because no one hired us.” He tells them: “You also go into the vineyard. [And you will receive whatever is right.]
8. “And when it became evening, the master of the vineyard says to his foreman: “Call the workmen and pay them their wage, beginning from the last, up to the first.
9. “And having come forward, the men hired about the eleventh hour received a denarius each.
10. “And having come forward, the men hired first assumed that they would receive more, but they also received a denarius each.
11. “And having received it, they were grumbling against the master of the house,
12. “saying: “These last men only worked one hour, and you made them equal to us: the men who bore the whole day’s burden and the scorching heat.”
13. “But answering one of them, he said: “Friend,²“Friend” this Greek word is only used three times on the Bible.  All of them are in Matthew, and all are in the sense of a false friend.  One lexicon says it refers to someone posing as a friend, but who really has their own interests in mind. I don’t wrong or hurt³“wrong or hurt” is one word in Greek, and can mean either or both depending on the context you.  Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?”
14. “Take what’s yours and go.  But I wish to give this last man the same as you.
15. “Or, isn’t it lawful for me to do what I desire with what’s mine?  Or, is your eye evil with greed⁴“eye evil with greed” the phrase “evil eye” is an idiom which means “to be stingy” or “to be greedy”.  See also, Matthew 6:23. because I’m generous?”
16. “In this way, the last will be first, and the first last. [for many are called, but few are chosen.]

Jesus Predicts His Death again

17. And going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples aside privately and He told them on the way: “Behold,
18. “we go up to Jerusalem.  And the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.
19. And they will hand Him over to the gentiles to mock, and to flog, and to crucify; and on the third day He will be raised again.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

20. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Him with her sons, bowing down at His feet⁵“bowing down at his feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”. It comes from the Greek words: “pros” (meaning “towards”) and “kyneo” (meaning “to kiss”). It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure. Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered. and asking something from Him.
21. And He said to her: “What do you desire?”  She says to Him: “Say that in your kingdom, these two sons of mine might sit down with one at your right hand, and one at your left hand.”
22. But answering, Jesus said to them: “You don’t *know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I’m about to drink?  [Or to be baptized in the baptism that I’m baptized?]  They tell Him: “We are able.”
23. He tells them: “Indeed, you will drink My cup [and you will be baptized in the baptism that I’m baptized.] But to sit on My right hand and on My left hand: this isn’t Mine to give.  But that’s for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
24. And having heard this, the ten were indignant about the two brothers.
25. And having summoned them, Jesus said: “You *know that the rulers of the gentiles exercise authority over them, and their great men dominate them.
26. “It shall not be this way among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, he will be your servant.
27. “And whoever desires to be first among you, he will be your slave,
28. “just as the Son of Man didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a purchase price⁶“purchase price” this Greek word often referred to the price required to buy a slave’s freedom. for many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

29. And while departing from Jericho, a great crowd followed Him.
30. And having heard that Jesus is passing by, behold: two blind men sitting along the road cried out saying: “Lord, have mercy on us Son of David.”⁷“Son of David” was a title of the promised messiah in Jewish eyes. This stems from 2 Samuel 7:12-13, in which God promised David would have a descendant who would sit on the throne forever. This could be construed as an act of faith by the blind men.
31. But the crowd scolded them so they might be silent, but they cried out louder, saying: “Lord, have mercy on us Son of David.”
32. And having stopped, Jesus called them and said: “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33. They say to Him: “Lord, we ask that our eyes might be opened.”
34. and having been moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes and at once they recovered their sight, and they followed Him.

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The Triumphal Entry

1. And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent out two disciples,
2. saying to them: “Go into the village before you, and at once you’ll find a donkey which has been tied, and a colt with her.  Having untied them, bring them to Me.
3. “And if someone says anything to you, you will say that: ‘The Lord has need of them.’ and he will send them immediately.”
4. And this has happened so what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying:
5. “Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold! Your King comes to you,“¹Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 62:11. strong but gentle²“strong but gentle” this Greek word is often translated “meek” or “gentle”.  However, it doesn’t mean the absence of power as “meek” would suggest. Instead, it specifically refers to strength or power that is gently exercised without undue harshness.  i.e. some who is strong, but applies his strength gently. and *mounted on a donkey, even on a colt; the foal of a beast of burden.”³Quotation/allusion to Zechariah 9:9
6. Then having gone and done as Jesus instructed them, the disciples
7. brought the donkey and the colt, and they put their cloaks on them, and He sat on them.
8. And the largest crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and were spreading them on the road.
9. And the crowds preceding Him and the crowds following Him were crying out, saying: “Hosanna⁴“Hosanna” A Hebrew word which means “save now”, or “please save now”. It was originally a cry for help, but apparently indicates exultation or joy. The “na” suffix indicates intense emotion, hence the emphatic sense here. to the Son of David!⁵“Son of David” was a title of the promised messiah in Jewish eyes. This stems from 2 Samuel 7:12-13, in which God promised David would have a descendant who would sit on the throne forever. This could be construed as an act of faith by ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the crowds. *Blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord!⁶Quotation/allusion to Psalm 118:26 Hosanna in the highest!”
10. And having entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying: “Who is this?”
11. And the crowds were saying: “This is the prophet, Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Cleansing the Temple

12. And Jesus entered into the temple and threw out all the men buying and selling in the temple, and He overturned the money-changers’ tables, and the chairs of the men selling the doves.
13. And He tells them: “It is *written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer‘,⁷Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 56:7 but you are making it a den of robbers.”⁸Quotation/allusion to Jeremiah 7:11
14. And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
15. But having seen the wondrous deeds that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, the chief priests and scribes were incensed.
16. And they said to Him: “Do you hear what these children say?”  And Jesus tells them, “Absolutely.  Did you never read: “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes, you prepared praise for yourself.”⁹quotation/allusion to Psalm 8:2?”
17. And having left them behind, He went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

The Fig Tree Withers

18. And while returning to the city early in the morning, He was hungry.
19. And having seen one fig tree on the road, He went to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone.  And He says to it: “Fruit won’t come from you any longer, not through the age.”  And the fig tree instantly withered.
20. And having seen this, the disciples marveled, saying: “How did the fig tree wither instantly?”
21. And answering, Jesus said to them: “Amen I tell you: If you have faith and don’t doubt, you’ll not only do the miracle of the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain: ‘be lifted up and thrown into the sea’, it will happen.
22. “And all things – as many as you ask in prayer while believing – you will receive.

