Matthew 11:22-12:28

New English Translation

²²But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon^[a] on the day of judgment than for you! ²³And you, Capernaum,^[b] will you be exalted to heaven?^[c] No, you will be thrown down to Hades!^[d] For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom,^[e] it would have continued to this day.^[f] ²⁴But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom^[g] on the day of judgment than for you!”

Jesus’ Invitation

²⁵At that time Jesus said,^[h] “I praise^[i] you, Father, Lord^[j] of heaven and earth, because^[k] you have hidden these things from the wise^[l] and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children.^[m] ²⁶Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.^[n] ²⁷All things have been handed over to me by my Father.^[o] No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides^[p] to reveal him. ²⁸Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke^[q] on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

Lord of the Sabbath

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

⁹Then^[ad] Jesus^[ae] left that place and entered their synagogue.^[af] ¹⁰A^[ag] man was there who had a withered^[ah] hand. And they asked Jesus,^[ai] “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”^[aj] so that they could accuse him. ¹¹He 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? ¹²How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored,^[ak] as healthy as the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate^[al] him.

God’s Special Servant

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

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

Jesus and Beelzebul

²²Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus^[at] healed him so that he could speak and see.^[au] ²³All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?” ²⁴But when the Pharisees^[av] heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul,^[aw] the ruler^[ax] of demons!” ²⁵Now when Jesus^[ay] realized what they were thinking, he said to them,^[az] “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed,^[ba] and no town or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶So if^[bb] Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons^[bc] cast them^[bd] out? For this reason they will be your judges. ²⁸But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God^[be] has already overtaken^[bf] you.

Footnotes

Matthew 11:22 sn Jesus’ general point is that in the day of judgment the Gentile cities will come off better than the cities of Galilee. This is not to indicate toleration for the sins of the Gentile cities, but to show how badly the judgment will go for the Galilean ones. In the OT prophetic oracles were pronounced repeatedly against Tyre and Sidon: Isa 23:1-18; Ezek 26:1-28:26; Joel 4:4; Zech 9:2-4.
Matthew 11:23 sn 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). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
Matthew 11:23 tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.
Matthew 11:23 sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).
Matthew 11:23 sn See the note on Sodom and Gomorrah in Matt 10:15.
Matthew 11:23 sn The implication is that such miracles would have brought about the repentance of the inhabitants of Sodom, and so it would not have been destroyed, but would have continued to this day.
Matthew 11:24 sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities (Gen 19:1-29), shows that to reject the current message brought by Jesus is even more serious (and will result in more severe punishment) than the worst sins of the old era. The phrase region of Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text and refers not only to the city itself but to the surrounding area.
Matthew 11:25 tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
Matthew 11:25 tn Or “thank.”
Matthew 11:25 sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.
Matthew 11:25 tn Or “that.”
Matthew 11:25 sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31, where Paul states that not many of the wise, powerful, or privileged had responded to the gospel.
Matthew 11:25 tn Or “to the childlike,” or “the innocent” (BDAG 671 s.v. νήπιος 1.b.β).
Matthew 11:26 tn Grk “for (to do) thus was well-pleasing before you,” BDAG 325 s.v. ἔμπροσθεν 1.b.δ states: “as a reverential way of expressing oneself, when one is speaking of an eminent pers., and esp. of God, not to connect the subject directly w. what happens, but to say that it took place ‘before someone.’”
Matthew 11:27 sn This verse, frequently referred to as the “bolt from the Johannine blue,” has been noted for its conceptual similarity to statements in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined. The statement here also occurs in Luke 10:22, and serves as a warning against drawing a simplistic dichotomy between Jesus’ teaching in the synoptic gospels and Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of John.
Matthew 11:27 tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.
Matthew 11:29 sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restrictions that a teacher or rabbi would place on his followers.
Matthew 12:1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
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).
Matthew 12:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
Matthew 12:3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
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 ƒ^{1, 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.
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.
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.
Matthew 12:4 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
Matthew 12:6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 12:7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 12:7 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
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.
Matthew 12:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Matthew 12:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 12:9 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
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).
Matthew 12:10 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
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.
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).
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.
Matthew 12:14 tn Grk “destroy.”
Matthew 12:15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
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.
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.
Matthew 12:18 tn Grk “Behold my servant.”
Matthew 12:18 tn Grk “in whom my soul is well pleased.”
Matthew 12:21 tn Or “the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
Matthew 12:21 sn Verses 18-21 are a quotation from Isa 42:1-4.
Matthew 12:22 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 12:22 tn Grk “so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
Matthew 12:24 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
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.
Matthew 12:24 tn Or “prince.”
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* sy^s,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.
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).
Matthew 12:25 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”