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Matthew 9
New English Translation

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

9 After getting into a boat[a] he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.[b] 2 Just then[c] some people[d] brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.[e] When Jesus saw their[f] faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”[g] 3 Then[h] some of the experts in the law[i] said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”[j] 4 When Jesus perceived their thoughts he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier,[k] to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know[l] that the Son of Man[m] has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he said to the paralytic[n]—“Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”[o] 7 So[p] he stood up and went home.[q] 8 When[r] the crowd saw this, they were afraid[s] and honored God who had given such authority to men.[t]

The Call of Matthew; Eating with Sinners

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.[u] “Follow me,” he said to him. So[v] he got up and followed him. 10 As[w] Jesus[x] was having a meal[y] in Matthew’s[z] house, many tax collectors[aa] and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees[ab] saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”[ac] 12 When[ad] Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.[ae] 13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’[af] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Superiority of the New

14 Then John’s[ag] disciples came to Jesus[ah] and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees[ai] fast often,[aj] but your disciples don’t fast?” 15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests[ak] cannot mourn while the bridegroom[al] is with them, can they? But the days[am] are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them,[an] and then they will fast. 16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.[ao] 17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins;[ap] otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins[aq] and both are preserved.”

Restoration and Healing

18 As he was saying these things, a leader[ar] came, bowed low before him, and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.” 19 Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him. 20 But[as] a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage[at] for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge[au] of his cloak.[av] 21 For she kept saying to herself,[aw] “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.”[ax] 22 But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well.”[ay] And the woman was healed[az] from that hour. 23 When Jesus entered the leader’s house and saw the flute players[ba] and the disorderly crowd, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep!” And they began making fun of him.[bb] 25 But when the crowd had been forced outside,[bc] he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the news of this spread throughout that region.[bd]

Healing the Blind and Mute

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men began to follow[be] him, shouting,[bf] “Have mercy[bg] on us, Son of David!”[bh] 28 When[bi] he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus[bj] said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.[bk]

32 As[bl] they were going away,[bm] a man who was demon-possessed and unable to speak[bn] was brought to him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute began to speak.[bo] The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!” 34 But the Pharisees[bp] said, “By the ruler[bq] of demons he casts out demons!”