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

23. And after He went into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached Him while He’s teaching, saying: “By what authority are you doing these things?  And who gave you this authority?”
24. But answering, Jesus told them: “I’ll also ask you one question, which – if you answer Me – I’ll also tell you by what authority I do these things.
25. “From where was the baptism of John: from heaven, or from men?”  And they were reasoning among themselves, saying: “If we say ‘from heaven’, He will say to us: “Then why didn’t you believe him?”.
26. But if we say ‘from men’ we fear the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.
27. And answering Jesus, they said: “We don’t *know.”  And He was also telling them: “Then neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.

A Parable of Two Sons

28. “But what do you think?  A man had two children.  And having approached the first, he said: “Child, go work in the vineyard today”.
29. “And answering, he said: “Sir, I’m not willing.”  But having regretted it later, he went.
30. “And having approached the second, he said the same thing.  And answering, he said: “I will sir.” and he didn’t go.
31. “Which of the two did the will of the father?”  They say: “The first.”  Jesus says to them: “Amen I tell you: the tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God before you.
32. “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him.  And having seen this, you didn’t even regret it afterwards to believe him.

The Wicked Vinegrowers

33. “Hear another parable: There was a man, a master of a house, who planted a vineyard.  And He placed a fence around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a fortified tower,¹⁰Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 5:1-2 and hired it out to vinegrowers, and traveled to a foreign country.
34. “And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the vinegrowers to receive his fruit.
35. “And the vinegrowers took his slaves: and indeed they beat one, and killed another, and another they stoned.
36. “Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first time, and they did the same to them.
37. “But afterwards, he sent his son to them, saying: “They will be turned in shame and revere¹¹“will be turned in shame and revere” is one word in Greek.  It means “to turn about”, often in shame or away from shame and to revere something else. my son”.
38. “But having seen the son, the vinegrowers said among themselves: “This is the heir.  Come: we should kill him and gain his inheritance.
39. “And having seized him, they threw him outside the vineyard and killed him.
40. “Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these vinegrowers?”
41. They tell Him: “He will horribly destroy those horrible men.¹²“He will horribly destroy those horrible men” is literally “He will wickedly destroy those wicked men”, but not in the sense of the destruction being wicked.  Rather, the sense is “let the punishment fit the crime”. i.e. let “the wicked meet a wicked end”.  Therefore, “horribly/horrible” was chosen to avoid this confusion, and to avoid making the reader think the lord’s actions were wicked.  And he will hire out the vineyard to other vinegrowers, who will give him the fruit in their seasons.
42. Jesus says to them: “Did you never read in the scriptures? The stone which the men building rejected; this became the head corner stone.  This happened from the Lord, and it’s marvelous in our eyes.¹³Quotation/allusion to Psalm 118:22-23
43. “Because of this, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a people¹⁴“people” is literal.  It’s the Greek word ” ἔθνος” (ethnos), which is typically translated “Gentiles” or “nations”. producing its fruit.
44. “And the man who falls on this stone will be shattered, but whomever it falls on, it will crush him to pieces and scatter him like chaff.”¹⁵“will crush… …to pieces and scatter him like chaff” is one word In Greek.  It refers to the process of winnowing, where the whole grain is slightly crushed to break the (useless) chaff from the (useful) grain. Then, the mixture is thrown into the air so the wind carries the chaff away, while the heavier (useful) grain falls back to the earth.  See note on Matthew 3:12 for more information on winnowing,
45. And having heard His parables, the chief priests and Pharisees knew that He speaks about them.
46. And they’re seeking to seize Him, but they were frightened of the crowds because they were regarding Him as a prophet.

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The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1. And answering, Jesus again spoke to them in parables, saying:
2. “The kingdom of the heavens can be compared to a man – a king – who prepared a wedding feast for his son.
3. “And he sent his slaves to call the men who have been invited to the wedding feast, and they weren’t willing to come.
4. “Again, he sent other slaves, saying: “Tell the men who have been invited: “behold, I have prepared my dinner.  My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered and everything is¹“everything is” is literally “all things are“ ready.  Come to the wedding feast.”
5. “But having not cared, they departed: one to his own farm, and another to his business.
6. “And having seized his slaves, the rest spitefully injured and killed them.
7. “And the king was enraged.  And having sent his armies, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8. “Then he says to his slaves: “The wedding feast is indeed ready, but the men who have been invited weren’t worthy.
9. “Therefore, travel on the highways and roads, and invite as many as you find to the wedding feast.
10. “And having gone out to the roads, those slaves gathered all whom they found – both evil and good – and the wedding feast was filled with the men reclining at the table.
11. “And having entered to observe the men reclining at the table, the king saw a man there not *dressed in wedding clothes.
12. “And he says to him: “Friend,²“Friend” this Greek word is only used three times on the Bible.  All of them are in Matthew, and all are in the sense of a false friend.  One lexicon says it refers to someone posing as a friend, but who really has their own interests in mind. how did you enter here without having wedding clothes?” But he was speechless.
13. “Then the king told the servants: “Having bound his hands and feet, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
14. “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Paying Caesar’s tax

15. Then having left, the Pharisees held a council on how they might trap Him in a word.
16. And they send their disciples to Him, along with Herod’s supporters, saying: “Teacher, we *know that you are true and you teach the way of God in truth.  And you don’t worry about anyone, for you don’t look at the appearance of men.
17. “Therefore tell us what you think: Is it lawful to pay the poll tax³A “poll tax” (also called a “head tax or “capitation”) is a tax on every liable individual in a nation.  This specific tax was paid yearly, and could only be paid in Roman money, not Jewish money. to Caesar, or not?
18. But having known their wickedness, Jesus said: “You hypocrites; Why do you test Me?
19. “Show Me the coin used for the poll tax.”  And they brought Him a denarius.
20. And He says to them: “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?”
21. They tell Him: “Caesar’s.”  Then He tells them: “Therefore, repay the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God.”
22. And having heard this, they marveled.  And having left Him, they departed.

