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Isaiah 63
New English Translation

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63 Who is this who comes from Edom,[a]
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?[b]
Who[c] is this one wearing royal attire,[d]
who marches confidently[e] because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!”[f]
2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?[g]
3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them[h] in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained[i] all my clothes.
4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived.[j]
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support.[k]
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on.[l]
6 I trampled nations in my anger;
I made them drunk[m] in my rage;
I splashed their blood on the ground.”[n]

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all[o] the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel,[p]
because of[q] his compassion and great faithfulness.
8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.”[r]
He became their deliverer.
9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too.[s]
The messenger sent from his very presence[t] delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected[u] them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.[v]
10 But they rebelled and offended[w] his holy Spirit,[x]
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.
11 His people remembered the ancient times.[y]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of[z] his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them,[aa]
12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses,[ab]
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation,[ac]
13 who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running through the wilderness[ad] they did not stumble.
14 As an animal that goes down into a valley to graze,[ae]
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way[af] you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation.[ag]
15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal[ah] and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion![ai]
16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our Protector from ancient times.[aj]
17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray[ak] from your ways,[al]
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you?[am]
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
18 For a short time your special[an] nation possessed a land,[ao]
but then our adversaries knocked down[ap] your holy sanctuary.
19 We existed from ancient times,[aq]
but you did not rule over them;
they were not your subjects.[ar]

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:1 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
  2. Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
  3. Isaiah 63:1 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
  4. Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
  5. Isaiah 63:1 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsaʿah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsaʿad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
  6. Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
  7. Isaiah 63:2 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
  8. Isaiah 63:3 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
  9. Isaiah 63:3 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
  10. Isaiah 63:4 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (geʾulay) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
  11. Isaiah 63:5 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
  12. Isaiah 63:5 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
  13. Isaiah 63:6 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
  14. Isaiah 63:6 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
  15. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to all which.”
  16. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
  17. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to.”
  18. Isaiah 63:8 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
  19. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
  20. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
  21. Isaiah 63:9 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
  22. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
  23. Isaiah 63:10 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
  24. Isaiah 63:10 sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.
  25. Isaiah 63:11 tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.
  26. Isaiah 63:11 tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, raʿah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.
  27. Isaiah 63:11 sn See the note at v. 10.
  28. Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
  29. Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
  30. Isaiah 63:13 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
  31. Isaiah 63:14 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  32. Isaiah 63:14 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
  33. Isaiah 63:14 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
  34. Isaiah 63:15 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
  35. Isaiah 63:15 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (ʾelay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (ʾal). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, titʾappaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (ʾafaq) also occurs in 42:14.
  36. Isaiah 63:16 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
  37. Isaiah 63:17 tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (taʿah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
  38. Isaiah 63:17 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
  39. Isaiah 63:17 tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).sn How direct this hardening is, one cannot be sure. The speaker may envision direct involvement on the Lord’s part. The Lord has brought the exile as judgment for the nation’s sin and now he continues to keep them at arm’s length by blinding them spiritually. The second half of 64:7 might support this, though the precise reading of the final verb is uncertain. On the other hand, the idiom of lament is sometimes ironic and hyperbolically deterministic. For example, Naomi lamented that Shaddai was directly opposing her and bringing her calamity (Ruth 1:20-21), while the author of Ps 88 directly attributes his horrible suffering and loneliness to God (see especially vv. 6-8, 16-18). Both individuals make little, if any, room for intermediate causes or the principle of sin and death which ravages the human race. In the same way, the speaker in Isa 63:17 (who evidences great spiritual sensitivity and is anything but “hardened”) may be referring to the hardships of exile, which discouraged and even embittered the people, causing many of them to retreat from their Yahwistic faith. In this case, the “hardening” in view is more indirect and can be lifted by the Lord’s intervention. Whether the hardening here is indirect or direct, it is important to recognize that the speaker sees it as one of the effects of rebellion against the Lord (note especially 64:5-6).
  40. Isaiah 63:18 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
  41. Isaiah 63:18 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
  42. Isaiah 63:18 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
  43. Isaiah 63:19 tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation of הָיָה, מִן, and עוֹלָם (hayah, min, and ʿolam) occurs only here.
  44. Isaiah 63:19 tn Heb “you did not rule them; your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines stand, they are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.
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Isaiah 62
Isaiah 64
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Isaiah 64
New English Translation

