Matthew 14-17

New English Translation

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 ƒ^{1, 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 Z^vid 579 1424 e k sy^s,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 sy^c 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.”
37. Matthew 15:1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
38. Matthew 15:1 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
39. Matthew 15:1 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.
40. Matthew 15:2 tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autōn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 ƒ¹ 579 700 892 1424 f g¹); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA²⁸ has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
41. Matthew 15:2 tn Grk “when they eat bread.”
42. Matthew 15:3 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”
43. Matthew 15:4 tc Most mss (א*^,2b C L N W Γ Δ 0106 33 565 1241 1424 M) have an expanded introduction here; instead of “For God said,” they read “For God commanded, saying” (ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἐνετείλατο λέγων, ho gar theos eneteilato legōn). But such expansions are generally motivated readings; in this case, most likely it was due to the wording of the previous verse (“the commandment of God”) that caused early scribes to add to the text. Although it is possible that other witnesses reduced the text to the simple εἶπεν (eipen, “[God] said”) because of perceived redundancy with the statement in v. 3, such is unlikely in light of the great variety and age of these authorities (א^2a B D Θ 073 ƒ^{1, 13} 579 700 892 lat co, as well as other versions and fathers).
44. Matthew 15:4 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
45. Matthew 15:4 sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
46. Matthew 15:5 tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.
47. Matthew 15:6 tc The logic of v. 5 would seem to demand that both father and mother are in view in v. 6. Indeed, the majority of mss (C L N W Γ Δ Θ 0106 ƒ¹ 1424 M) have “or his mother” (ἢ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, ē tēn mētera autou) after “honor his father” here. However, there are significant witnesses that have variations on this theme (καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ [kai tēn mētera autou, “and his mother”] in Φ 565 1241 bo and ἢ τὴν μητέρα [“or mother”] in 073 ƒ¹³ 33 579 700 892), which is usually an indication of a predictable addition to the text rather than an authentic reading. Further, the shorter reading (without any mention of “mother”) is found in early and significant witnesses (א B D a e sy^c sa). Although it is possible that the shorter reading came about accidentally (due to the repetition of—ερα αὐτοῦ), the evidence more strongly suggests that the longer readings were intentional scribal alterations.tn Grk “he will never honor his father.” Here Jesus is quoting the Pharisees, whose intent is to release the person who is giving his possessions to God from the family obligation of caring for his parents. The verb in this phrase is future tense, and it is negated with οὐ μή (ou mē), the strongest negation possible in Greek. A literal translation of the phrase does not capture the intended sense of the statement; it would actually make the Pharisees sound as if they agreed with Jesus. Instead, a more interpretive translation has been used to focus upon the release from family obligations that the Pharisees allowed in these circumstances.sn Here Jesus refers to something that has been set aside as a gift to be given to God at some later date, but which is still in the possession of the owner. According to contemporary Jewish tradition, the person who made this claim was absolved from responsibility to support or assist his parents, a clear violation of the Mosaic law to honor one’s parents (v. 4).
48. Matthew 15:8 tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
49. Matthew 15:9 sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.
50. Matthew 15:10 tn Grk “And calling the crowd, he said to them.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as attendant circumstance. The emphasis here is upon Jesus’ speaking to the crowd.
51. Matthew 15:11 tn Grk “but what.”
52. Matthew 15:12 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
53. Matthew 15:13 tn Grk “And answering, he said.”
54. Matthew 15:14 tc ‡ Most mss, some of which are significant, read “They are blind guides of the blind” (א^2a C L N W Z Γ Δ Θ ƒ^{1, 13} 33 579 700 1241 1424 M lat; SBL). The omission of “of the blind” is read by א*^,2b B D 0237 Epiph. There is a distinct possibility of omission due to homoioarcton in א*; this manuscript has a word order variation which puts the word τυφλοί (tuphloi, “blind”) right before the word τυφλῶν (tuphlōn, “of the blind”). This does not explain the shorter reading, however, in the other witnesses, of which B and D are quite weighty. Internal considerations suggest that the shorter reading is autographic: “of the blind” was likely added by scribes to balance this phrase with Jesus’ following statement about the blind leading the blind, which clearly has two groups in view. A decision is difficult, but internal considerations here along with the strength of the witnesses argue that the shorter reading is more likely original. NA²⁸ places τυφλῶν in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
55. Matthew 15:14 tn Grk “If blind leads blind.”
56. Matthew 15:15 tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to him.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
57. Matthew 15:16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
58. Matthew 15:17 tn Or “into the latrine.”
59. Matthew 15:20 tn Grk “but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
60. Matthew 15:22 tn Grk “And behold a Canaanite.” 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).
61. Matthew 15:22 tn Grk The participle ἐξελθοῦσα (exelthousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.
62. Matthew 15:22 tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
63. Matthew 15:23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
64. Matthew 15:23 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
65. Matthew 15:24 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The construction in Greek is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ request.
66. Matthew 15:25 tn In this context the verb προσκυνέω (proskuneō), which often describes worship, probably means simply bowing down to the ground in an act of reverence or supplication (see L&N 17.21).