Marriage in the Resurrection

23. On that same day, some Sadducees (the men saying there is no resurrection) approached Him and questioned Him,
24. saying: “Teacher, Moses said that If any man dies without having children, his brother shall marry his wife, and he shall raise up seed for his brother.”⁴Quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 25:5
25. “Now, seven brothers were among us, and the first died after he married.  And not having seed, he left his wife to his brother.
26. “And the second did the same, and the third, until the seventh.
27. “Then last of all, the woman died.
28. “Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven?  For all had her.”
29. And answering, Jesus told them: “You go astray, not *knowing the scriptures nor the power of God.
30. “For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are their daughters given in marriage: but they are like angels of God in heaven.
31. “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, didn’t you read what was spoken to you by God, saying:
32. “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”⁵Quotation/allusion to Exodus 3:6 He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living.”
33. And having heard this, the crowds were stunned at His teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

34. And the Pharisees – having heard that He silenced the Sadducees – were gathered together at the same place.
35. And testing Him, one lawyer from among them questioned Him, saying:
36. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
37. And He was declaring to him: “You shall ^love the Lord your God in your whole heart, and in your whole soul, and in your whole mind.⁶Quotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 6:5
38. “This is the great and foremost commandment,
39. “and the second is similar to it: You shall ^love your neighbor as yourself.⁷Quotation/allusion to Leviticus 19:18
40. “The whole law hangs on these two commandments, and the prophets do also.”

Whose Son is The Anointed?

41. And while the Pharisees were *gathered together, Jesus questioned them,
42. saying: “What do you think about the Anointed?  Whose son is He?”  They tell Him: “David’s.”
43. He says to them: “Then how does David call Him Lord while in the Spirit, saying:
44. “The Lord said to my Lord: sit at My right hand until I place your enemies underneath your feet.⁸Quotation/allusion to Psalm 110:1
45. “Therefore, if David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?”
46. And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare to question Him any longer from that day on.

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Do As They Say, Not As They Do

1. Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and His disciples,
2. saying: “The scribes and Pharisees sat down on Moses’ seat.
3. “Therefore in all things – as many as they tell you – do and observe.  But don’t act according to their deeds, for they speak and don’t act.
4. “They tie up heavy [and oppressive] burdens and lay them on the shoulders of men, but they aren’t willing to move them with their finger.
5. “And they do all their deeds to be seen by men, for they broaden their phylacteries¹a “phylactery” was a small leather case worn on the body like an amulet.  It contained four important passages of scripture (Ex 13:1-10, Ex 11-16, Duet 6:4-9 , Deut 13-21).  They were strapped to left arm facing the heart, or to the head and/or wrist to signify that God through the scriptures should guide all thoughts and actions.  They did this as an extremely literal way of looking at Deuteronomy 6:8. and enlarge their tassels.²“Tassels” In Numbers 15:37-40, God commanded Israel to put blue tassels on the corners of their garments so they would remember to obey Him when they saw them.  These tassels were called “tzitzit”, and apparently the Pharisees preferred large ones to ensure everyone knew that they were complying with that command.
6. “And they love the chief place at dinners, and the chief seats at the synagogues,
7. “and the greetings in the assemblies or markets,³“assemblies or markets” is one word in Greek.  It can mean either a place of assembly by men, or by implication a market.  Technically, including both translations is double translating (translating the same word twice two different ways).  However, both meanings were included because both are relevant and equally likely. and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by men.
8. “But you shouldn’t be called ‘Rabbi’, for only One is your teacher and all of you are brothers.
9. “And you shouldn’t call anyone on the earth your father, for One is your Father, and He’s in heaven.
10. “Nor should you be called master teachers,⁴“master teacher” is one word in Greek, referring to a leader who guides by instructing.  In Modern Greek, this word refers to a “professor”. because One is your master teacher; the Anointed.
11. “But the greatest among you will be your servant.
12. “And whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.

Woe to the scribes and Pharisees

13. “But woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men.  For you don’t enter, nor allow the men entering to enter.
14. [“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you devour widows’ houses and are praying long prayers for appearance’s sake. Because of this, you will receive a greater judgement.]
15. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you travel across the sea and dry land to make one convert to Judaism.   And when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of the Valley of Hinnom⁵“the Valley of Hinnom” most translations render this “hell” but any lexicon will tell you it’s a proper noun referring to a specific valley – the Valley of Hinnom – just outside Jerusalem. Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife. However, it also has historical significance which is lost when it’s merely translated “hell”. Two kings of Israel sacrificed babies as burnt offerings to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1-3, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:30-31)  Because of this, God sentenced them to judgement through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 19:1-11) Their sentence was carried out about 20 years later when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem. He burned almost everything and enslaved all Judah. (2 kings 25:1-12).  Jesus words here about “sons of the Valley of Hinnom” likely indicates He was condemning them as being just as guilty as those kings. as you are.
16. “Woe to you blind guides, you men saying: “Whoever swears by the temple, it’s nothing.  But whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.”
17. “You foolish and blind men!  For which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?
18. “And you say: “Whoever swears by the altar, it’s nothing.  But whoever swears by the gift that’s on it, he is obligated.
19. “You blind men! For which is greater: the gift, or the altar sanctifying the gift?”
20. “Therefore, the man who swore by the altar, he swears by it and by all the things upon it.
21. “And the man who swore by the temple, he swears by it and by the One inhabiting it.
22. “And the man who swore by heaven, he swears by the throne of God and by the One sitting upon it.
23. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you pay tithes of mint, and dill, and cumin, and neglected the weightier parts of the law: justice, and mercy, and faithfulness.  But it was necessary to do these without neglecting those.
24. “You blind guides! You men straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel!
25. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish,⁶“dish”, this Greek word refers to a dish in/on which light food or appetizers are served.  Specifically, expensive or choice food which is delightful, but doesn’t satisfy hunger. but within they’re full of robbery and no self-control.
26. “You blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup [and the dish], so its outside might also become clean.
27. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you are like tombs which have been whitewashed.  Which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead bones and all impurity.
28. “And in the same way, you indeed appear outwardly righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and have no regard for God’s commands.⁷“no regard for God’s commands ” is one word in Greek, and is more literally “no regard for God’s law”. It’s a noun, and literally means “those who are without law”; i.e. those who – either by ignorance or by rebellion – don’t obey God’s (moral) law.
29. “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you build the tombs of the prophets and beautifully decorate the mausoleums⁸“mausoleums” the Greek word here refers to a monument and/or memorial tomb.  The word “mausoleum” means a free-standing tomb constructed as a monument or memorial for a deceased person. of the righteous.
30. “And you say: “If we were living in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t be partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.
31. “So then, you yourselves testify that you’re sons of the men who murdered the prophets.
32. “And you; complete the standard of your fathers.
33. “You snakes!  You offspring of serpents!  How will you escape from the sentence of the Valley of Hinnom?⁹“Valley of Hinnom” most translations render this “hell” but any lexicon will tell you it’s a proper noun referring to a specific valley – the Valley of Hinnom – just outside Jerusalem. Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife. However, it also has historical significance which is lost when it’s merely translated “hell”. Two kings of Israel sacrificed babies as burnt offerings to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1-3, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:30-31) As a result, God sentenced them to judgement through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 19:1-11) Their sentence was carried out about 20 years later when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem. He burned almost everything and enslaved all Judah. (2 kings 25:1-12) It was the worst judgement Israel had yet seen. This happened again a few decades after Jesus when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. Here, Jesus was likely making a double reference to punishment in the afterlife and earthly judgement.

