Matthew

Chapter 11

Messengers from John the Baptist

1And it happened, when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, that He moved on from there to teach and proclaim in their towns.a

2Now when John, in prison, heard of the works of the Messiah,b he sent word through his disciples 3and said to Him, “Are You the One who is coming, or should we look for another?”c 4And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised and the poor have good news preached to them.d 6And blessed is the one who does not take offense at Me.”

Jesus’ Witness to John

7As these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?e 8But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. 9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’f 11Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.g 12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and violent people seize it.h 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John; 14and if you are willing to accept it, he himself is Elijah who is to come.i 15The one who has ears, let him hear.

16But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the others 17and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’j 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”k

Woes on Unrepentant Towns

20Then He began to reproach the towns in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21“Woe to you, ! Woe to you, ! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in and , they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.l 22But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, , will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades.m For if the mighty works done in you had been done in , it would have remained until this day. 24But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

The Father and the Son

25At that time Jesus answered and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.n 26Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.o

Rest for the Weary

28Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.p 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.q 30For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

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Context & Translation Notes

Original Reader Horizon • Lexical & Canonical Mesh

a 11:1 — when Jesus had finished instructing (ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς διατάσσων / hote etelesen ho Iēsous diatassōn) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: The second of the five closing formulas that end Jesus’ discourses in Matthew (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1); see the TWB note on Matthew 7:28. διατάσσω diatassō means to give orders or instructions. “Their towns” refers to the towns of Galilee.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Each formula echoes Moses finishing his words to Israel (Deuteronomy 31:24; 32:45). This one closes the mission discourse of chapter 10 and opens a section about how people respond to Jesus, from John’s question (11:3) to the towns that would not repent (11:20).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Matthew does not report the Twelve going out or returning; the discourse stands as instruction for disciples in every period. Jesus Himself continues the same work He gave them: teaching and proclaiming.

b 11:2 — the works of the Messiah (τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Χριστοῦ / ta erga tou Christou) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: TWB renders Χριστός Christos as “Messiah,” from the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ māšîaḥ, “anointed one”; Matthew the narrator uses the title here, not John. “Works” (ἔργα erga) gathers up the deeds of chapters 8–9, and the same word closes this section: “wisdom is justified by her deeds” (ἔργων ergōn, 11:19). δεσμωτήριον desmōtērion is a prison.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Matthew opened with “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David” (Matthew 1:1). John had been handed over (4:12); Matthew tells how and why in 14:3–12. Peter will later confess, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Josephus says Herod Antipas imprisoned John at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea, and put him to death there, fearing his influence over the people (Antiquities 18.116–119). John had announced a coming one who would judge with fire (3:11–12). What he heard of Jesus was healing and mercy, which helps explain the question that follows.

c 11:3 — the One who is coming (ὁ ἐρχόμενος / ho erchomenos) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: ὁ ἐρχόμενος ho erchomenos, a present participle used as a title, “the Coming One.” προσδοκάω prosdokaō means to wait for or expect. The question is sincere; John is not doubting God, but asking whether Jesus is the one he announced.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: John had said, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I” (Matthew 3:11). “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:26), the crowds’ cry at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). Malachi promised that “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple” (Malachi 3:1), and Daniel saw one like a son of man “coming” with the clouds (Daniel 7:13).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Jewish expectation in the period was varied: a royal Messiah, a priestly Messiah, a prophet like Moses, or Elijah returning. John’s question asks which of these Jesus is. Jesus answers not with a title but with what He is doing, and lets John draw the conclusion from the Scriptures.

d 11:5 — the blind receive their sight … the poor have good news preached to them (τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέπουσιν … πτωχοὶ εὐαγγελίζονται / typhloi anablepousin … ptōchoi euangelizontai) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: Six actions in three pairs, each echoing Isaiah’s promises; the list is not a single direct quotation, so TWB does not set it in capitals. εὐαγγελίζονται euangelizontai is passive: the poor “are given good news.” Every item has already happened in Matthew: blind (9:27–31), lame (9:2–8), leper (8:2–4), deaf or mute (9:32–33), dead (9:18–25), and good news to the poor (5:3).

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:5–6). The anointed one is sent “to bring good news to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1), which Jesus reads in Nazareth (Luke 4:18). “Your dead shall live” (Isaiah 26:19); compare Isaiah 29:18–19.

