Matthew 23:1--25:46 
Context23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 23:2 “The 1 experts in the law 2 and the Pharisees 3 sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 23:4 They 5 tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They 6 do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries 7 wide and their tassels 8 long. 23:6 They 9 love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues 10 23:7 and elaborate greetings 11 in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. 12 23:11 The 13 greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law 14 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! 15 You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! 16 For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.
23:14 [[EMPTY]] 1723:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law 18 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, 19 and when you get one, 20 you make him twice as much a child of hell 21 as yourselves!
23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. 22 But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. 23 But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law 24 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth 25 of mint, dill, and cumin, 26 yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You 27 should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! 28
23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law 29 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, 30 so that the outside may become clean too!
23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law 31 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 32 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law 33 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You 34 build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves 35 of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, 36 we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 37
23:34 “For this reason I 38 am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, 39 some of whom you will kill and crucify, 40 and some you will flog 41 in your synagogues 42 and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, 43 whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, 44 this generation will be held responsible for all these things! 45
23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 46 you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! 47 How often I have longed 48 to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but 49 you would have none of it! 50 23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” 51
24:1 Now 52 as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. 53 24:2 And he said to them, 54 “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, 55 not one stone will be left on another. 56 All will be torn down!” 57
24:3 As 58 he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things 59 happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 24:4 Jesus answered them, 60 “Watch out 61 that no one misleads you. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ 62 and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 63 24:7 For nation will rise up in arms 64 against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines 65 and earthquakes 66 in various places. 24:8 All 67 these things are the beginning of birth pains.
24:9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations 68 because of my name. 69 24:10 Then many will be led into sin, 70 and they will betray one another and hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive 71 many, 24:12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 72 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, 73 and then the end will come.
24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation 74 – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 24:16 then those in Judea must flee 75 to the mountains. 24:17 The one on the roof 76 must not come down 77 to take anything out of his house, 24:18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 24:19 Woe 78 to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 24:20 Pray 79 that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 24:21 For then there will be great suffering 80 unlike anything that has happened 81 from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 24:23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ 82 or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24:24 For false messiahs 83 and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 24:25 Remember, 84 I have told you ahead of time. 24:26 So then, if someone 85 says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ 86 do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. 24:27 For just like the lightning 87 comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures 88 will gather. 89
24:29 “Immediately 90 after the suffering 91 of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 92 24:30 Then 93 the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 94 and 95 all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They 96 will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven 97 with power and great glory. 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven 98 to the other.
24:32 “Learn 99 this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 24:33 So also you, when you see all these things, know 100 that he is near, right at the door. 24:34 I tell you the truth, 101 this generation 102 will not pass away until all these things take place. 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 103
24:36 “But as for that day and hour no one knows it – not even the angels in heaven 104 – except the Father alone. 24:37 For just like the days of Noah 105 were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:38 For in those days before the flood, people 106 were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 24:39 And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. 107 It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man. 108 24:40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. 109 24:41 There will be two women grinding grain with a mill; 110 one will be taken and one left.
24:42 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day 111 your Lord will come. 24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief 112 was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. 24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 113
24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, 114 whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves 115 their food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work 116 when he comes. 24:47 I tell you the truth, 117 the master 118 will put him in charge of all his possessions. 24:48 But if 119 that evil slave should say to himself, 120 ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 24:49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 24:50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, 24:51 and will cut him in two, 121 and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five 122 of the virgins 123 were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When 124 the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra 125 olive oil 126 with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When 127 the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 128 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The 129 foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. 130 ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then 131 the door was shut. 25:11 Later, 132 the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 133 25:12 But he replied, 134 ‘I tell you the truth, 135 I do not know you!’ 25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 136
25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves 137 and entrusted his property to them. 25:15 To 138 one he gave five talents, 139 to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work 140 and gained five more. 25:17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 25:18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 25:19 After 141 a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The 142 one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, 143 you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, 144 ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:22 The 145 one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25:25 so 146 I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 25:26 But his master answered, 147 ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, 148 and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 149 25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 150 25:29 For the one who has will be given more, 151 and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 152 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
25:31 “When 153 the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All 154 the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He 155 will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 156 ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When 157 did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When 158 did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, 159 ‘I tell you the truth, 160 just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters 161 of mine, you did it for me.’
