Matthew 12

Translator Notes

1. The Greek sporimōn ('sown fields, grain fields') refers to cultivated land with standing grain. The verb tillein ('to pluck, to pull off') describes pulling heads of grain by hand, which was permitted under Deuteronomy 23:25 but which the Pharisees considered 'reaping' — one of the thirty-nine categories of Sabbath-prohibited work in later rabbinic tradition. Matthew adds that the disciples 'were hungry' (epeinasan), providing a sympathetic motive absent in Mark.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Deuteronomy 23:25. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The Pharisees' charge ouk exestin ('it is not lawful') frames the issue as a legal violation. The prohibition is not from the written Torah itself (which permits plucking by hand) but from their interpretive tradition about what constitutes 'work' on the Sabbath. They address Jesus rather than the disciples, holding the teacher responsible for his students' behavior.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus's counter-argument begins with the rhetorically sharp ouk anegnōte ('have you not read?') — a challenge to the Pharisees' scriptural expertise. The appeal to David (1 Samuel 21:1-6) establishes a precedent where human need overrode ceremonial regulation, and where the kingdom's anointed exercised freedom within the law.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References 1 Samuel 21:1-6 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The artous tēs protheseōs ('bread of the Presence,' literally 'bread of the setting forth') were twelve loaves placed on a table in the tabernacle and renewed weekly (Leviticus 24:5-9). Only priests could eat the old loaves. David's consumption of this bread (1 Samuel 21:1-6) was technically illegal yet not condemned by Scripture. Jesus's argument: if David's hunger justified breaking a ceremonial regulation, so does the disciples' hunger.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Leviticus 24:5-9. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes 1 Samuel 21:1-6. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The second argument is even more pointed: priests perform 'work' on the Sabbath (slaughtering animals, maintaining the fire, preparing offerings) yet are anaitioi ('guiltless, without blame'). The verb bebēlousin ('profane, desecrate') is deliberately provocative — Jesus uses the Pharisees' own categories against them. Temple service overrides Sabbath restriction by the Law's own provisions.

Translator Notes

1. The neuter meizon ('something greater') rather than the masculine meizōn ('someone greater') makes the claim even more sweeping — not merely a greater person but a greater reality. If temple service overrides the Sabbath, and something greater than the temple is present, then this greater reality certainly overrides Sabbath regulations. The claim would be shocking to any first-century Jew — the temple was the center of Jewish religious life and the place of God's dwelling presence.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 for the second time (cf. 9:13). The pluperfect egnōkeite ('if you had known,' implying 'but you did not') is a rebuke: the Pharisees who pride themselves on scriptural knowledge have failed to understand a key prophetic text. The word anaitious ('innocent, guiltless') declares the disciples formally acquitted — the same word used of the Sabbath-working priests in verse 5.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Hosea 6:6. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The climactic claim: the Son of Man has sovereign authority (kyrios, 'Lord') over the Sabbath itself. Since the Sabbath was instituted by God at creation (Genesis 2:2-3), claiming lordship over it is implicitly claiming divine authority. The word order in Greek places kyrios ('Lord') first for emphasis.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Genesis 2:2-3 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase tēn synagōgēn autōn ('their synagogue') again uses the distancing possessive, suggesting tension between Jesus's movement and the synagogue establishment. The second Sabbath controversy follows immediately.

Translator Notes

1. The adjective xēran ('dry, withered, shriveled') describes a hand that has atrophied or become paralyzed. The question is a trap (hina katēgorēsōsin autou, 'in order that they might accuse him'). Later rabbinic tradition permitted Sabbath healing only when life was in immediate danger — a withered hand was not life-threatening, so by their standards, healing could wait until the next day.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus uses a qal wahomer (lesser to greater) argument, common in rabbinic reasoning. Even the stricter Sabbath interpreters allowed rescuing an animal from a pit on the Sabbath (though the Damascus Document from Qumran prohibited even this). The specification 'one sheep' (probaton hen) heightens the analogy — this is someone's only animal, their livelihood.

Translator Notes

1. The conclusion posō oun diapherei anthrōpos probatou ('how much more a person differs from a sheep') establishes that if Sabbath rescue of an animal is permitted, Sabbath healing of a person must be permitted all the more. Jesus reframes the Sabbath question from 'what is prohibited?' to 'what is good?' — the Sabbath is for doing good (kalōs poiein), not for withholding compassion.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus heals with a command alone — no physical contact, no medicine, no action that could be classified as 'work.' The verb apekatestathē ('was restored') indicates return to a former healthy state. The healing is complete (hygiēs hōs hē allē, 'healthy as the other') — not partial or gradual.