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: A Dead Sea Scroll fragment known as the Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521) says that “heaven and earth will listen to His Messiah,” and that in that day the Lord “will heal the wounded, give life to the dead, and proclaim good news to the poor.” The list is strikingly close to Jesus’ answer, showing that these deeds were expected signs of the messianic age. Jesus answers John in the language John himself would recognize.

e 11:7 — A reed shaken by the wind (κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον / kalamon hypo anemou saleuomenon) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: κάλαμος kalamos is a reed, common along the Jordan; a reed shaken by the wind is an image of something ordinary or of a person easily swayed. θεάομαι theaomai (“look at”) is the verb of watching a spectacle (compare 6:1). μαλακός malakos, “soft,” describes fine, luxurious clothing (11:8).

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: John wore camel’s hair and a leather belt (Matthew 3:4), like Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). The Lord would strike Israel “as a reed is shaken in the water” (1 Kings 14:15), and the Servant will not break a bruised reed (Isaiah 42:3).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Herod Antipas, who imprisoned John, issued coins from his new city of Tiberias bearing the image of a reed, and some scholars think Jesus’ hearers would have caught the allusion: John is not a pliable court figure like Antipas, dressed in soft clothing in a king’s palace. Whether or not the coin is in view, Jesus contrasts John’s rugged wilderness ministry with the comfort of royal courts, where John now sits as a prisoner.

f 11:10 — Behold, I send My messenger before your face (ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου / idou egō apostellō ton angelon mou pro prosōpou sou) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: A citation set in capitals. The first words match the Septuagint of Exodus 23:20 exactly; the rest follows Malachi 3:1. ἄγγελος angelos means “messenger,” human or heavenly; here it is John. In Malachi, God says the messenger “will prepare the way before Me”; in Jesus’ form the messenger prepares “your way before you,” so the one who comes after the messenger is Jesus.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Malachi promised a messenger to prepare the way, after which “the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple” (Malachi 3:1). Mark opens his Gospel with the same combined quotation (Mark 1:2), and Matthew applied Isaiah 40:3 to John in 3:3.

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: In Exodus 23:20–21, the messenger sent before Israel is the Angel in whom God’s own name dwells: “pay attention to him … for My name is in him.” Within the Divine Council worldview, that Angel of the Lord was God present among His people. By joining Exodus and Malachi, Jesus casts John as the forerunner and Himself as the One who comes in God’s place, the Lord arriving at His temple.

g 11:11 — the one who is least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he (ὁ δὲ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν / ho de mikroteros en tē basileia tōn ouranōn meizōn autou estin) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: “Born of women” (ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν en gennētois gynaikōn) is a Hebrew way of saying “all human beings” (Job 14:1). μικρότερος mikroteros is a comparative used as a superlative, “least.” ἐγήγερται egēgertai, “has arisen,” is a perfect of the verb also used of raising the dead.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Luke records the same saying (Luke 7:28). Jesus tells His disciples that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what they see (Matthew 13:17), and Peter writes that the prophets searched into the salvation now announced (1 Peter 1:10–12). The faithful of old “did not receive what was promised” (Hebrews 11:39–40).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: The comparison is about position in God’s plan, not personal worth. John stood at the threshold of the kingdom, the last and greatest of the prophets who pointed ahead. The least disciple who lives in the time of fulfillment has a greater privilege than even the greatest of those who could only announce it.

h 11:12 — the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and violent people seize it (ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βιάζεται καὶ βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν / hē basileia tōn ouranōn biazetai kai biastai harpazousin autēn) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: One of the most debated verses in Matthew. βιάζεται biazetai can be passive (“suffers violence, is attacked”) or middle (“forces its way, advances forcefully”). βιαστής biastēs means a violent or forceful person, and ἁρπάζω harpazō means to seize or snatch. TWB renders the passive, the more common sense of the verb, and records the alternatives.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Luke’s form reads, “the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it” (Luke 16:16). John has been imprisoned and will be killed (Matthew 14:10). Jesus speaks of binding the strong man and plundering his house (Matthew 12:29). Micah pictures one who breaks out ahead of the people, with the Lord at their head (Micah 2:13).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Interpreters read the verse in three main ways: the kingdom is attacked by violent opponents, such as Herod who imprisoned John and those who will kill Jesus; the kingdom advances powerfully, and determined people lay hold of it eagerly (as in Luke); or would-be revolutionaries try to seize the kingdom by force. Within the Divine Council worldview, the arrival of the kingdom meets resistance from the powers of this age, and that conflict runs through Matthew 11–12.

i 11:14 — he himself is Elijah who is to come (αὐτός ἐστιν Ἠλίας ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι / autos estin Ēlias ho mellōn erchesthai) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: “If you are willing to accept it” (εἰ θέλετε δέξασθαι ei thelete dexasthai) signals that the identification asks for insight. ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι ho mellōn erchesthai, “who is to come,” refers to the expected return of Elijah. “The one who has ears, let him hear” (11:15) calls for close attention; NA28 reads simply “ears,” while the Majority Text and Textus Receptus add “to hear.”