Lament Over Jerusalem

34. “Because of this, behold!  I send prophets, and wise men, and scribes to you. You will kill and crucify some of them, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and some you will persecute from city to city,
35. “so that all the righteous blood being shed on the earth will come upon you: from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36. “Amen I tell you: all these things will come upon this generation.
37. “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem; you’re the one killing the prophets and stoning the men who have been sent to her.  How often I wished to gather your children the way that a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and yet you didn’t want to.
38. “Behold!  Your house is left to you desolate.
39. “For I tell you: you definitely won’t see Me from now until you say: *blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord.”

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The Temple’s Destruction Prophesied

1. And having gone out from the temple, Jesus was departing and His disciples approached Him to show Him the temple buildings.
2. But answering, He told them: “Don’t you see all these things?  Amen I tell you: there definitely won’t be one stone left upon another stone here which won’t be torn down.
3. And while He’s sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him in private saying; “Tell us: when will these things be?  And what’s the sign of your coming and the culmination¹“culmination” is literal, though many translations render it “end”. It refers to an end which is not merely a cessation, but rather the completion and can indicate ushering in the next time era. of the age?
4. And answering, Jesus told them; “Watch out, lest someone leads you astray.
5. “For many will come in My name, saying; “I am the Anointed” and they will lead many astray.
6. “And you will be about to hear of wars and rumors of wars.  Behold, don’t be alarmed for it must happen, but it’s not yet the end.
7. “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places,
8. “but all these things are merely the beginning of the birth pains.
9. Then they will hand you over into persecution, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of My name.
10. “And then many will fall away, and they will betray one another, and they will hate one another.
11. “And many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray.
12. “And because disregard for God’s commands²“disregard for God’s commands” is one word in Greek, and is more literally “disregard for God’s law”.  It’s a noun, and literally means “those who are without law”; i.e. those who –  either by ignorance or by rebellion – don’t obey God’s (moral) law. is to be multiplied, the ^love of many will grow cold.
13. “But the man who endured to the end, he will be saved.
14. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited world³“inhabited world” is one word in Greek, and is more literally “the world inhabited by Romans”.  This Greek word originally referred to those who lived in Greece, excluding all others.  Later – after they were absorbed into the Roman Empire – it came to mean those who lived in the Roman Empire, excluding those outside it.  However, it’s occasionally used in a broader context to mean the entire inhabited world. as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15. “Therefore, when you see that the abomination of desolation⁴Quotation/allusion to Daniel 9:27 (the one spoken of through Daniel the prophet) *standing in the holy place, (let the man reading this understand)
16. “then let the men in Judea flee to the mountains.
17. “The man on the housetop must not come down to take things from his house,
18. “and the man in the field must not turn back to take his cloak.
19. “But woe to the women having a child in their womb, and to the women nursing in those days.
20. “And pray that your flight won’t happen in winter, nor on a Sabbath.
21. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as hasn’t happened from the beginning of the world until now; and it most definitely won’t⁵“and it most definitely won’t”.  In Greek, this is a triple negative (and not, no, not) to add very strong emphasis.  While double negatives are occasionally used to add emphasis in Greek, triple negatives are extremely rare and make the statement even more definitively negative.  Since English double negatives cancel each other out (instead of adding emphasis) the words “most definitely” were added to keep the very strong emphatic sense of the Greek. happen again.
22. “And unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
23. “Then if someone tells you; “behold, here is the Anointed”, or “He’s here” don’t believe it.
24. “For false anointed ones and false prophets will arise.  And they will give great signs and wonders in order to lead many astray; if possible, even the elect.
25. “Behold; I have forewarned you.

The Coming of the Son of Man

26. “So if they tell you; “Behold; He’s in the wilderness!” don’t go out.   Or if they say “Behold; He’s in the inner rooms!” don’t believe it.
27. “For just as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28. “Wherever the carcass might be, the vultures will be gathered there.
29. “And immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be darkened and the moon won’t give its light.⁶Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 13:10  And the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.⁷Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 34:4
30. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes⁸“tribes” the Greek word here refers to a people descended from a common ancestor.  In the New Testament, it’s almost exclusively applied to the twelve tribes of Israel, who descended from Jacob. of the land will mourn.  And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.⁹Quotation/allusion to Daniel 7:13
31. “And He will send His angels with a great trumpet call.  And they will gather His elect from the four winds; from the ends of the heavens¹⁰“heavens” the Greek word for “sky” is the exact same as the word for “heaven”.  Only context determines which is intended, so “sky” is equally correct here. as far as their other ends.

The Fig Tree Explained

32. “Now, learn from the parable of the fig tree.  When its branch at last becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
33. “And likewise, when you see all these things, you know that He is near; right at the doors.
34. “Amen I tell you: this generation definitely won’t pass away until all these things happen.
35. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words definitely won’t pass away.”