64 (63:19b)[a] If only you would tear apart the sky[b] and come down!
The mountains would tremble[c] before you!
2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are,[d]
and may the nations shake at your presence!
3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise,[e]
you came down, and the mountains trembled[f] before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,[g]
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
5 You assist[h] those who delight in doing what is right,[i]
who observe your commandments.[j]
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved?[k]
6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight.[l]
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
7 No one invokes[m] your name,
or makes an effort[n] to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us[o]
and handed us over to our own sins.[p]
8 Yet,[q] Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor.[r]
9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually.[s]
Take a good look at your people, at all of us.[t]
10 Your chosen[u] cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem, a desolate ruin.
11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy,[v]
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed.[w]
12 In light of all this,[x] how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
  2. Isaiah 64:1 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  3. Isaiah 64:1 tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
  4. Isaiah 64:2 tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
  5. Isaiah 64:3 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
  6. Isaiah 64:3 tn See the note at v. 1.
  7. Isaiah 64:4 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
  8. Isaiah 64:5 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
  9. Isaiah 64:5 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
  10. Isaiah 64:5 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
  11. Isaiah 64:5 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry, and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context—God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirshaʿ, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
  12. Isaiah 64:6 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
  13. Isaiah 64:7 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
  14. Isaiah 64:7 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
  15. Isaiah 64:7 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
  16. Isaiah 64:7 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattemugenu) is a Qal preterite second person masculine singular with a first person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattemogegenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattemaggenenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite second person masculine singular with a first person common plural suffix from the verb מָגָן (magan, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
  17. Isaiah 64:8 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (veʿattah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
  18. Isaiah 64:8 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
  19. Isaiah 64:9 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
  20. Isaiah 64:9 tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
  21. Isaiah 64:10 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
  22. Isaiah 64:11 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
  23. Isaiah 64:11 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
  24. Isaiah 64:12 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
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Isaiah 63
Isaiah 65
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Psalm 126
New English Translation

Psalm 126[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

126 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion,[c]
we thought we were dreaming.[d]
2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy.[e]
At that time the nations said,[f]
“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
4 O Lord, restore our well-being,
just as the streams in the arid south are replenished.[g]
5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest.[h]
6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag[i] of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.[j]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 126:1 sn Psalm 126. Recalling the joy of past deliverance, God’s covenant community asks for a fresh display of God’s power and confidently anticipate their sorrow being transformed into joy.
  2. Psalm 126:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
  3. Psalm 126:1 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] Zion.” The Hebrew noun שִׁיבַת (shivat) occurs only here in the OT. For this reason many prefer to emend the form to the more common שְׁבִית (shevit) or שְׁבוּת (shevut), both of which are used as a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv; see Ps 14:7). However an Aramaic cognate of שְׁבִית appears in an eighth century b.c. Old Aramaic inscription with the verb שׁוּב. This cognate noun appears to mean “return” (see J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Treaties of Sefire [BibOr], 119-20) or “restoration” (see DNWSI 2:1125). Therefore it appears that שְׁבִית should be retained and understood as a cognate accusative of שׁוּב. In addition to Fitzmyer (119-20) see L. C. Allen, who offers the literal translation, “turn with a turning toward” (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 170). Allen takes שְׁבִית as construct and understands “Zion” as an objective genitive.
  4. Psalm 126:1 tn Heb “we were like dreamers.” This could mean the speakers were so overcome with ecstatic joy (see v. 3b) that they were like those who fantasize about pleasurable experiences in their sleep (see Isa 29:7-8). Since dreams are more commonly associated in the OT with prophetic visions, the community may be comparing their experience of God’s renewed favor to a prophet’s receiving divine visions. Just as a prophetic dream sweeps the individual into a different dimension and sometimes brings one face-to-face with God himself (see Gen 28:11-15; 1 Kgs 3:5-15), so the community was aware of God’s presence in a special way in the day of Zion’s restoration. Though the MT as it stands makes good sense, some choose to understand a homonymic root here meaning “to be healthy; to be strong” (see BDB 321 s.v. I חָלַם) and translate, “we were like those restored to health.” This reading appears to have the support of several ancient translations as well as 11QPsa. See L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 170-71) for a discussion of the viewpoints.
  5. Psalm 126:2 tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”
  6. Psalm 126:2 tn Heb “they said among the nations.”
  7. Psalm 126:4 tn Heb “like the streams in the Negev.”sn The streams in the arid south. Y. Aharoni writes of the streams in the Negev: “These usually dry wadis collect water on rainy days from vast areas. The situation is also aggravated by floods from the desert mountains and southern Judah. For a day or two or, more frequently, for only a few hours they turn into dangerous torrents” (Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 26). God’s people were experiencing a “dry season” after a time of past blessing; they pray here for a “flash flood” of his renewed blessing. This does not imply that they are requesting only a brief display of God’s blessing. Rather the point of comparison is the suddenness with which the wadis swell during a rain, as well as the depth and power of these raging waters. The community desires a sudden display of divine favor in which God overwhelms them with blessings.
  8. Psalm 126:5 sn O. Borowski says regarding this passage: “The dependence on rain for watering plants, the uncertainty of the quantity and timing of the rains, and the possibility of crop failure due to pests and diseases appear to have kept the farmer in a gloomy mood during sowing” (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 54). Perhaps the people were experiencing a literal drought, the effects of which cause them to lament their plight as they plant their seed in hopes that the rain would come. However, most take the language as metaphorical. Like a farmer sowing his seed, the covenant community was enduring hardship as they waited for a new outpouring of divine blessing. Yet they are confident that a time of restoration will come and relieve their anxiety, just as the harvest brings relief and joy to the farmer.
  9. Psalm 126:6 tn The noun occurs only here and in Job 28:18 in the OT. See HALOT 646 s.v. I מֶשֶׁךְ which gives “leather pouch” as the meaning.
  10. Psalm 126:6 tn The Hebrew noun אֲלֻמָּה (ʾalummah, “sheaf”) occurs only here and in Gen 37:7 in the OT.sn Verse 6 expands the image of v. 5. See the note on the word “harvest” there.
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Psalm 125
Psalm 127
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Matthew 14
New English Translation