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Malachi ends with God’s promise to send Elijah before the great and awesome day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5–6). Elijah was taken up without dying (2 Kings 2:11). The angel said John would go “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Asked if he was Elijah, John said, “I am not” (John 1:21), meaning he was not Elijah returned in person; Jesus says he fulfilled Elijah’s role (Matthew 17:10–13).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: The return of Elijah was a lively hope in Second Temple Judaism; Ben Sira says he is “ready at the appointed time … to restore the tribes of Jacob” (Sirach 48:10). To identify John as Elijah was to say that the day of the Lord had begun to dawn, and therefore that the one who followed John was the Lord himself.

j 11:17 — We played the flute for you, and you did not dance (ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οὐκ ὠρχήσασθε / ēulēsamen hymin kai ouk ōrchēsasthe) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: αὐλέω auleō means to play the flute, used at weddings and at funerals (compare the flute players of 9:23). θρηνέω thrēneō means to sing a lament, and κόπτω koptō in the middle voice means to beat one’s breast in mourning. “This generation” (ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη hē genea hautē) is Matthew’s phrase for Jesus’ unresponsive contemporaries (12:39–45; 23:36).

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Luke records the same parable (Luke 7:31–35). There is “a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Jesus later calls this “an evil and adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Children in the marketplace played at weddings and funerals, and some refused to join in either game. The picture fits the response to John and Jesus: John’s call to repent was like a funeral lament, Jesus’ table fellowship like a wedding feast, and the people rejected both. The insults in 11:18–19 show they had an objection ready for each.

k 11:19 — wisdom is justified by her deeds (ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς / edikaiōthē hē sophia apo tōn ergōn autēs) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: σοφία sophia, “wisdom,” is personified as a woman, as in Proverbs. ἐδικαιώθη edikaiōthē means “is shown to be right, vindicated.” NA28 reads “by her deeds” (ἔργων ergōn), which echoes “the works of the Messiah” in 11:2; Luke 7:35 reads “by all her children,” and the Majority Text and Textus Receptus read “children” (τέκνων teknōn) in Matthew too. “A glutton and a drunkard” (φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης phagos kai oinopotēs) recalls the rebellious son of Deuteronomy 21:20.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Wisdom calls aloud in the streets and was present with God at creation (Proverbs 1:20; 8:22–31). Paul calls Christ “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). The charge “glutton and drunkard” was made against a son to be brought before the elders for stoning (Deuteronomy 21:18–21). Matthew has shown Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10–13).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: In Jewish wisdom writings, Wisdom comes from God, seeks a home among people, and is rejected by many (Sirach 24; 1 Enoch 42:1–2). Matthew presents Jesus in the role of Wisdom: His deeds prove Him right, whatever His critics say, and in 11:28–30 He speaks Wisdom’s own invitation. TWB follows NA28; “children” is best explained as scribes conforming Matthew to Luke.

Variant record: main text “by her deeds (ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς, apo tōn ergōn autēs)”; alternative “by her children (ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς, apo tōn teknōn autēs)”. Witnesses: NA28: main; Codex Sinaiticus: main; Codex Vaticanus (original hand): main; Codex Bezae: alternative; Majority Text: alternative; Textus Receptus: alternative. Decision: NA28 reading retained.

l 11:21 — Tyre and Sidon … sackcloth and ashes (ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι … ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ / en Tyrō kai Sidōni … en sakkō kai spodō) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: οὐαί ouai, “woe,” is a cry of lament and warning, the opposite of “blessed.” δυνάμεις dynameis are mighty works, miracles. σάκκος sakkos is sackcloth, coarse goat-hair cloth, and σποδός spodos ashes; both were signs of mourning and repentance. Chorazin is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture except Luke’s parallel (Luke 10:13).

