¹ sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.

² tc The majority of later witnesses (C² D L Z 33 Ï) have “behind me” (ὀπίσω μου; opisw mou) after “Go away.” But since this is the wording in Matt 16:23, where the text is certain, scribes most likely added the words here to conform to the later passage. Further, the shorter reading has superior support (א B C*^vid K P W Δ 0233 Ë^1,13 565 579* 700 al). Thus, both externally and internally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

³ sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.

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

⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

⁶ tn Grk “the ancient ones.”

⁷ sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.

⁸ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

¹¹ 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.

¹² tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the immediate context; it refers only to the woman’s healing.

¹³ tn Grk “saved.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “what you hear in the ear,” an idiom.

¹⁵ tn The expression “proclaim from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.

¹⁶ 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.

¹⁷ tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”

¹⁸ tn Grk “before your face” (an idiom).

¹⁹ sn The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.

²⁰ sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restrictions that a teacher or rabbi would place on his followers.

²¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

²² sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.

²³ tc ‡ Although most witnesses read the genitive plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”), it may have been motivated by clarification (as it is in the translation above). Several other authorities do not have the pronoun, however (א B Δ 073 ˹ 579 700 892 1424 pc f g¹); the lack of an unintentional oversight as the reason for omission strengthens their combined testimony in this shorter reading. NA²⁷ has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

²⁴ tn Grk “when they eat bread.”

²⁵ tn Grk “Then answering, Jesus said to her.” This expression has been simplified in the translation.

²⁶ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

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

²⁸ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

²⁹ tn Grk “Collectors of the double drachma.” This is a case of metonymy, where the coin formerly used to pay the tax (the double drachma coin, or δίδραχμον [didracmon]) was put for the tax itself (cf. BDAG 241 s.v.). Even though this coin was no longer in circulation in NT times and other coins were used to pay the tax, the name for the coin was still used to refer to the tax itself.

sn The temple tax refers to the half-shekel tax paid annually by male Jews to support the temple (Exod 30:13-16).

³⁰ tn Grk “Tell the daughter of Zion” (the phrase “daughter of Zion” is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “people of Zion”). The idiom “daughter of Zion” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.

³¹ tn Grk “the foal of an animal under the yoke,” i.e., a hard-working animal. This is a quotation from Zech 9:9.

³² tn Grk “What will you give to me, and I will betray him to you?”

³³ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

³⁴ tn Grk “this”; the referent (the cup) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁵ tn The translation “put your sword back in its place” for this phrase is given in L&N 85.52.

³⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

³⁷ tn Grk “your speech.”