Translator Notes

1. The response to a healing is a death plot — the irony is devastating. The phrase symboulion elabon ('took counsel together, conspired') is a formal term for deliberative action. The verb apolesōsin ('might destroy') foreshadows the passion narrative. A Sabbath healing provokes the defenders of the Sabbath to violate the commandment against murder.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus's withdrawal (anechōrēsen) is strategic, not fearful — the same verb was used for the family's flight to Egypt (2:14). Despite the growing opposition from leaders, the crowds continue to follow, and Jesus continues to heal — his compassion is not deterred by the conspiracy against him.

Translator Notes

1. The command to secrecy (the messianic secret motif) continues. Jesus does not seek public confrontation at this point — his hour has not yet come. The verb epetimēsen ('warned, rebuked') is the same strong word used for rebuking storms and demons.

Translator Notes

1. This introduces the longest Old Testament quotation in Matthew's Gospel — Isaiah 42:1-4, the first Servant Song. Matthew sees Jesus's withdrawal, quiet ministry, and compassion for the weak as fulfillment of this prophetic portrait.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 42:1-4. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The word pais ('servant, child') echoes the Hebrew eved of Isaiah 42:1. The language of choosing, beloved status, and Spirit-bestowal recalls the baptism scene (3:16-17). The term krisin ('justice, judgment') translates Hebrew mishpat — not punitive judgment but restorative justice, the right ordering of society. The scope extends to ta ethnē ('the nations, the Gentiles'), anticipating the universal mission.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 42:1-4 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The description of the Servant's quiet demeanor contrasts sharply with typical political or military messianic expectations. The verb erisei ('quarrel, wrangle') and kraugasei ('shout, cry out') describe the absence of aggressive self-promotion. This matches Jesus's repeated commands to silence and his withdrawal from public confrontation.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Isaiah 42:1-4. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The bruised reed (kalamon syntetrimmenon) and smoldering wick (linon typhomenon) are images of extreme fragility — things about to be discarded. The Servant refuses to crush what is already broken or extinguish what is barely alive. This describes Jesus's ministry to the weak, sick, and marginalized of chapters 8-9. The phrase eis nikos ('to victory') replaces the Hebrew 'in truth/faithfulness' (le'emet), interpreting justice as ultimately triumphant.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Isaiah 42:1-4 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The quotation concludes with the universal hope: ethnē elpiousin ('the nations will hope'). The Hebrew original has 'the coastlands will wait for his instruction (torah).' Matthew's Greek version shifts from torah to 'name' (onomati) and from 'wait' to 'hope' (elpiousin), emphasizing personal trust in the Servant rather than obedience to a teaching.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Isaiah 42:1-4. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. This healing combines two conditions from the messianic signs of 11:5 (blind receive sight, mute speak), making it an unmistakable messianic indicator. The double restoration — speaking and seeing — provokes the two opposite responses that follow.

Translator Notes

1. The verb existanto ('were amazed, astonished, beside themselves') indicates overwhelming wonder. The question mēti houtos estin ho huios Dauid uses the particle mēti, which in Greek expects a negative answer but here expresses cautious hope — 'this couldn't be the Son of David, could it?' The crowds are tentatively arriving at the messianic conclusion.

Translator Notes

1. The Pharisees' response directly counters the crowds' messianic question. Unable to deny the miracle, they attribute its source to Beelzeboul, archonti tōn daimoniōn ('the ruler of the demons'). The accusation is the same as in 9:34 but now stated publicly and explicitly. This is the charge Jesus will identify as approaching the unforgivable sin.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus again perceives unspoken thoughts (eidōs tas enthymēseis autōn). The argument is logical: internal division destroys any entity — kingdoms, cities, households. The verb erēmoutai ('is made desolate, is laid waste') is strong, suggesting complete devastation. The principle is applied to Satan's kingdom in the next verse.

Translator Notes

1. The name Satanas is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew satan ('adversary, accuser'). Jesus's logic: if his exorcisms were powered by Satan, then Satan would be working against his own interests — destroying his own agents. This is self-evidently absurd.