25:41 “Then he will say 162 to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 25:44 Then they too will answer, 163 ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, 164 ‘I tell you the truth, 165 just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
1 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
3 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4 tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”
5 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7 sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.
8 tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”
sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).
9 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
10 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
11 sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
12 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.
13 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
14 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
15 tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).
16 tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”
17 tc The most important
18 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
19 tn Or “one proselyte.”
20 tn Grk “when he becomes [one].”
21 tn Grk “a son of Gehenna.” Expressions constructed with υἱός (Juios) followed by a genitive of class or kind denote a person belonging to the class or kind specified by the following genitive (L&N 9.4). Thus the phrase here means “a person who belongs to hell.”
sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
22 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”
23 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”
24 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
25 tn Or “you tithe mint.”
26 sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
27 tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ Ë1,13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
28 tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”
29 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
30 tc A very difficult textual problem is found here. The most important Alexandrian and Byzantine, as well as significant Western, witnesses (א B C L W 0102 0281 Ë13 33 Ï lat co) have “and the dish” (καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, kai th" paroyido") after “cup,” while few important witnesses (D Θ Ë1 700 and some versional and patristic authorities) omit the phrase. On the one hand, scribes sometimes tended to eliminate redundancy; since “and the dish” is already present in v. 25, it may have been deleted in v. 26 by well-meaning scribes. On the other hand, as B. M. Metzger notes, the singular pronoun αὐτοῦ (autou, “its”) with τὸ ἐκτός (to ekto", “the outside”) in some of the same witnesses that have the longer reading (viz., B* Ë13 al) hints that their archetype lacked the words (TCGNT 50). Further, scribes would be motivated both to add the phrase from v. 25 and to change αὐτοῦ to the plural pronoun αὐτῶν (aujtwn, “their”). Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is not compelling in itself, combined with these two prongs of internal evidence, it is to be slightly preferred.
31 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
32 sn This was an idiom for hypocrisy – just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (for discussion of a similar metaphor, see L&N 88.234; BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). See Deut 28:22; Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:3.
33 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
34 tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated.
35 tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75-76).
36 tn Grk “fathers” (so also in v. 32).
37 tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.”
sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
38 tn Grk “behold I am sending.” 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).
39 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
40 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
41 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
42 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
43 sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
44 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
45 tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”
46 sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
47 tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).
48 sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
49 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
50 tn Grk “you were not willing.”
51 sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
52 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
53 sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 [15.380-425]; J. W. 5.5 [5.184-227] and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.
54 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (ajpokriqei") is redundant in English and has not been translated.
55 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
56 sn With the statement not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in
57 tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down.”
58 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
59 sn Because the phrase these things is plural, more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.
60 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
61 tn Or “Be on guard.”
62 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.
63 tn Grk “it is not yet the end.”
64 tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.
65 sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.
66 tc Most witnesses (C Θ 0102 Ë1,13 Ï) have “and plagues” (καὶ λοιμοί, kai loimoi) between “famines” (λιμοί, limoi) and “earthquakes” (σεισμοί, seismoi), while others have “plagues and famines and earthquakes” (L W 33 pc lat). The similarities between λιμοί and λοιμοί could explain how καὶ λοιμοί might have accidentally dropped out, but since the Lukan parallel has both terms (and W lat have the order λοιμοὶ καὶ λιμοί there too, as they do in Matthew), it seems more likely that scribes added the phrase here. The shorter reading does not enjoy overwhelming support ([א] B D 892 pc, as well as versional witnesses), but it is nevertheless significant; coupled with the internal evidence it should be given preference.
67 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
68 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
69 sn See Matt 5:10-12; 1 Cor 1:25-31.
70 tn Or “many will fall away.” This could also refer to apostasy.
71 tn Or “and lead many astray.”
