Matthew 5:20

5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law ¹  and the Pharisees, ²  you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 12:43

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

12:43 “When ³  an unclean spirit ⁴  goes out of a person, ⁵  it passes through waterless places ⁶  looking for rest but ⁷  does not find it.

Matthew 15:11

15:11 What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what ⁸  comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.”

Matthew 15:17

15:17 Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer? ⁹ 

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¹ tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

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

³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁴ sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.

⁵ tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.

⁶ sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁸ tn Grk “but what.”

⁹ tn Or “into the latrine.”