Matthew 16:1

The Demand for a Sign

16:1 Now when the Pharisees 1  and Sadducees 2  came to test Jesus, 3  they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 4 

Matthew 17:10

17:10 The disciples asked him, 5  “Why then do the experts in the law 6  say that Elijah must come first?”

Matthew 27:21

27:21 The 7  governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!”

Matthew 27:58

27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 8  Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

2 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.

3 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.

4 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.

5 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

6 tn Or “do the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

7 tn Grk “answering, the governor said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

8 sn Asking for the body of Jesus was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Mark 15:43, Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.