Keep Watch

36. “But concerning that day and hour, no one *knows except the Father alone; not even the angels of the heavens nor the Son.
37. “For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.
38. “For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving daughters in marriage, until that day Noah entered into the ark,
39. “and they didn’t know until the flood came and took all of it away; the coming of the Son of Man will also be like this.
40. “At that time, two men will be in the field; one is taken, and one is left.
41. “Two women are grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
42. “So keep watch because you don’t *know what day your Lord comes.
43. “And know this: if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief comes in, he would’ve watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44. “Because of this, you also must become ready, because the Son of Man comes in that hour you don’t expect.
45. “Who then is the faithful and prudent slave whom the lord set over his household of servants to give them food in the proper season?
46. “Blessed is that slave whom his lord will find doing likewise when he comes.
47. “Amen I tell you: he will set him over all of his possessions.
48. “But if that wicked slave says in his heart: “My lord delays”,
49. “and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with the drunkards,
50. “Then the lord of that slave will come on a day which he doesn’t expect and in an hour which he doesn’t know.
51. And he will cut him in two and will set his place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

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The Parable of the Ten Virgins

1. “At that time, the kingdom of the heavens will be compared to ten virgins, who having taken their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom.
2. “And five of them were foolish and five were prudent,
3. “for the foolish took their lamps but didn’t take oil with them.
4. “But the prudent took oil in flasks with their lamps.
5. “And while the bridegroom is delaying, they all became drowsy and were sleeping.
6. “And in the middle of the night, a great cry *happened: “Behold the bridegroom!  Go out to meet him!”
7. “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8. “And the foolish said to the prudent; “Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.”
9. “But the prudent answered, saying; “Never.  There definitely isn’t enough for both us and you. Instead, go to the men selling oil and buy it for yourselves.”
10. “But while they’re going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came.  And the virgins who were ready entered into the wedding feast with him and the door was shut.
11. “And later the remaining virgins also come, saying; “Lord, lord; open for us.”
12. “But answering, he said; “Amen I tell you: I don’t *know you.”
13. “Therefore, keep watch because you don’t *know the day nor the hour [in which the Son of Man comes].

The Parable of the Talents

14. “For it’s just like a man traveling to a foreign country, who called his own slaves and handed over his possessions to them.
15. “And indeed, he gave five talents¹A “talent” is not a coin but a measure of weight. It was about 75lbs, or 3000 silver shekels in weight. A talent of silver was worth about 6,000 denarii, which was the going rate for a day’s worth of unskilled labor. to one, and two talents to another, and one talent to another; to each according to his own ability.  And he immediately traveled to a foreign country.
16. “Having gone, the man who received five talents traded with them and gained another five.
17. “Likewise, the man with two gained another two.
18. “But having departed, the man who received one talent dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s silver.
19. “And after much time passed, the master of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them.
20. “And having approached, the man who received five talents brought another five talents, saying; “Master, you handed me five talents. Behold, I gained another five talents.”
21. “His master was telling him; “Well done good and faithful slave.  You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many. Enter into the joy of your master.”
22. “And having also approached, the man who received two talents said; “Master, you handed me two talents.  Behold, I gained another two talents.
23. “His master was telling him; “Well done good and faithful slave.  You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many. Enter into the joy of your master.”
24. “And having also approached, the man who has received one talent said; “Master, I knew you, that you’re a harsh man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you didn’t scatter seed.”
25. “And having been afraid, I departed and hid your talent in the ground. Behold, you have what’s yours.”
26. “But answering, his master told him; “You wicked and lazy slave!  You had known that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter seed.
27. “Therefore, it was proper for you to invest my silver with the bankers, and having come back I would’ve recovered my money with interest.
28. “Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to the man having ten talents.
29. “For to every man who has, more will be given and he will have abundance. But the man who doesn’t have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
30. “Also, cast out the useless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

The Sheep and the Goats

31. “And when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne.
32. “And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33. “And indeed, He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left.
34. “Then the King will tell the men on His right; “Come, you men who have been blessed by My Father; inherit the kingdom *prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35. “For I hungered, and you gave Me food to eat.  I thirsted, and you gave Me a drink.  I was a foreigner, and you were hospitable to Me.
36. “I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to Me.”
37. “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying; “Lord, when did we see you hungering and fed you, or thirsting and gave you a drink?
38. “And when did we see you as a foreigner and were hospitable, or see you naked and clothed you?
39. “And when did we see you being sick or in prison and came to you?
40. “And answering, the King will tell them; “Amen I tell you: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.
41. And then He will tell the men on His left; “Depart from Me, you men who have been cursed into the fire of ages²“fire of ages” is literal. It’s traditionally translated “eternal fire” here, but that’s less literal and “fire of ages” also captures the severity of the fire, which the traditional interpretation doesn’t. *prepared for the Accuser³“The Accuser” is literal.  The Greek word used here is “διάβολος” (diabolos), and it’s the root of our English word “devil”. Much like “Christ” (see note on Matt 1:1) “devil” isn’t a name but rather a descriptive title. and his angels.
42. For I hungered and you didn’t give Me food to eat.  I thirsted, and you didn’t give Me a drink.
43. I was a foreigner, and you weren’t hospitable to Me; naked, and you didn’t clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.
44. “And then they will answer, saying; “Lord, when did we see you hungering, or thirsting, or a foreigner, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t serve you?”
45. “Then He will answer them, saying; “Amen I tell you: whatever you didn’t do for one of the least of these, you didn’t do for Me.
46. And these will depart into the punishment of ages,⁴“punishment of ages” is literal.  It’s traditionally translated “eternal punishment” here, but that’s less literal and “punishment of ages” also captures the severity of the punishment, which the traditional interpretation doesn’t. but the righteous into the life of ages.”⁵“life of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the quality of the life, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal life” doesn’t.

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1. And it happened when Jesus finished all these words, that He said to His disciples,
2. “You have known that the Passover happens after two days, and the Son of Man is handed over to be crucified.”

(More) Plotting to Kill Jesus

3. Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest called Caiaphas.
4. And they held a council so they might seize and kill Jesus by treachery.
5. But they were saying; “Not during the feast, so it won’t become a riot among the people.”

The Woman Anoints Jesus with Scented Oil

6. And while Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,¹A “leper” is a person suffering from “leprosy” (also called “Hansen’s Disease” in modern times). The disease is caused by the bacteria “M. leprae“. Symptoms includes the outbreak of unsightly skin sores and nerve damage. It was a great social stigma in the ancient world and remains so to this day in many places. The Jews believed that leprosy was caused by sin. Therefore they believed that only the promised messiah would be able to cure leprosy, because only God could forgive sin.
7. a woman having an alabaster bottle of very expensive scented oil approached Him.  And she poured it on His head while He’s reclining at the table.
8. But having seen this, the disciples were indignant, saying; “For what purpose was this waste?
9. “For this was able to be sold for much and the money to be given to the poor.
10. But having known this, Jesus told them; “Why do you cause trouble for the woman?  For, she did a lovely deed to Me.
11. “For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have Me.
12. “For this woman who poured this scented oil on My body did it to prepare Me for burial.
13. “Amen I tell you: wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman did will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.