Workers for the Harvest

35 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns[br] and villages, teaching in their synagogues,[bs] preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.[bt] 36 When[bu] he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless,[bv] like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest[bw] to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”[bx]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 9:1 sn See the note at Matt 4:21 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  2. Matthew 9:1 sn His own town refers to Capernaum. Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). For more information, see the note at Matt 8:5.
  3. Matthew 9:2 tn Grk “And behold, they were bringing.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the people carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher-bearers’ appearance.
  4. Matthew 9:2 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Matthew 9:2 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinē) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
  6. Matthew 9:2 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
  7. Matthew 9:2 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
  8. Matthew 9:3 tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
  9. Matthew 9:3 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  10. Matthew 9:3 sn Blaspheming in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
  11. Matthew 9:5 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare that sins are forgiven is easier, since the forgiveness is unseen, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, to declare sins forgiven is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin. Jesus is implicitly claiming that authority here.
  12. Matthew 9:6 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
  13. Matthew 9:6 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
  14. Matthew 9:6 sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
  15. Matthew 9:6 tn Grk “to your house.”
  16. Matthew 9:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
  17. Matthew 9:7 tn Grk “to his house.”
  18. Matthew 9:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  19. Matthew 9:8 tc Most witnesses (C L N Γ Θ 0233 ƒ13 565 579 700 M) have ἐθαύμασαν (ethaumasan; “marveled, were amazed”) instead of ἐφοβήθησαν (ephobēthēsan) here, effectively turning the fearful reaction into one of veneration. But the harder reading is well supported by א B D W 0281 ƒ1 33 892 1424 lat co and thus is surely authentic.
  20. Matthew 9:8 tn Grk “people.” The plural of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) usually indicates people in general, but the singular is used in the expression “Son of Man.” There is thus an ironic allusion to Jesus’ statement in v. 6: His self-designation as “Son of Man” is meant to be unique, but the crowd regards it simply as meaning “human, person.” To maintain this connection for the English reader the plural ἀνθρώποις (anthrōpois) has been translated here as “men” rather than as the more generic “people.”
  21. Matthew 9:9 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telōnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.sn The tax booth was a booth located at a port or on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. These taxes were a form of customs duty or toll applied to the movement of goods and produce brought into an area for sale. As such these tolls were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices (L&N 57.183). The system as a whole is sometimes referred to as “tax farming” because a contract to collect these taxes for an entire district would be sold to the highest bidder, who would pay up front, hire employees to do the work of collection, and then recoup the investment and overhead by charging commissions on top of the taxes. Although rates and commissions were regulated by law, there was plenty of room for abuse in the system through the subjective valuation of goods by the tax collectors, and even through outright bribery. Tax overseers and their employees were obviously not well liked. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean. It was here that Jesus met Matthew (also named Levi [see Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27]) who, although indirectly employed by the Romans, was probably more directly responsible to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee appointed by Rome. It was Matthew’s job to collect customs duties for Rome and he was thus despised by his fellow Jews, many of whom would have regarded him as a traitor.
  22. Matthew 9:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
  23. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  24. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  25. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “was reclining at table.”sn As Jesus was having a meal. First century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
  26. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  27. Matthew 9:10 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
  28. Matthew 9:11 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  29. Matthew 9:11 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations (on the status of tax collectors see the note at 5:46; the phrase often occurs in the NT in collocation with sinners). Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean because of who he associates with.
  30. Matthew 9:12 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  31. Matthew 9:12 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. People who are healthy (or who think mistakenly that they are) will not seek treatment.
  32. Matthew 9:13 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7). The statement both in the Hebrew text of Hosea and the Greek text of Matthew creates an apparent antithesis between mercy and sacrifice. Even among the church fathers, some understood this to be an absolute rejection of sacrifice by Jesus, and to signal the end of the sacrificial cult with the arrival of the new covenant. This interpretation is unlikely, however, both for Hosea and for Matthew. The LXX renders the Hebrew text of Hos 6:6 as comparative: “I want mercy more than sacrifice,” and this is probably closer to Hosea’s meaning (see the note at Hos 6:6). Such an understanding is also consistent with Jesus’ teaching elsewhere in Matthew (e.g. 5:18-24; 23:23-28). Obedience to the law is important, but even more important is to show mercy to those who are in dire need, as demonstrated by Jesus himself in his ministry of healing (alluded to in Matt 9:12 with the imagery of the physician, and in Matt 9:1-8 by the healing of the paralytic).
  33. Matthew 9:14 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  34. Matthew 9:14 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  35. Matthew 9:14 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  36. Matthew 9:14 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week (cf. Luke 18:12) on Monday and Thursday (Didache 8:1).
  37. Matthew 9:15 tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
  38. Matthew 9:15 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5).
  39. Matthew 9:15 tn Grk “days.”
  40. Matthew 9:15 sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 16:13ff. For Matthew it is unlikely this statement is meant to refer to fasting in the early church following Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation, since Matthew presents the post-resurrection period as a time of Jesus’ presence rather than his absence (18:20; 28:20). Nevertheless, this passage is frequently cited as a justification of the fasting practices of the early church (such a practice may be reflected in Didache 8:1).