67. Matthew 15:25 tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.”
68. Matthew 15:26 tn Grk “And answering, he said, ‘It is not right.’” The introductory phrase “answering, he said” has been simplified and placed at the end of the English sentence for stylistic reasons. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
69. Matthew 15:26 tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”sn The term dogs does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus’ ministry. The woman’s response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request.
70. Matthew 15:26 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant and has not been translated.
71. Matthew 15:27 tn Grk “she said.”
72. Matthew 15:28 tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.
73. Matthew 15:28 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.
74. Matthew 15:30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
75. Matthew 15:30 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
76. Matthew 15:36 tn Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”
77. Matthew 15:37 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
78. Matthew 15:38 tc ‡ Although most witnesses (B C L N W Γ Δ ƒ¹³ 33 1424 M f sy^s,p,h mae) read “women and children” instead of “children and women,” this is likely a harmonization to Matt 14:21. A decision is difficult here, but since “children and women” is found in early and geographically widespread witnesses (e.g., א D [Θ ƒ¹] 579 lat sy^c sa bo), and has more compelling internal arguments on its side, it is likely the reading of the initial text. NA²⁸, however, agrees with the majority of witnesses.
79. Matthew 15:38 tn Grk “And those eating were 4,000 men, apart from children and women.”
80. Matthew 15:39 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.
81. Matthew 15:39 sn Magadan was a place along the Sea of Galilee, the exact location of which is uncertain.
82. Matthew 16:1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
83. Matthew 16:1 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
84. Matthew 16:1 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
85. Matthew 16:1 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.
86. Matthew 16:2 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.
87. Matthew 16:3 tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).
88. Matthew 16:3 tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
89. Matthew 16:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
90. Matthew 16:6 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
91. Matthew 16:6 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
92. Matthew 16:7 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
93. Matthew 16:8 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
94. Matthew 16:8 tn Or “discussing.”
95. Matthew 16:13 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
96. Matthew 16:13 tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
97. Matthew 16:14 sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.
98. Matthew 16:16 tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.”
99. Matthew 16:16 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
100. Matthew 16:17 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
101. Matthew 16:17 tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.
102. Matthew 16:18 tn Or “and the power of death” (taking the reference to the gates of Hades as a metonymy).sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Matt 11:23; Luke 16:23; Rev 20:13-14). Some translations render this by its modern equivalent, “hell”; others see it as a reference to the power of death.
103. Matthew 16:20 tc Most mss (א² C W Γ 579 1241 M lat bo) have “Jesus, the Christ” (᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, Iēsous ho Christos) here, while D has “Christ Jesus” (ὁ Χριστὸς ᾿Ιησοῦς). On the one hand, this is a much harder reading than the mere Χριστός, because the name Jesus was already well known for the disciples’ master—both to them and to others. Whether he was the Messiah is the real focus of the passage. But the addition of “Jesus” is surely too hard a reading: There are no other texts in which the Lord tells his disciples not to disclose his personal name. Further, it is plainly a motivated reading in that scribes had the proclivity to add ᾿Ιησοῦς to Χριστός or to κύριος (kurios, “Lord”), regardless of whether such was appropriate to the context. In this instance it clearly is not, and it only reveals that scribes sometimes, if not often, did not think about the larger interpretive consequences of their alterations to the text. Further, the shorter reading is well supported by א* B L Δ Θ ƒ^{1, 13} 565 700 1424 it sa.tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
104. Matthew 16:21 tn Grk “From then.”
105. Matthew 16:21 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
106. Matthew 16:21 tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
107. Matthew 16:22 tn Grk “began to rebuke him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
108. Matthew 16:22 tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (L&N 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”
109. Matthew 16:23 tn Grk “people.”
110. Matthew 16:24 tn Grk “to come after me.”
111. Matthew 16:24 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
112. Matthew 16:24 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.
113. Matthew 16:25 tn Grk “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26). See the discussion of this Greek term in the note on “life” in Matt 10:39.
114. Matthew 16:25 sn The Greek word translated life can refer to both earthly, physical life and inner, transcendent life (one’s “soul”). In the context, if a person is not willing to suffer the world’s rejection and persecution in order to follow Jesus but instead seeks to retain his physical life, then that person will lose both physical life and inner, transcendent life (at the judgment). On the other hand, the one who willingly gives up earthly, physical life to follow Jesus (“loses his life because of me”) will ultimately find one’s “soul” (note that the parallel in John’s Gospel speaks of “guarding one’s ‘soul’ for eternal life” (John 12:25).
115. Matthew 16:25 tn Or “for my sake.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα (heneka) indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1).
116. Matthew 16:26 tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
117. Matthew 16:27 sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
118. Matthew 16:28 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
119. Matthew 16:28 tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mē) is the strongest possible.
120. Matthew 16:28 tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).
121. Matthew 16:28 sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.
122. Matthew 17:1 tn Grk “And after six days.”
123. Matthew 17:1 tn Grk “John his brother” with “his” referring to James.
124. Matthew 17:2 sn In 1st century Judaism and in the NT, it was believed that the righteous would be given new, glorified bodies in order to enter heaven (cf. 1 Cor 15:42-49; 2 Cor 5:1-10). This transformation meant that the righteous will share the glory of God. The account of Jesus’ transfiguration here recalls the way Moses shared the Lord’s glory after his visit to the mountain in Exod 34:28-35. So the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, and they were getting a private preview of the great glory that Jesus would have following his exaltation.
