Matthew 19:10-12

19:10 The ¹  disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 19:11 He ²  said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, ³  and some who were made eunuchs ⁴  by others, ⁵  and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

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¹ tc ‡ Some significant witnesses, along with the majority of later mss (̲⁵ C D L W Z 078 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy sa^mss bo), read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after μαθηταί (maqhtai, “disciples”), but this looks to be a clarifying reading. Other early and important witnesses lack the pronoun (Ì^71vid א B Θ e ff¹ g¹ sa^ms mae), the reading adopted here. NA²⁷ includes the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

³ tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).

⁴ tn The verb εὐνουχίζω occurs twice in this verse, translated the first time as “made eunuchs” and the second time as “became eunuchs.” The term literally refers to castration. The second occurrence of the word in this verse is most likely figurative, though, referring to those who willingly maintain a life of celibacy for the furtherance of the kingdom (see W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, Matthew [ICC], 3:23).

⁵ tn Grk “people.”