2:18 Now 5 John’s 6 disciples and the Pharisees 7 were fasting. 8 So 9 they came to Jesus 10 and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”
1 tn Grk “And after warning him, he immediately sent him away and told him.”
2 sn The silence ordered by Jesus was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 1:34; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; and 9:9 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence concerning him and his ministry.
3 sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
4 tn Or “as an indictment against them”; or “as proof to the people.” This phrase could be taken as referring to a positive witness to the priests, a negative testimony against them, or as a testimony to the community that the man had indeed been cured. In any case, the testimony shows that Jesus is healing and ministering to those in need.
5 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
6 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
7 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
8 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
9 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that in the narrative this question happened as a result of the fasting of John’s disciples and the Pharisees.
10 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn The aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος (peribleyameno") has been translated as antecedent (prior) to the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as contemporaneous (“Looking around…he said”).
12 tn This term is a collective singular in the Greek text.
13 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
14 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
15 tn Or “discussing.”
16 tn Grk “people’s.”
17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
18 tn The words “to do so” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity and stylistic reasons.
19 tn Grk “than having.”
20 sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36). This Greek term also occurs in vv. 45, 47.
21 tn Grk “throw it out.”
22 tn Grk “than having.”