11:1 Now 3 as they approached Jerusalem, 4 near Bethphage 5 and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, 6 Jesus 7 sent two of his disciples
1 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
2 sn The kingdom of God is a reference to the sovereign activity of God as he rules over his creation and brings his plans to realization.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
4 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
5 sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
6 sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 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.