Matthew 26:17-25
New English Translation
The Passover
17 Now on the first day of the feast of[a] Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said,[b] “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”[c] 18 He[d] said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” 19 So[e] the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When[f] it was evening, he took his place at the table[g] with the twelve.[h] 21 And while they were eating he said, “I tell you the truth,[i] one of you will betray me.”[j] 22 They[k] became greatly distressed[l] and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He[m] answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me[n] will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.” 25 Then[o] Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus[p] replied, “You have said it yourself.”
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- Matthew 26:17 tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.
- Matthew 26:17 tn Grk “the disciples came to Jesus, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
- Matthew 26:17 sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 26:20). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.
- Matthew 26:18 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 26:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
- Matthew 26:20 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 26:20 tn Grk “he was reclining at table,” as 1st 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.
- Matthew 26:20 tc Many witnesses, some of them quite significant, have μαθητῶν (mathētōn, “disciples”; א A L W Δ Θ 33 892 1241 1424 pm lat) or μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ (mathētōn autou, “his disciples”; 0281 it) after δώδεκα (dōdeka, “twelve”). However, such clarifications are typical scribal expansions to the text. Further, the shorter reading (the one that ends with δώδεκα) has strong support in P37vid,45vid B D K Γ ƒ1,13 565 579 700 pm. Thus both internally and externally the reading that ends the verse with “the twelve” is to be preferred.
- Matthew 26:21 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
- Matthew 26:21 tn Or “will hand me over.”
- Matthew 26:22 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
- Matthew 26:22 tn The participle λυπούμενοι (lupoumenoi) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
- Matthew 26:23 tn Grk “answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 26:23 sn The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me. The point of Jesus’ comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him—somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas’ betrayal.
- Matthew 26:25 tn Grk “answering, Judas.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to reflect the sequence of events in the narrative.
- Matthew 26:25 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 26:17-25
New Living Translation
The Last Supper
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table[a] with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
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- 26:20 Or Jesus reclined.
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