The Death of John the Baptist

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch[a] heard reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him,[b] and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had repeatedly told[c] him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”[d] 5 Although[e] Herod[f] wanted to kill John,[g] he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 so much that he promised[h] with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 Although it grieved the king,[i] because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 10 So[j] he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His[k] head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then John’s[l] disciples came and took the body and buried it and went and told Jesus.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat[m] to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it,[n] they followed him on foot from the towns.[o] 14 As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place[p] and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But he[q] replied, “They don’t need to go. You[r] give them something to eat.” 17 They[s] said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied. 19 Then[t] he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples,[u] who in turn gave them to the crowds.[v] 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full. 21 Not counting women and children, there were about 5,000 men who ate.

Walking on Water

22 Immediately Jesus[w] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land,[x] was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 25 As the night was ending,[y] Jesus came to them walking on the sea.[z] 26 When[aa] the disciples saw him walking on the water[ab] they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 27 But immediately Jesus[ac] spoke to them:[ad] “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 Peter[ae] said to him,[af] “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out,[ag] “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

34 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.[ah] 35 When the people[ai] there recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding area, and they brought all their sick to him. 36 They begged him if[aj] they could only touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 14:1 sn A tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
  2. Matthew 14:3 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א1 C D L N W Z Γ Δ Θ 0106 ƒ1, 13 33 565 579 1241 1424 M lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various significant witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 ff1 h q al). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA28 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
  3. Matthew 14:4 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
  4. Matthew 14:4 sn This marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
  5. Matthew 14:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  6. Matthew 14:5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Matthew 14:5 tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. Matthew 14:7 tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (homologeō); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise” for certain contexts such as here.
  9. Matthew 14:9 tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”sn Herod was technically not a king, but this reflects popular usage. See the note on tetrarch in 14:1.
  10. Matthew 14:10 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
  11. Matthew 14:11 tn Grk “And his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  12. Matthew 14:12 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
  13. Matthew 14:13 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.
  14. Matthew 14:13 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  15. Matthew 14:13 tn Or “cities.”
  16. Matthew 14:15 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
  17. Matthew 14:16 tc ‡ The majority of witnesses read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) here, perhaps to clarify the subject. Although only a few Greek mss, along with several versional witnesses (א* D Zvid 579 1424 e k sys,c,p sa bo), lack the name of Jesus, the omission does not seem to be either accidental or malicious and is therefore judged to be most likely the original reading. Nevertheless, a decision is difficult. NA28 has the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
  18. Matthew 14:16 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (humeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
  19. Matthew 14:17 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  20. Matthew 14:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
  21. Matthew 14:19 tn Grk “And after instructing the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass, after taking the five loaves and the two fish, after looking up to heaven, he gave thanks, and after breaking the loaves he gave them to the disciples.” Although most of the participles are undoubtedly attendant circumstance, there are but two indicative verbs—“he gave thanks” and “he gave.” The structure of the sentence thus seems to focus on these two actions and has been translated accordingly.
  22. Matthew 14:19 tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”
  23. Matthew 14:22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. Matthew 14:24 tn Grk “The boat was already many stades from the land.” A stade (στάδιον, stadion) was a unit of distance about 607 feet (185 meters) long.
  25. Matthew 14:25 tn Grk “In the fourth watch of the night,” that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
  26. Matthew 14:25 tn Or “on the lake.”
  27. Matthew 14:26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  28. Matthew 14:26 tn Grk “on the sea”; or “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 25).
  29. Matthew 14:27 tc Most witnesses have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”), while a few lack the words (א* D 073 892 ff1 syc sa bo). Although such additions are often suspect (due to liturgical influences, piety, or for the sake of clarity), in this case it is likely that ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς dropped out accidentally. Apart from a few albeit significant witnesses, as noted above, the rest of the tradition has either ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς αὐτοῖς (ho Iēsous autois) or αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (autois ho Iēsous). In majuscule letters, with Jesus’ name as a nomen sacrum, this would have been written as autoisois_ or ois_autois. Thus homoioteleuton could explain the reason for the omission of Jesus’ name. (This same phenomenon occurs in P137 at Mark 1:17 where the original text no doubt read αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, but this papyrus accidentally omits the nomen sacrum.)
  30. Matthew 14:27 tn Grk “he said to them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  31. Matthew 14:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  32. Matthew 14:28 tn Grk “answering him, Peter said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant and has not been translated.
  33. Matthew 14:30 tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  34. Matthew 14:34 sn Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Mark 6:53). The Sea of Galilee was also sometimes known as the Sea of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).
  35. Matthew 14:35 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).
  36. Matthew 14:36 tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”
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