  41. Matthew 9:16 sn The point of the saying is the incompatibility of the old and the new, with Jesus and his disciples representing what is new. In the context this explains why Jesus and his disciples do not fast like the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist (v. 14).
  42. Matthew 9:17 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
  43. Matthew 9:17 sn The meaning of the saying new wine into new wineskins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
  44. Matthew 9:18 tn Matthew’s account does not qualify this individual as “a leader of the synagogue” as do the parallel accounts in Mark 5:22 and Luke 8:41, both of which also give the individual’s name as Jairus. The traditional translation of the Greek term ἄρχων (archōn) as “ruler” could in this unqualified context in Matthew suggest a political or other form of ruler, so here the translation “leader” is preferred (see BDAG 140 s.v. ἄρχων 2.a).
  45. Matthew 9:20 tn Grk “And behold a woman.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  46. Matthew 9:20 sn The woman was most likely suffering from a chronic vaginal or uterine hemorrhage which would have made her ritually unclean. The same Greek term is used in the LXX only once, at Lev 15:33, and there it refers to menstruation (J. Nolland, The Gospel of Matthew [NIGTC], 395).
  47. Matthew 9:20 sn The edge of his cloak could simply refer to the edge or hem, but the same term kraspedon is used in Matt 23:5 to refer to the tassels on the four corners of a Jewish man’s garment, and it probably means the same here (J. Nolland, The Gospel of Matthew [NIGTC], 396). The tassel on the corner of the garment symbolized obedience to the law (cf. Num 15:37-41; Deut 22:12). The woman thus touched the very part of Jesus’ clothing that indicated his ritual purity.
  48. Matthew 9:20 tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (himation) denotes the outer garment in particular.
  49. Matthew 9:21 tn The imperfect verb is here taken iteratively (“kept saying”), for the context suggests that the woman was trying to find the courage to touch Jesus’ cloak.
  50. Matthew 9:21 tn Grk “saved.”sn In this pericope the author uses a term for being healed (Grk “saved”) that, while referring to the woman’s physical healing, would have spiritual significance to his readers. It may be a double entendre (cf. the parallel in Mark 5:28 which uses the same term), since elsewhere the evangelist uses verbs that simply mean “heal”: If only the readers would “touch” Jesus, they too would be “saved.”
  51. Matthew 9:22 tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” sn The phrase has made you well should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the original setting; it refers only to the woman’s healing. However, as the note on the previous verse points out, it is possible the evangelist did intend something of a double entendre by the use of the term, suggesting to his readers that for them, faith in Jesus would lead to salvation in the full theological sense.
  52. Matthew 9:22 tn Grk “saved.”
  53. Matthew 9:23 sn Hired flute players were a standard feature at Jewish funerals in the first century. According to the Mishnah (m. Ketubot 4:4) the husband was responsible to provide flute players for his wife’s funeral: “Even the poorest man in Israel should not hire fewer than two flutes and one professional wailing woman.”
  54. Matthew 9:24 tn Grk “They were laughing at him.” The imperfect verb has been understood ingressively (“began making fun”).
  55. Matthew 9:25 tn Or “had been expelled.” The typical “had been put outside” is slightly understated in the context; given the raucous nature of the crowd in v. 23, forceful activity was probably required in order to evict them.
  56. Matthew 9:26 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (tēn gēn ekeinēn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79; BDAG 196 s.v. γῆ 3.
  57. Matthew 9:27 tn The aorist verb has been translated here as ingressive, stressing the beginning of the action. So Wallace: “The following verse makes it clear that an ingressive idea is meant, for the blind men are still following Jesus” (ExSyn 559).
  58. Matthew 9:27 tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  59. Matthew 9:27 sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. Implicit in the request is the assumption that Jesus had the power to heal them and restore their sight.
  60. Matthew 9:27 sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]). By extension this would apply to the ultimate royal Davidic descendant, the Messiah, as well. At this point in his narrative Matthew picks up again the theme of Jesus as Davidic descendant which had appeared in chaps. 1–2, but had not been developed further until now.
  61. Matthew 9:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  62. Matthew 9:28 tn Grk “to him, and Jesus.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  63. Matthew 9:31 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (tēn gēn ekeinēn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79; BDAG 196 s.v. γῆ 3.
  64. Matthew 9:32 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  65. Matthew 9:32 tn Grk “away, behold, they brought a man to him.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  66. Matthew 9:32 tn Grk “a man mute, demon-possessed.” Some translations infer a causal relationship here (“was mute because he was demon-possessed”; cf. TEV, CEV). The present translation allows for this interpretation (“was demon-possessed and [thus] unable to speak”) without making it explicit.
  67. Matthew 9:33 tn The aorist verb has been translated here as ingressive, stressing the beginning of the action. The context clearly indicates an ingressive force here.
  68. Matthew 9:34 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  69. Matthew 9:34 tn Or “prince.”
  70. Matthew 9:35 tn Or “cities.”
  71. Matthew 9:35 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
  72. Matthew 9:35 tn Grk “every [kind of] disease and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons. Although the present translation, like several other translations (e.g., NASB, NKJV, NLT), has opted for “every kind of disease and sickness” here, understanding the Greek term πᾶς to refer to “everything belonging, in kind, to the class designated by the noun” (BDAG 784 s.v. 5), it may be possible to understand the word to mean “all” in the sense of totality (i.e., “every disease and every sickness”), given that the same Greek term occurs at the beginning of the verse in the phrase “all the towns and villages” and the phrase at the end of the verse may be intended as a contrast. Arguing against this is the evangelist’s usage of the exact same phrase “every disease and every sickness” in 4:23 referring to Jesus’ healing ministry and in 10:1 to refer to the ministry of the disciples. In the two last-mentioned passages the contrast with “all the towns and villages” does not occur.
  73. Matthew 9:36 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  74. Matthew 9:36 tn Or perhaps “because they had been bewildered and helpless.” The grammatical issue is whether the perfect participles are to be regarded as predicate adjectives or as pluperfect periphrastic constructions (i.e., εἰμί in the indicative plus a perfect participle). Wallace regards these as pluperfect periphrastics, stating: “There may be a hint in Matthew’s use of the pluperfect, esp. in collocation with the shepherd-motif, that this situation would soon disappear” (ExSyn 584).
  75. Matthew 9:38 sn The phrase Lord of the harvest recognizes God’s sovereignty over the harvest process.
  76. Matthew 9:38 tn Grk “harvest,” but by extension of meaning this refers to the crops awaiting harvest in the fields. See BDAG 453 s.v. θερισμός 2.a.
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Matthew 12
New English Translation

Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His[a] disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat[b] and eat them. 2 But when the Pharisees[c] saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He[d] said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry— 4 how he entered the house of God and ate[e] the sacred bread,[f] which was against the law[g] for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?[h] 5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 6 I[i] tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If[j] you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’[k] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is lord[l] of the Sabbath.”

9 Then[m] Jesus[n] left that place and entered their synagogue.[o] 10 A[p] man was there who had a withered[q] hand. And they asked Jesus,[r] “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”[s] so that they could accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored,[t] as healthy as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate[u] him.

God’s Special Servant

15 Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great[v] crowds[w] followed him, and he healed them all. 16 But he sternly warned them not to make him known. 17 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:[x]

18 “Here is[y] my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I take great delight.[z]
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,
until he brings justice to victory.
21 And in his name the Gentiles[aa] will hope.”[ab]

Jesus and Beelzebul

22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus[ac] healed him so that he could speak and see.[ad] 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees[ae] heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul,[af] the ruler[ag] of demons!” 25 Now when Jesus[ah] realized what they were thinking, he said to them,[ai] “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed,[aj] and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 26 So if[ak] Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons[al] cast them[am] out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God[an] has already overtaken[ao] you. 29 How[ap] else can someone enter a strong man’s[aq] house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house.[ar] 30 Whoever is not with me is against me,[as] and whoever does not gather with me scatters.[at] 31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy,[au] but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven.[av] But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,[aw] either in this age or in the age to come.

Trees and Their Fruit

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad[ax] and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 35 The good person[ay] brings good things out of his[az] good treasury,[ba] and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 36 I[bb] tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the experts in the law[bc] along with some Pharisees[bd] answered him,[be] “Teacher, we want to see a sign[bf] from you.” 39 But he answered them,[bg] “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish[bh] for three days and three nights,[bi] so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The people[bj] of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them[bk]—and now,[bl] something greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen of the South[bm] will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon—and now,[bn] something greater than Solomon is here!

