¹ tn See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20. Here the translation “the angel of the Lord” is used because the Greek article (ὁ, Jo) which precedes ἄγγελος (angelos) is taken as an anaphoric article (ExSyn 217-19) referring back to the angel mentioned in v. 20.

² tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

³ tn Or “A voice.”

⁴ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

⁶ tn Grk “but Jesus, answering, said.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “replied to him.”

⁷ tn Grk “Permit now.”

⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn Or “permitted him.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Direct objects (“these things,” “them”) were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but have been supplied here to conform to contemporary English style.

¹¹ tc ‡ Several mss (א L Z Θ Ë¹ 33 892 1241 1424 al) have δέ (de, “but, now”) at the beginning of this verse; the reading without δέ is supported by B D W 0250 ˹³ Ï lat. A decision is difficult, but apparently the conjunction was added by later scribes to indicate a transition in the thought-flow of the Sermon on the Mount. NA²⁷ has δέ in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.

¹² tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”

¹³ tc L W Θ 0250 Ï it read ἐν τῷ φανερῷ (en tw fanerw, “openly”) at the end of this verse, giving a counterweight to what is done in secret. But this reading is suspect because of the obvious literary balance, because of detouring the point of the passage (the focus of vv. 1-4 is not on two kinds of public rewards but on human vs. divine approbation), and because of superior external testimony that lacks this reading (א B D Z Ë^1,13 33 al).

¹⁴ tn Or “otherwise the latter will trample them under their feet and the former will turn around and tear you to pieces.” This verse is sometimes understood as a chiasm of the pattern a-b-b-a, in which the first and last clauses belong together (“dogs…turn around and tear you to pieces”) and the second and third clauses belong together (“pigs…trample them under their feet”).

¹⁵ tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

¹⁶ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.

¹⁷ sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.

¹⁸ tn Grk “is.”

¹⁹ sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

²⁰ tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of being among the people of God at the end.

sn 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

²¹ tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

²² sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).

²³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

²⁴ tn Or “will rebel against.”

²⁵ sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.

²⁶ tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”

²⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

²⁸ tn Or “the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent people take hold of it.” For a somewhat different interpretation of this passage, see the note on the phrase “urged to enter in” in Luke 16:16.

²⁹ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.” “Cities” was chosen here to emphasize the size of the places Jesus’ mentions in the following verses.

³⁰ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

³¹ tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

³² tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

³³ tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.

³⁴ tn Grk “the mysteries.”

sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).

³⁵ tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

³⁶ tn Grk “put before.”

³⁷ tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

³⁸ sn The mustard seed was noted for its tiny size.

³⁹ tn Grk “was giving them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowd.”

⁴⁰ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

⁴¹ tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (w), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”

⁴² tn Or “faithless.”

sn The rebuke for lack of faith has OT roots: Num 14:27; Deut 32:5, 30; Isa 59:8.

⁴³ tn Grk “how long.”

⁴⁴ tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.

⁴⁵ sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.

⁴⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁴⁷ tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV “into human hands”; TEV, CEV “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.

⁴⁸ tn Grk “For it.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

⁴⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁵⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁵¹ tn Grk “let him be to you as.”

⁵² tn Or “a pagan.”

⁵³ sn To treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector means not to associate with such a person. See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

⁵⁴ sn A quotation from Gen 1:27; 5:2.

⁵⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁵⁶ sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.

⁵⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁵⁸ sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

⁵⁹ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

⁶⁰ tn Grk “crying out in the temple [courts] and saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

⁶¹ sn The Lord said to my Lord. With David being the speaker, this indicates his respect for his descendant (referred to as my Lord). Jesus was arguing, as the ancient exposition assumed, that the passage is about the Lord’s anointed. The passage looks at an enthronement of this figure and a declaration of honor for him as he takes his place at the side of God. In Jerusalem, the king’s palace was located to the right of the temple to indicate this kind of relationship. Jesus was pressing the language here to get his opponents to reflect on how great Messiah is.

⁶² sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.

⁶³ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”

⁶⁴ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

⁶⁵ tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated.

⁶⁶ tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75-76).

⁶⁷ tn Or “of the sky”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.

⁶⁸ sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.

⁶⁹ tn It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorofwnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some mss [Ì^37vid,45 ˹] in Matt 26:34) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (ICC), 2:604. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, efwnhsen alektwr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March-April) anyway.

⁷⁰ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

⁷¹ tn Grk “coming, Jesus spoke to them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn, “saying”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.