Judas Betrays Jesus

14. Then having departed, one of the twelve – the man called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests.
15. He said; “What do you intend to give me if I will hand Him over²“hand… …over” The Greek word here can also be translated “betray” to you?”  And they paid thirty pieces of silver to him.
16. And from then on, he was seeking an opportunity so he might hand Him over.

The Last Supper

17. Now, on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples approached Jesus, saying; “Where do you intend that we should prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
18. And He said; “Go into the city to a specific³“specific” this Greek word is used when someone’s name is known, but not used.  Likely because it’s not important in this case. man and tell him: “The teacher says: My time is near.  I am celebrating the Passover at your house with My disciples.”
19. And the disciples did as Jesus instructed them and prepared the Passover.
20. And when it became evening, He was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.
21. And while they’re eating, He said to them; “Amen I tell you: one of you will betray Me.”
22. And being deeply grieved, each one of them began to say to Him; “It’s not I Lord, is it?”
23. And answering, He said; “The man who dipped his hand in the bowl with Me, he will betray Me.
24. “Indeed the Son of Man departs, just as it’s *written about Him. But woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for him if that man wasn’t born.”
25. But answering, Judas – the man betraying Him – said; “It’s not I Rabbi, is it?”  He tells him; “You said it.”
26. And while they’re eating, Jesus took bread and after a blessing, He broke it.  And having given it to the disciples, He said; “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27. And having taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying; “Drink from it, all of you.”
28. “For this is My blood of the covenant poured out for the benefit of many, for the forgiveness of sins.
29. “And I tell you: I definitely won’t drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it fresh with you in My Father’s kingdom.
30. And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter’s Denial Predicted

31. Then Jesus tells them; “All of you will stumble because of Me on this night, for it’s *written: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.⁴Quotation/allusion to Zechariah 13:7
32. “But after being raised, I will go before you into Galilee.”
33. But answering, Peter told Him; “If all others will stumble because of you, I will never stumble.”
34. Jesus was telling him; “Amen I tell you: on this night – before a rooster crows – you will deny Me three times.”
35. Peter tells Him; “Even if it’s necessary for me to die with you, I definitely won’t deny you.”  And all the disciples said the same thing.

The Garden of Gethsemane

36. Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane and tells the disciples; “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37. And having taken along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be deeply grieved and troubled.
38. Then He tells them; “My soul is engulfed in sorrow, even to death.  Stay here and keep watch with Me.”
39. And having gone forward a little farther, He fell on His face, praying and saying; “My Father; let this cup pass from Me if it’s possible. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.
40. And He goes to the disciples and finds them sleeping.  And He says to Peter; “Couldn’t you keep watch like this for one hour with Me?
41. “Keep watch and pray so you won’t enter into temptation.  Indeed, the spirit is eager but the flesh is weak.”
42. Again, having departed for a second time, He prayed saying; “My Father, if it’s not possible for this cup to pass unless I drink it, let your will be done.”
43. And having come again, He found them sleeping, for their eyes were *burdened.
44. And having left them again, He departed and prayed for a third time, saying the same word again.
45. Then He comes to the disciples and tells them; “You can sleep and rest later. Behold; the hour has drawn near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46. “Wake up, we should go.  Behold; the man betraying Me has drawn near.”

Jesus is Arrested

47. And while He’s still talking, behold; Judas – one of the twelve – came, and with him was a great crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48. And the man betraying Him gave them a sign, saying; “He is whomever I kiss; seize Him.”
49. And having approached Jesus immediately, he said; “Hello Rabbi” and kissed Him.
50. And Jesus said to him; “Friend, why are you here?”  Then having approached Him, they laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.
51. And behold; having reached out his hand, one of the men with Jesus drew his sword.  And having struck the high priest’s slave, he cut off his ear.
52. “Then Jesus tells him; “Return your sword to its place, for all who take up a sword will perish by a sword.”
53. “Or, do you think that I’m not able to call on My Father, and right now He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
54. “How then could the scriptures be fulfilled, that say it must happen this way?”
55. In that hour, Jesus said to the crowds; “Why did you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a violent robber?⁵“violent robber” is one word in Greek.  It refers to someone who steals through force, as opposed to a burglar or thief who steals through stealth.  I was sitting every day in the temple teaching, and you didn’t seize Me then.
56. “And all this has happened so the prophets’ writings might be fulfilled.”  Then having left Him, all the disciples fled.

Jesus’ Trial

57. Then the men who seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
58. But Peter was following Him from afar, until the high priest’s courtyard.  And having gone inside, he was sitting with the servants to see the outcome.
59. Now, the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin⁶The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court of the day. were seeking false testimony against Jesus so they might put Him to death.
60. And they didn’t find any, though many approached as false witnesses.  But having approached later, two said:
61. “This man was saying: “I’m able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.”
62. And having stood up, the high priest said to Him; “You answer nothing?  Why are these men testifying against you?”
63. But Jesus was remaining silent.  And the high priest said to Him; “I put you under oath⁷“I put… …under oath” is one word in Greek, with that exact meaning. by the living God, so tell us if you are the Anointed, the Son of God.
64. Jesus tells him; “You said it.  Nevertheless, I tell you: from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.⁸Quotation/allusion to Daniel 7:13
65. “Then the high priest tore his robes, saying; “He blasphemed!  Why would we still have need of witnesses?  Behold; you heard His blasphemy just now.
66. “What do you think?”  And answering, they said; “He’s guilty and deserves⁹“guilty and deserves” is one word in Greek.  It was a legal/forensic term which indicated guilt for a crime, and thus also that the accused was deserving of punishment. death.”
67. Then they spat in His face, and punched Him, and the synagogue attendants¹⁰“synagogue attendants”  In Greek, this clause simply reads “and the slapped Him”, with no referent to who this other party is.  However, the parallel passage in  Mark 14:65 tells us, hence the translation here. slapped¹¹“slapped”.  The Greek word here could also mean “to strike with a rod” Him,
68. saying; “Prophesy to us Anointed One: who is the man who hit you?”