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

43 “When[bo] an unclean spirit[bp] goes out of a person,[bq] it passes through waterless places[br] looking for rest but[bs] does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’[bt] When it returns,[bu] it finds the house[bv] empty, swept clean, and put in order.[bw] 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so[bx] the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”

Jesus’ True Family

46 While Jesus[by] was still speaking to the crowds,[bz] his mother and brothers[ca] came and stood outside, asking[cb] to speak to him. 47 [cc] Someone[cd] told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting[ce] to speak to you.” 48 To the one who had said this, Jesus[cf] replied,[cg] “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 49 And pointing[ch] toward his disciples he said, “Here[ci] are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is[cj] my brother and sister and mother.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 12:1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  2. Matthew 12:1 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stachus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1). KJV “corn” is the result of British English, in which “corn” refers to the main cereal crop of a district, wheat in England and oats in Scotland (British English uses “maize” to refer to American corn).
  3. Matthew 12:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  4. Matthew 12:3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  5. Matthew 12:4 tc ‡ The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (ephagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses across a broad geogrphical area (P70 C D L N W Γ Δ Θ ƒ1, 13 33 565 579 700 1424 M latt sy co; SBL). NA28 has the plural ἔφαγον (ephagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B 481. Although it is quite possible that ἔφαγεν was motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke, both of which have the singular, the minimal—though early and significant—attestation for the plural, coupled with the singular being a more difficult reading (since the context implies that David’s companions also ate), gives the edge to ἔφαγεν as the likely autographic wording.
  6. Matthew 12:4 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.” sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two-tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5.
  7. Matthew 12:4 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
  8. Matthew 12:4 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
  9. Matthew 12:6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  10. Matthew 12:7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  11. Matthew 12:7 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
  12. Matthew 12:8 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.sn A second point in Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ actions was that his authority as Son of Man also allowed it, since as Son of Man he was lord of the Sabbath.
  13. Matthew 12:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  14. Matthew 12:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  15. Matthew 12:9 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
  16. Matthew 12:10 tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  17. Matthew 12:10 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
  18. Matthew 12:10 tn Grk “and they asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated. The referent of the pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. Matthew 12:10 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
  20. Matthew 12:13 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
  21. Matthew 12:14 tn Grk “destroy.”
  22. Matthew 12:15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  23. Matthew 12:15 tc א B lat read only πολλοί (polloi, “many”) here, the first hand of N reads ὄχλοι (ochloi, “crowds”), while virtually all the rest of the witnesses have ὄχλοι πολλοί (ochloi polloi, “great crowds”). In spite of the good quality of both א and B (especially in combination), and the testimony of the Latin witnesses, the longer reading is most likely correct; the shorter readings were likely due to homoioteleuton. NA28 puts ὄχλοι in brackets, indicating the difficulty in choosing on reading over the other.
  24. Matthew 12:17 tn Grk “so that what was said by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying.” This final clause, however, is part of one sentence in Greek (vv. 15b-17) and is thus not related only to v. 16. The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
  25. Matthew 12:18 tn Grk “Behold my servant.”
  26. Matthew 12:18 tn Grk “in whom my soul is well pleased.”
  27. Matthew 12:21 tn Or “the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  28. Matthew 12:21 sn Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
  29. Matthew 12:22 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  30. Matthew 12:22 tn Grk “so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
  31. Matthew 12:24 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  32. Matthew 12:24 tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
  33. Matthew 12:24 tn Or “prince.”
  34. Matthew 12:25 tc The majority of mss read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”), which clarifies who is the subject of the sentence. Although the shorter text is attested in far fewer witnesses (P21 א B D 892* sys,c sa bo), both the pedigree of the mss and the strong internal evidence (viz., scribes were not prone to intentionally delete the name of Jesus) argue for the omission of Jesus’ name. The name has been included in the translation, however, for clarity.
  35. Matthew 12:25 sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 25-28) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 29) about tying up the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-11) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 12:31-32).
  36. Matthew 12:25 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
  37. Matthew 12:26 tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