125. Matthew 17:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
126. Matthew 17:3 tn Grk “And behold, Moses.” 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).
127. Matthew 17:3 sn Commentators and scholars discuss why Moses and Elijah are present. The most likely explanation is that Moses represents the prophetic office (Acts 3:18-22) and Elijah pictures the presence of the last days (Mal 4:5-6), the prophet of the eschaton (the end times).
128. Matthew 17:4 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the appearance of Moses and Elijah prompted Peter’s comment.
129. Matthew 17:4 tn Grk “Peter answering said.” This construction is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
130. Matthew 17:4 tc Instead of the singular future indicative ποιήσω (poiēsō, “I will make”), most witnesses (C³ D L W Γ Δ Θ [Φ] 0281 ƒ^[1],13 33 1241 1424 M lat sy co) have the plural aorist subjunctive ποιήσωμεν (poiēsōmen, “let us make”). But since ποιήσωμεν is the reading found in the parallel accounts in Mark and Luke, it is likely a motivated reading. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, as well as a few others (א B C* 700* as well as some versional and patristic witnesses) have ποιήσω. It is thus more likely that the singular verb is authentic.
131. Matthew 17:4 tn Or “booths,” “dwellings” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).sn Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next verse makes it clear that it was not enough honor.
132. Matthew 17:5 tn Grk “behold, a.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
133. Matthew 17:5 sn This cloud is the cloud of God’s presence and the voice is his as well.
134. Matthew 17:5 tn Or “surrounded.”
135. Matthew 17:5 tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
136. Matthew 17:5 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agapētos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
137. Matthew 17:5 sn The expression listen to him comes from Deut 18:15 and makes two points: 1) Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a leader-prophet, and 2) they have much yet to learn from him.
138. Matthew 17:6 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
139. Matthew 17:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
140. Matthew 17:9 tn Grk “Jesus commanded them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
141. Matthew 17:10 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
142. Matthew 17:10 tn Or “do the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
143. Matthew 17:11 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation.
144. Matthew 17:12 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
145. Matthew 17:14 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
146. Matthew 17:15 tn Grk “he is moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic” (so NAB, NASB), although now the term is generally regarded as referring to some sort of seizure disorder such as epilepsy (L&N 23.169; BDAG 919 s.v. σεληνιάζομαι).
147. Matthew 17:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
148. Matthew 17:17 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
149. Matthew 17:17 tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (ō), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”
150. Matthew 17:17 tn Or “faithless.”sn The rebuke for lack of faith has OT roots: Num 14:27; Deut 32:5, 20; Isa 59:8.
151. Matthew 17:17 tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.
152. Matthew 17:17 sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.
153. Matthew 17:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
154. Matthew 17:18 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
155. Matthew 17:19 tn Grk “coming, the disciples said.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselthontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
156. Matthew 17:20 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
157. Matthew 17:20 tn Grk “faith as,” “faith like.”
158. Matthew 17:20 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
159. Matthew 17:20 tc Many significant mss (א* B Θ 0281 33 579 892* e ff¹ sy^s,c sa) do not include 17:21 “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” The verse is included in א² C D L W Γ Δ ƒ^{1, 13} 565 579 700 1241 1424 M al lat sy^(p),h, but is almost certainly not original. As Metzger notes, “Since there is no satisfactory reason why the passage, if originally present in Matthew, should have been omitted in a wide variety of witnesses, and since copyists frequently inserted material derived from another Gospel, it appears that most manuscripts have been assimilated to the parallel in Mk 9.29” (TCGNT 35). The present translation follows NA²⁸ in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
160. Matthew 17:22 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
161. Matthew 17:22 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV “into human hands”; CEV “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.
162. Matthew 17:24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
163. Matthew 17:24 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.
164. Matthew 17:24 tn Grk “Collectors of the double drachma.” This is a case of metonymy, where the coin formerly used to pay the tax (the double drachma coin, or δίδραχμον [didrachmon]) was put for the tax itself (cf. BDAG 241 s.v.). Even though this coin was no longer in circulation in NT times and other coins were used to pay the tax, the name for the coin was still used to refer to the tax itself.sn The temple tax refers to the half-shekel tax paid annually by male Jews to support the temple (Exod 30:13-16).
165. Matthew 17:25 tn Grk “spoke first to him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
166. Matthew 17:25 sn The phrase their sons may mean “their citizens,” but the term “sons” has been retained here in order to preserve the implicit comparison between the Father and his Son, Jesus.
167. Matthew 17:26 sn See the note on the phrase their sons in the previous verse.
168. Matthew 17:27 sn The four drachma coin was a stater (στατήρ, statēr), a silver coin worth four drachmas. One drachma was equivalent to one denarius, the standard pay for a day’s labor (L&N 6.80).