Translator Notes

1. The second argument: Jewish exorcists also existed (cf. Acts 19:13-14). If Jesus's exorcisms require a satanic explanation, consistency demands the same explanation for their own practitioners. The phrase hoi huioi hymōn ('your sons/people') refers to Jewish exorcists associated with the Pharisees' own circles. Jesus turns their accusation into a self-indictment.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This is one of the rare places Matthew uses 'kingdom of God' (basileia tou theou) instead of his usual 'kingdom of heaven.' The verb ephthasen ('has arrived, has come upon') indicates that the kingdom is not merely approaching but has already arrived — present tense, operative now. Jesus's exorcisms are evidence of the kingdom's invasion of enemy territory. The conditional 'if' (ei) is a first-class condition in Greek, assuming the premise is true: 'since I drive out demons by God's Spirit...'

Translator Notes

1. The parable of the strong man depicts the cosmic conflict behind exorcism. The 'strong man' (ischyros) is Satan; his 'house' is his domain over the demonized; his 'possessions' (skeuē) are the people he holds captive. Jesus is the one who has bound the strong man and is now plundering his domain. The verb dēsē ('bind') anticipates the binding authority Jesus gives to the church (16:19, 18:18).

Translator Notes

1. This absolute either/or allows no neutrality toward Jesus. The agricultural metaphor — gathering (synagōn) versus scattering (skorpizei) — depicts the harvest of 9:37-38. Those who do not join Jesus in gathering people into God's kingdom are actively dispersing them. The saying stands in tension with Mark 9:40 ('whoever is not against us is for us'), but the different contexts address different situations.

Translator Notes

1. The opening scope is extraordinarily generous — pasa hamartia kai blasphēmia aphethēsetai ('every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven'). The single exception stands out starkly: blasphemy against the Spirit (hē tou pneumatos blasphēmia). In context, this refers specifically to attributing the Holy Spirit's work to Satan — seeing the evidence of God's kingdom and deliberately calling it demonic. It is not an isolated sinful word but a settled posture of willful misidentification of good as evil.

Translator Notes

1. The distinction between speaking against the Son of Man (forgivable) and speaking against the Spirit (unforgivable) is significant. Rejecting the human Jesus out of ignorance can be forgiven — Peter's denial was forgiven. But deliberately attributing the Spirit's unmistakable work to Satan represents a hardening beyond recovery, because it rejects the very agent of conviction and repentance. The phrase oute en toutō tō aiōni oute en tō mellonti ('neither in this age nor in the coming age') uses eschatological language that covers all of time.

Translator Notes

1. The imperative poiēsate ('make') is not a command to produce fruit but a demand for consistency — if the fruit (Jesus's deeds) is good, then the tree (Jesus's source of power) must be good. You cannot call the fruit good (acknowledging the healings) and the tree bad (attributing them to Satan). The principle ek tou karpou to dendron ginōsketai ('by the fruit the tree is known') echoes 7:16-20.

Translator Notes

1. The insult gennēmata echidnōn ('offspring of vipers') repeats John the Baptist's words (3:7), linking the Pharisees to the serpent imagery of Genesis 3. The principle ek tou perisseumatos tēs kardias to stoma lalei ('out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks') grounds speech in character — words reveal the inner person. The Pharisees' blasphemous words expose a blasphemous heart.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Genesis 3. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The word thēsaurou ('treasure, storehouse') depicts the heart as a repository from which words and deeds are drawn. The verb ekballei ('brings out, throws out') is the same word used for casting out demons — what is stored inside inevitably comes out. The parallelism is absolute: good in, good out; evil in, evil out.

Translator Notes

1. The adjective argon ('idle, careless, useless') comes from a-ergon ('without work, unproductive'). In context, the 'careless word' is not merely thoughtless chatter but words like the Pharisees' blasphemous accusation — speech that seems offhand but reveals the heart's true orientation. The phrase apodōsousin logon ('will give an account, will render a word') uses the language of legal reckoning.

Translator Notes

1. The passive verbs dikaiōthēsē ('will be justified, acquitted') and katadikasthēsē ('will be condemned') are divine passives — God is the implied judge. Words serve as evidence because they reveal character. This does not contradict justification by faith but affirms that genuine faith produces certain kinds of speech while its absence produces others.