72 sn But the person who endures to the end will be saved. Jesus was not claiming here that salvation is by works. He was simply arguing that genuine faith evidences itself in persistence through even the worst of trials.
73 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
74 sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167
75 sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.
76 sn On the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.
77 sn The swiftness and devastation of the judgment will require a swift escape. There will be no time to come down from the roof and pick up anything from inside one’s home.
78 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
79 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
80 tn Traditionally, “great tribulation.”
81 sn Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in
82 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.
83 tn Or “false christs”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
84 tn Or “Pay attention!” Grk “Behold.”
85 tn Grk “they say.” The third person plural is used here as an indefinite and translated “someone” (ExSyn 402).
86 tn Or “in the desert.”
87 sn The Son of Man’s coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.
88 tn The same Greek term can refer to “eagles” or “vultures” (L&N 4.42; BDAG 22 s.v. ἀετός), but in this context it must mean vultures because the gruesome image is one of dead bodies being consumed by scavengers.
sn Jesus’ answer is that when the judgment comes, the scenes of death will be obvious and so will the location of the judgment. See also Luke 17:37.
89 tn Grk “will be gathered.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in English.
90 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
91 tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”
92 sn An allusion to Isa 13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Joel 2:10. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.
93 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
94 tn Or “in the sky”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
95 tn Here τότε (tote, “then”) has not been translated to avoid redundancy in English.
96 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
97 sn An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full authority to judge.
98 tn Or “of the sky”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.
99 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
100 tn The verb γινώσκετε (ginwskete, “know”) can be parsed as either present indicative or present imperative. In this context the imperative fits better, since the movement is from analogy (trees and seasons) to the future (the signs of the coming of the kingdom) and since the emphasis is on preparation for this event.
101 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
102 sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (v. 30), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.
103 sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself. For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.
104 tc ‡ Some important witnesses, including early Alexandrian and Western
105 sn Like the days of Noah, the time of the flood in Gen 6:5-8:22, the judgment will come as a surprise as people live their day to day lives.
106 tn Grk “they,” but in an indefinite sense, “people.”
107 sn Like the flood that came and took them all away, the coming judgment associated with the Son of Man will condemn many.
108 tn Grk “So also will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
109 sn There is debate among commentators and scholars over the phrase one will be taken and one left about whether one is taken for judgment or for salvation. If the imagery is patterned after the rescue of Noah from the flood, as some suggest, the ones taken are the saved (as Noah was) andthose left behind are judged. The imagery, however, is not directly tied to theidentification of the two groups. Its primary purposein context is topicture the sudden, surprisingseparation of the righteous and the judged (i.e., condemned) at the return of the Son of Man.
110 tn According to L&N 46.16, this refers to a hand mill normally operated by two women.
111 tc Most later
112 sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
113 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it would take some time – so long, in fact, that some will not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).
114 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
115 tn Grk “give them.”
116 tn That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.
117 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
118 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
119 tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).
120 tn Grk “should say in his heart.”
121 tn The verb διχοτομέω (dicotomew) means to cut an object into two parts (L&N 19.19). This is an extremely severe punishment compared to the other two later punishments. To translate it simply as “punish” is too mild. If taken literally this servant is dismembered, although it is possible to view the stated punishment as hyperbole (L&N 38.12).
122 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
123 tn Grk “Five of them.”
124 tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
125 tn The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.
126 tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.
127 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
128 tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA27 has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
129 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
130 tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”
131 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
132 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
133 tn Grk “Open to us.”
134 tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
135 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
136 tc Most later
137 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
138 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
139 sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.
140 tn Grk “traded with them.”
141 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
142 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
143 tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).
144 tn Grk “His master said to him.”
145 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
146 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
147 tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
148 tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.
149 sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”
150 tn Grk “the ten talents.”
151 tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”
sn The one who has will be given more. Faithfulness yields great reward (see Matt 13:12; also Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26).
152 sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either.
153 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
154 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
155 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
156 tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
157 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
158 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
159 tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
160 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
161 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.
162 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
163 tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
164 tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
165 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