  38. Matthew 12:27 sn Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists (cf. “your followers,” L&N 9.4), but more likely this is a reference to the disciples of Jesus themselves, who are also Jewish and have been healing as well (R. J. Shirock, “Whose Exorcists are they? The Referents of οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19, ” JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). If this is a reference to the disciples, then Jesus’ point is that it is not only him, but those associated with him whose power the hearers must assess. The following reference to judging also favors this reading.
  39. Matthew 12:27 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  40. Matthew 12:28 sn God’s kingdom is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself.
  41. Matthew 12:28 tn The phrase ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (ephthasen eph’ humas) is quite important. Does it mean merely “approach” (which would be reflected in a translation like “has come near to you”) or actually “come upon” (as in the translation given above, “has already overtaken you,” which has the added connotation of suddenness)? Is the arrival of the kingdom merely anticipated or already in process? Two factors favor arrival over anticipation here. First, the accusative case prepositional phrase ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (eph’ humas, “upon you”) in the Greek text in combination with this verb suggests arrival (Dan 4:24, 28 Theodotion). Second, the following illustration in v. 29 looks at the healing as portraying Satan being overrun. So the presence of God’s authority has arrived. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of φθάνω (phthanō) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already.”
  42. Matthew 12:29 tn Grk “Or how can.”
  43. Matthew 12:29 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
  44. Matthew 12:29 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
  45. Matthew 12:30 sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.
  46. Matthew 12:30 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
  47. Matthew 12:31 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
  48. Matthew 12:32 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
  49. Matthew 12:32 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”sn Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.
  50. Matthew 12:33 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
  51. Matthew 12:35 tn The Greek text reads here ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos). The term is generic referring to any person.
  52. Matthew 12:35 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“his evil treasury”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
  53. Matthew 12:35 sn The treasury here is a metaphorical reference to a person’s heart (cf. BDAG 456 s.v. θησαυρός 1.b and the parallel passage in Luke 6:45).
  54. Matthew 12:36 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  55. Matthew 12:38 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  56. Matthew 12:38 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  57. Matthew 12:38 tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
  58. Matthew 12:38 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
  59. Matthew 12:39 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
  60. Matthew 12:40 tn Grk “large sea creature.”
  61. Matthew 12:40 sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.
  62. Matthew 12:41 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anēr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
  63. Matthew 12:41 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
  64. Matthew 12:41 tn Grk “behold.”
  65. Matthew 12:42 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
  66. Matthew 12:42 tn Grk “behold.”
  67. Matthew 12:43 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  68. Matthew 12:43 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
  69. Matthew 12:43 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
  70. Matthew 12:43 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
  71. Matthew 12:43 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  72. Matthew 12:44 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
  73. Matthew 12:44 tn Grk “comes.”
  74. Matthew 12:44 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
  75. Matthew 12:44 sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
  76. Matthew 12:45 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
  77. Matthew 12:46 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  78. Matthew 12:46 tn Grk “crowds, behold, his mother.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  79. Matthew 12:46 sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.
  80. Matthew 12:46 tn Grk “seeking.”
  81. Matthew 12:47 tc A few ancient mss and versions lack this verse (א* B L Γ ff1 k sys,c sa), while almost all the rest have it. The witness of א and B is especially strong, but internal considerations override this external evidence. Both v. 46 and v. 47 end with the word λαλῆσαι (“to speak”), so early scribes probably omitted the verse through homoioteleuton. Without v. 47 the passage is nonsensical: v. 46 says Jesus’ family members wanted to speak to him, and v. 48 begins with “to the one who said this.” The antecedent of “the one who said this” must surely be “someone” in v. 47. Thus, the omission of v. 47 is too hard a reading. This verse therefore should be regarded as part of the Ausgangstext.
  82. Matthew 12:47 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  83. Matthew 12:47 tn Grk “seeking.”
  84. Matthew 12:48 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  85. Matthew 12:48 tn Grk “And answering, he said to the one who had said this.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) at the beginning of the clause has not been translated.
  86. Matthew 12:49 tn Grk “extending his hand.”
  87. Matthew 12:49 tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”
  88. Matthew 12:50 tn The pleonastic pronoun αὐτός (autos, “he”) which precedes this verb has not been translated.
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