¹ sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.

² tn Grk “if, falling down, you will worship.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

³ 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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”

⁶ sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.

⁷ tn Grk “the ancient ones.”

⁸ sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.

⁹ tc ‡ Most mss read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after “servant.” It is unlikely that the pronoun was accidentally overlooked by such diverse witnesses as א B 0250 0281 ˹ 33 latt. More likely is the probability that Western, Byzantine, and some other scribes added the word for clarification (so C L W Θ 0233 ˹³ Ï sy sa). NA²⁷ has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

¹⁰ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

¹¹ sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).

¹² tn It is difficult to know whether ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) should be translated as “men” or “people” (in a generic sense) here. At issue is whether (1) only the Twelve were with Jesus in the boat, as opposed to other disciples (cf. v. 23), and (2) whether any of those other disciples would have been women. The issue is complicated further by the parallel in Mark (4:35-41), where the author writes (4:36) that other boats accompanied them on this journey.

¹³ tn Grk “the men were amazed, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.

¹⁴ sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about his identity (What sort of person is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.

¹⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁶ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ tn Grk “saved.”

¹⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

²⁰ 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.

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

²² tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”

sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.

²³ tn Or “prince.”

²⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

²⁵ tn Grk “on the sea”; or “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 25).

²⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

²⁷ tn Or “becoming aware of it.”

²⁸ tn Grk “Those of little faith.”

²⁹ tn Or “discussing.”

³⁰ tn Grk “to come after me.”

³¹ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

³² sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

³³ tn Grk “he is moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic” (so NAB, NASB), although now the term is generally regarded as referring to some sort of seizure disorder such as epilepsy (L&N 23.169; BDAG 919 s.v. σεληνιάζομαι).

³⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

³⁵ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

³⁶ 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).

³⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

³⁸ sn The point of the comparison become like little children has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit, as well as willingness to be dependent and receive from others, than any inherent humility the child might possess.

³⁹ tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.

⁴⁰ tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.

⁴¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴² sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.

⁴³ tc A few important mss (א Φ pc) have the name “Jesus” here, but it is probably not original. Nevertheless, this translation routinely specifies the referents of pronouns to improve clarity, so that has been done here.

tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴⁴ tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).

⁴⁵ 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.

⁴⁶ 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.

⁴⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁴⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁴⁹ sn That is, six o’clock in the evening, the hour to pay day laborers. See Lev 19:13b.

⁵⁰ tc ‡ Most witnesses (including B D W Θ Ë^1,13 33^vid Ï latt sy) have αὐτοῖς (autois, “to them”) after ἀπόδος (apodos, “give the pay”), but this seems to be a motivated reading, clarifying the indirect object. The omission is supported by א C L Z 085 Or. Nevertheless, NA²⁷ includes the pronoun on the basis of the greater external attestation.

⁵¹ sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.

⁵² tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).

⁵³ sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.

⁵⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.

⁵⁵ tn Grk “answering Jesus, they said.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.

⁵⁶ 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.

⁵⁷ 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.

⁵⁸ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 23.

⁵⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁶⁰ tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁶¹ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶² tn Grk “he was silent.”

⁶³ tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).

⁶⁴ sn A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1-12; Mishnah, m. Yevamot; Josephus, Ant. 4.8.23 [4.254-256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5-10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.

⁶⁵ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁶⁶ tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).

⁶⁷ sn A quotation from Deut 6:5. The threefold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.

⁶⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁶⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷⁰ tn Grk “For she.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

⁷¹ tn Grk “What will you give to me, and I will betray him to you?”

⁷² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁷⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁷⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷⁶ tn Grk “and put their hands on Jesus.”

⁷⁷ tn The translation “put your sword back in its place” for this phrase is given in L&N 85.52.

⁷⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the false testimony.

⁷⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁸⁰ tn The Greek term here is παιδίσκη (paidiskh), referring to a slave girl or slave woman.

⁸¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸² tn The words “slave girl” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the feminine singular form ἄλλη (allh).

⁸³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸⁴ tn Grk “your speech.”

⁸⁵ sn When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had.

⁸⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁸⁸ tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

⁸⁹ sn “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate was interested in this charge because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.

⁹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁹¹ sn The reply “You say so” is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus’ earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 26:64.

⁹² tc Again, as in v. 16, the name “Jesus” is supplied before “Barabbas” in Θ Ë¹ 700* pc sy^s Or^mss (Θ 700* lack the article τόν [ton] before Βαραββᾶν [Barabban]). The same argument for accepting the inclusion of “Jesus” as original in the previous verse applies here as well.

⁹³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.

⁹⁴ sn An allusion to Ps 22:8.

⁹⁵ tn Grk “But answering, the angel said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

⁹⁶ tn Grk “for I know.”

⁹⁷ sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

⁹⁸ tn The verb here is passive (ἠγέρθη, hgerqh). This “divine passive” (see ExSyn 437-38) points to the fact that Jesus was raised by God.

⁹⁹ tc Expansions on the text, especially when the Lord is the subject, are a common scribal activity. In this instance, since the subject is embedded in the verb, three major variants have emerged to make the subject explicit: ὁ κύριος (Jo kurio", “the Lord”; A C D L W 0148 Ë^1,13 Ï lat), τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου (to swma tou kuriou, “the body of the Lord”; 1424 pc), and ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsou", “Jesus”; Φ). The reading with no explicit subject, however, is superior on both internal and external grounds, being supported by א B Θ 33 892* pc co.