Translator Notes

1. The request for a sēmeion ('sign') comes immediately after Jesus has just healed a blind and mute demoniac — they have seen signs. The demand is for a spectacular, undeniable cosmic sign that would prove his authority beyond dispute. The address didaskalos ('teacher') is polite but uncommitted.

Translator Notes

1. The labels ponēra ('evil') and moichalis ('adulterous') are severe. 'Adulterous' uses the Old Testament prophetic metaphor of Israel as God's unfaithful spouse (Hosea, Ezekiel 16). The sign of Jonah is the only sign Jesus will offer — and it requires faith to interpret, not the kind of overwhelming proof the Pharisees demand.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Ezekiel 16. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek kētous ('sea creature, great fish') is more accurate than the KJV's 'whale' — the Hebrew in Jonah 1:17 uses dag gadol ('great fish') without specifying the species. The phrase en tē kardia tēs gēs ('in the heart of the earth') refers to the grave/death. The 'three days and three nights' follows Jewish inclusive reckoning where any part of a day counts as a full day — Friday afternoon, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning constitute 'three days.'
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Jonah 1:17 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The Ninevites — pagans, Assyrians, Israel's enemies — repented at Jonah's reluctant, minimal preaching. 'This generation' has received far greater revelation and refuses to repent. The neuter pleion ('something greater,' not 'someone greater') makes the claim even more comprehensive — not just a greater prophet but a greater reality is present.

Translator Notes

1. The 'queen of the South' is the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13), who traveled a great distance to hear Solomon's wisdom. Again a Gentile figure condemns 'this generation.' The parallel structure — Ninevites/Jonah, queen/Solomon — presents Jesus as greater than Israel's greatest prophet and wisest king. The neuter pleion ('something greater') is repeated.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on 1 Kings 10:1-13. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The anhydrōn topōn ('waterless, dry places') reflects the ancient Near Eastern belief that demons inhabit desolate wilderness regions (cf. Isaiah 13:21, 34:14; Baruch 4:35). The demon seeks anapausin ('rest') — ironically, the same word Jesus offers to the weary in 11:28. The passage functions as a parable about spiritual vacancy.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 13:21 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The demon calls the person 'my house' (ton oikon mou), claiming ownership. The three participles — scholazonta ('empty, unoccupied, idle'), sesarōmenon ('swept clean'), kekosmēmenon ('put in order, decorated') — describe a person who has been cleaned up but not filled with anything positive. Moral reformation without spiritual filling leaves one vulnerable to worse occupation.

Translator Notes

1. The number seven (hepta) symbolizes completeness — the reinfestation is total and overwhelming. The phrase ta eschata cheirona tōn prōtōn ('the last things worse than the first') warns that spiritual emptiness invites greater evil than the original condition. The application to 'this evil generation' (tē genea tautē tē ponēra) transforms the parable from individual exorcism to national warning — Israel has received temporary cleansing through John's ministry and Jesus's healings but refuses to be filled with the kingdom's reality.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase heistēkeisan exō ('stood outside') creates a spatial metaphor — family members are on the outside while the listening crowd is on the inside. The mention of adelphoi ('brothers') indicates Jesus had siblings (see 13:55 for their names). Their desire to 'speak to him' may reflect concern about his safety given the growing opposition (cf. Mark 3:21).

Translator Notes

1. This verse is bracketed in the SBLGNT, indicating uncertainty about whether it was in the original text — some important manuscripts omit it. Without it, verse 48 follows directly from verse 46 and still makes sense. We include it as it appears in the majority of manuscripts and provides the natural link to Jesus's response.

Translator Notes

1. The question is rhetorically shocking — it appears to disown his biological family. Jesus is not rejecting his mother and brothers but redefining the category of family itself. The question demands a new answer that transcends biological kinship.

Translator Notes

1. The physical gesture — ekteinas tēn cheira ('stretching out his hand') — makes the redefinition visible and public. The disciples are identified as Jesus's true family. This creates a new kinship community based not on blood but on shared commitment to God's will.

Translator Notes

1. The criterion for belonging to Jesus's family is doing the will of the Father (to thelēma tou patros mou) — the same standard from the Sermon on the Mount (7:21). The threefold 'brother and sister and mother' (adelphos kai adelphē kai mētēr) is inclusive of all — notably, 'father' is omitted because that role belongs exclusively to God. This redefinition of family becomes foundational for the church's self-understanding.