Peter Denies Jesus

69. Now, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and one servant girl approached him, saying; “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70. But he denied it before all of them, saying; “I don’t *know what you’re talking about.”
71. Then having departed out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and tells the men there; “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72. And again, he denied it with an oath, saying; “I don’t *know the man.”
73. But having approached him after a little while, the men *standing there said to Peter; “Surely you’re also one of them, for even your accent makes you obvious.”
74. Then he began to curse and to make an oath, saying; “I don’t *know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
75. And Peter was reminded of the word Jesus had *spoken, that: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”  And having gone outside, he wept bitterly.

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1. And it having become morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people held a council against Jesus so they could put Him to death.
2. And having bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

3. Then having seen that He was condemned and regretting it, Judas – the man betraying Him – returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4. saying: “I sinned by betraying innocent blood.”  And they said: “What’s that to us?  You will see to it.”
5. And having thrown the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed.  And having left, he hanged himself.
6. But having picked up the pieces of silver, the chief priests said: “It’s not lawful to put them into the temple treasury,¹“temple treasury” is one word in Greek.  The word is “κορβᾶν” (corban) and is also used in Mark 7:11.  It specifically refers to gifts that were devoted/consecrated to God, and hence could also mean the place where such gifts were stored. since it’s the price of blood.”
7. Then having taken counsel, they bought the potter’s field with them, to be a burial place for foreigners.
8. For this reason, that field was called “field of blood” up to this day.
9. Then it was fulfilled, what was spoken through the prophet [Jeremiah],²There is a textual variant here.  Some manuscripts don’t give the prophet’s name, some identify it as Jeremiah, and some as Zechariah.  The quote is from Zechariah, but sometimes a scroll was identified by the first book in that scroll, and Zechariah could’ve been part of a scroll that started with Jeremiah. saying: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the One who has been priced by the sons of Israel, on whom they set a price,
10. and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.³Quotation/allusion to Zechariah 11:12-13

Jesus Before Pilate

11. Then Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned⁴“questioned” the Greek word here could also be translated “interrogated”. Him, saying: “Are you King of the Jews?”  And Jesus was declaring: “You said⁵“You said” is literally “You say” or “You are saying”.  However, “you said” conveys the idomatic sense better in English it.”
12. And during His accusation by the chief priests and elders, He answered no one.
13. Then Pilate says to Him: “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”
14. And He didn’t answer him, not even in regard to one word, so the governor began to marvel greatly.
15. Now at the festival, the governor had been accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd whom they were wanting.
16. And at that time, they were holding a notorious prisoner called [Jesus] Barabbas.
17. Therefore, while having them *assembled, Pilate said to them: “Whom do you wish I would release to you: [Jesus] Barabbas, or Jesus called the Anointed?”
18. For he had known that they betrayed Him because of malicious envy.⁶“malicious envy” is one word in Greek.  It refers to envy/jealousness that doesn’t seek to take what another has, but rather to tear down the object of the envy.
19. And while he’s sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, saying: “Let nothing happen between you and that righteous man, for today I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
20. But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds so they might ask for Barabbas, but kill Jesus.
21. And answering, the governor said to them: “Which of the two do you wish I would release for you?”  And they said: “Barabbas.”
22. Pilate says to them: “Then what should I do with Jesus called the Anointed?”  They all say: “Let Him be crucified.”
23. But he was saying: “For what evil that He did?”  But they were vehemently crying out, saying: “Let Him be crucified!”
24. And having seen that nothing is helping – but rather it’s becoming a riot – Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying: “I’m innocent of this man’s blood.  You will see to it yourselves.”
25. And answering, all the people said: “His blood is on us and on our children.”
26. Then Pilate released Barabbas for them.  And having flogged Jesus, he handed Him over so He would be crucified.

Jesus is Mocked and Crucified

27. Then having taken Jesus with them into the Praetorium,⁷“Praetorium” could refer to either the governor’s residence or the camp of the Roman military.  In this case, context tells use the latter is intended. the governor’s soldiers gathered the whole cohort⁸“cohort”.  The cohort was a basic unit of the Roman military, which consisted of 480 soldiers, plus 120 servants.  A standard cohort was comprised of 6 “centuries”, which consisted of 80 men, plus 20 servants.  However, the first cohort in every Roman Legion was composed of five double strength centuries, or 800 soldiers plus 200 servants. against Him.
28. And having stripped off His clothes, they clothed Him in a scarlet ruler’s robe.⁹“ruler’s robe” is one word in Greek (chlamys).  It refers to a short robe or cloak often worn by various rulers, such as kings, governors, or even emperors.  It was also worn by soldiers and military officers.
29. And having woven a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand.  And having fallen on their knees before Him, they mocked Him, saying: “Hail King of the Jews!”
30. And having spit on Him, they took the reed and were hitting Him on His head.
31. And when they finished mocking Him, they stripped the ruler’s robe off of Him, and clothed Him in His clothes, and led Him away to crucify Him.
32. And going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon.  They forced this man so he would carry His cross.
33. And having come to a place called Golgotha (which is called: “place of a skull”),
34. they gave Him wine which has been mixed with gall¹⁰gall is a bitter herb. to drink.  And having tasted it, He didn’t want to drink it.
35. And having crucified Him, they distributed His clothes by casting a lot [so it might be fulfilled, what was spoken by the prophet: “They split My garments among themselves, and they cast a lot for My clothing“].¹¹The second half of this verse is present in some Greek manuscripts, but not the majority.  It is strongly attested by Old Latin evidence however.  Further, this variant ends with the same Greek word as the first half of the verse (κλῆρον).  This makes it very susceptible to accidental omission, because one of the more common errors is when two lines end with the same word, scribes were liable to accidentally skip everything in between.  Further, it’s a quotation/allusion to Psalm 22:18, which Jesus quotes a few verses later in verse 46.
36. And sitting down, they were guarding Him there.
37. And they put His accusation above His head, *written this way: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38. At that time, two violent robbers¹²“violent robber” is one word in Greek.  It refers to someone who steals through force, as opposed to a burglar or thief who steals through stealth. are crucified with Him: one on the right hand, and one on the left.
39. Now, the men passing by were slandering¹³“slandering” this word is typically translated “blaspheme”, but also means slander.  It’s quite possible this double meaning was intentional by Matthew. Him, shaking their heads
40. and saying: “You man destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days; save yourself.  And if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
41. And likewise mocking, the chief priests with the scribes and elders were saying:
42. “He saved others, but He isn’t able to save Himself.  He’s the King of Israel?  Let Him come down from the cross right now and we’ll believe in Him.”
43. “He *trusts in God; let Him rescue Him now if He desires to.¹⁴Quotation/allusion to Psalm 22:8  For He said: “I am God’s Son”.”
44. And likewise even the robbers who were crucified with Him were insulting Him.

