Discovery BoxMatthew 2:2 
Context2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose 1 and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 9:14
Context9:14 Then John’s 2 disciples came to Jesus 3 and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees 4 fast often, 5 but your disciples don’t fast?”
Matthew 12:38
Context12:38 Then some of the experts in the law 6 along with some Pharisees 7 answered him, 8 “Teacher, we want to see a sign 9 from you.”
Matthew 15:33
Context15:33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?”
Matthew 21:27
Context21:27 So 10 they answered Jesus, 11 “We don’t know.” 12 Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you 13 by what authority 14 I am doing these things.
Matthew 25:37
Context25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 15 ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
Matthew 26:65
Context26:65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared, 16 “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now 17 you have heard the blasphemy!
Matthew 27:42
Context27:42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down 18 now from the cross, we will believe in him!
Matthew 27:63
Context27:63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’
1 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).
2 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
4 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
5 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
6 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
7 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.
sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
8 tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
9 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.
10 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.
11 tn Grk “answering Jesus, they said.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.
12 sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Matt 21:23-27 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question, they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
13 sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
14 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 23.
15 tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
16 tn Grk “the high priest tore his clothes, saying.”
17 tn Grk “Behold now.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
18 tn Here the aorist imperative καταβάτω (katabatw) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern of other conditional imperatives (imperative + καί + future indicative) outlined by ExSyn 489.
