4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach this message: 1 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
1 tn Grk “and to say.”
2 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
sn These slaves represent the prophets God sent to the nation, who were mistreated and rejected.
3 tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”
4 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.