Jesus’ Death

45. Then darkness came over all the land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour.
46. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, saying: “Eli, Eli; lama sabachthani.” That is translated: “My God, My God; why did you abandon Me?“¹⁵Quotation/allusion to Psalm 22:1
47. And having heard this, some of the men *standing there were saying: “This man calls for Elijah.”
48. And having immediately run up and taken a sponge, one of them both filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and he was giving Him a drink.
49. And the rest were saying: “Leave Him alone.  We’ll see if Elijah comes and will save Him.” ¹⁶Some manuscripts add: “But having taken a spear, another pierced His side and water and blood came out.” to the end of this verse.  However, this is regarded as a later addition by nearly all New Testament scholars, probably in an attempt to harmonize with John 19:34.  The vast, overwhelming majority of manuscripts don’t support this addition.
50. And having cried out again in a loud voice, Jesus gave up His spirit.
51. And behold; the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the land was shaken, and the rocks were split.
52. And the tombs were opened and many of the saints’ bodies who have fallen asleep were raised.
53. And having gone out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.
54. Then the centurion¹⁷“centurion” was a rank in the Roman military. A normal centurion was in charge of 80 soldiers, plus ~20 support staff. However, there were different levels of centurion. The highest ranking centurions could be in charge of up to 1000 men. and the men keeping watch over Jesus with him – having seen the earthquake and the things which happened – were awestruck and terrified,¹⁸“awestruck and terrified” is literally “extremely afraid/awestruck”, with “extremely” being a separate Greek word.  The Greek verb “φοβέω” here can mean to “fear” or “awe” or “revere” depending on the context.  Sometimes more than one meaning is intended, as is likely the case here.  Technically, including both awe and fear is double translating (translating the same word twice two different ways).  However, both meanings were included because both are relevant, equally likely, and it’s likely that Matthew intended both. saying: “Truly this man was God’s Son.”
55. Now, many women were there watching from afar who followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him,
56. among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus is Buried

57. And it having become evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph (who himself was also discipled by Jesus) came forward.
58. Having approached Pilate, this man asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded it to be delivered to him.
59. And having taken the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen cloth
60. and put it in his new tomb, which he cut in the rock.  And having rolled a great stone over the door of the tomb, he departed.
61. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
62. Now, on the next day (which is after the Sabbath preparation day) the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered before Pilate,
63. saying: “Lord, we remembered that that man – the deceiver – said while still living: “After three days, I rise again.”
64. Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, lest having come at some time, His disciples steal Him and tell the people He was raised from the dead, and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65. Pilate was declaring to them: “You have a guard.  Go, secure it as you have seen fit.
66. And having gone, they secured the tomb by setting a seal¹⁹“setting a seal” is one word in Greek. Commonly, this was done by melting wax and using a signet ring to make an impression before the wax had fully cooled.  If the wax seal was broken, it was impossible to fix without using the signet ring again.  This served as a form of signature in the ancient world. on the stone, along with a guard.

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Jesus’ Resurrection

1. And after the Sabbaths – it being dawn on the first day of the week – Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2. And behold; a great earthquake happened.  For having descended from heaven and approached the tomb, an angel of the Lord rolled away the stone and was sitting on top of it.
3. And his appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow.
4. And the men guarding the tomb trembled from fear of him and became like dead men.
5. But answering, the angel told the women: “Don’t fear, for I *know that you seek Jesus, the man who has been crucified.”
6. “He isn’t here, for He was raised from the dead, just as He said.  Come, see the place where He was lying.
7. “And having gone quickly, tell His disciples that He was raised from the dead. And behold; He is going before you into Galilee; you will see Him there. Behold; I told you.”
8. And having quickly gone away from the tomb with reverent fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples.
9. And [also, as they were going to tell His disciples,] behold; Jesus met them, saying: “Rejoice!” And having approached Him, they bowed down at His feet and grabbed His feet.
10. Then Jesus tells them: “Don’t fear.  Go, tell My brothers so they go into Galilee, and they will see Me there.”

The Soldiers’ Deception

11. And while they’re leaving, behold; some of the guard went into the city and reported all the things which happened to the chief priests.
12. And having been assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave the soldiers sufficient silver coins,
13. saying: “Say that His disciples came by night and stole Him while we’re sleeping.”
14. “And if this is heard by the governor, we will persuade him and will keep you out of trouble.”
15. And having taken the silver coins, they did as they were instructed.  And this report was spread widely among the Jews up until the present day.

The Great Commission

16. And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus directed them.
17. And having seen Him, they bowed down at His feet.¹“bowed down at… …feet” is one word in Greek, often translated “worship”. It comes from the Greek words: “pros” (meaning “towards”) and “kyneo” (meaning “to kiss”). It literally refers to bowing down on your hands and knees and kissing the ground in front of a superior or authority figure. Some Egyptian pictographs have the hand outstretched, as if to send the “kiss” toward the one being revered.  But some doubted.
18. And having approached them, Jesus spoke to them saying: “All authority in heaven and on the earth was given to Me.
19. So go²“Go” In Greek, this is a passive aorist participle.  However, when a passive aorist participle is followed by an imperative aorist verb (a command), the passive participle should be understood as a command of instrumentality.  That is, the participle is commanded so that the main imperative verb’s action can be accomplished.  Thus, the word “go” isn’t a focus in this verse; the entirety of the focus is on the following verb “disciple”.  See following note.  (Note: in some passages, the Holy Spirit inspired an aorist passive participle + an imperative in one place but inspired a double imperative in a parallel verse.  Examples include: Matt 28:7 + Mark 16:7, Matt 9:6 + Mark 2:11, and Mark 11:2 + Luke 19:30.)  disciple³“disciple” most translations translate it “make disciples” here.  However the Greek verb focuses on the process of raising current disciples up to maturity, not just creating new disciples. The word is used only four times in the Bible: Matthew 13:52, Matthew 27:57, Matthew 28:19, and Acts 14:21.  In each case, the focus is on raising disciples to maturity, not creating new disciples.  While it certainly can include the idea of turning non-disciples into disciples, that’s not the word’s primary focus. all the nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit
20. “and teaching them to observe all things, as many as I commanded you.  And behold: I’m with you on all days until the culmination of the age.

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