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: The prophets pronounced judgment on Tyre and Sidon for pride and greed (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26–28; Joel 3:4–8). The king of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes at Jonah’s preaching (Jonah 3:6), and Daniel sought God “with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). Bethsaida was the hometown of Philip, Andrew, and Peter (John 1:44).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Ezekiel’s lament over the king of Tyre pictures him in Eden, “the garden of God,” as an anointed guardian cherub on “the holy mountain of God,” cast out for his pride (Ezekiel 28:12–17), language that draws on the heavenly council. For Jesus’ Galilean hearers, Tyre and Sidon were wealthy Gentile cities to the north, symbols of pagan pride. To say these cities would have repented while Jewish towns did not was a deep rebuke.

m 11:23 — will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades (μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ; ἕως ᾅδου καταβήσῃ / mē heōs ouranou hypsōthēsē; heōs hadou katabēsē) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: ᾅδης hadēs is the Greek word the Septuagint uses for שְׁאוֹל šəʾôl, the realm of the dead, distinct from Gehenna. The words “you will go down to Hades” reproduce Isaiah 14:15 almost exactly (Septuagint εἰς ᾅδου καταβήσῃ eis hadou katabēsē), so TWB sets them in capitals as a citation. NA28 reads a question, “will you be exalted to heaven?” (μὴ … ὑψωθήσῃ mē … hypsōthēsē); the Majority Text and Textus Receptus read “which are exalted to heaven.”

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Isaiah’s taunt against the king of Babylon says: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly … I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit” (Isaiah 14:13–15). Capernaum was Jesus’ own town (Matthew 9:1). Jesus later says the gates of Hades will not prevail against His assembly (Matthew 16:18).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Isaiah 14 is one of the clearest Divine Council passages: the fallen one, called “Day Star, son of Dawn” (הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר hêlēl ben-šāḥar), aimed to sit on “the mount of assembly,” the meeting place of the heavenly council, and was cast down. Jesus applies that language to Capernaum. The town honored by His presence and miracles, if it rejects Him, will share the fate of the proud power that tried to raise itself to God’s throne.

Variant record: main text “will you be exalted to heaven? (μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ; mē heōs ouranou hypsōthēsē)”; alternative “which are exalted to heaven (ἡ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθεῖσα, hē heōs tou ouranou hypsōtheisa)”. Witnesses: NA28: main; Codex Sinaiticus: main; Codex Vaticanus: main; Majority Text: alternative; Textus Receptus: alternative. Decision: NA28 reading retained.

n 11:25 — Lord of heaven and earth … revealed them to little children (κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς … ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις / kyrie tou ouranou kai tēs gēs … apekalypsas auta nēpiois) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: ἐξομολογέομαι exomologeomai means to acknowledge openly, and so to praise or thank. νήπιος nēpios is an infant or little child, the humble and untaught, contrasted with the “wise and understanding” (σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν sophōn kai synetōn). “Well-pleasing” (εὐδοκία eudokia, 11:26) is God’s good pleasure, the word used at Jesus’ baptism (3:17). The words are a prayer, so they are red.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Melchizedek blessed Abram by “God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19, 22). Daniel praised God who “gives wisdom to the wise” and “reveals deep and hidden things” (Daniel 2:20–23). Isaiah foretold that the wisdom of the wise would perish (Isaiah 29:14), and Paul writes that God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). “Out of the mouth of infants” God has prepared praise (Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:16).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: “Lord of heaven and earth” recalls the title of God Most High (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן ʾēl ʿelyôn), the one who in the Divine Council worldview presides over all the heavenly powers and allotted the nations (Deuteronomy 32:8). Jewish wisdom taught that God reveals His mysteries to whom He chooses. Here the “things” hidden from the learned are the meaning of Jesus’ works and the arrival of the kingdom.

o 11:27 — no one knows the Son except the Father (οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν υἱὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ / oudeis epiginōskei ton huion ei mē ho patēr) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: παρεδόθη paredothē, “have been handed over,” is the verb of passing on authority or tradition. ἐπιγινώσκω epiginōskō means to know fully, personally. The relationship is exclusive and mutual: only the Father knows the Son, only the Son knows the Father, and others know the Father only as the Son chooses to reveal Him. Divine pronouns are capitalized.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: All authority in heaven and on earth is given to the risen Jesus (Matthew 28:18), as dominion was given to the Son of Man (Daniel 7:14). John’s Gospel says the same: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35); “I know the Father” (John 10:15); “no one has ever seen God; the only God … has made Him known” (John 1:18). Moses asked God to show him His ways so that he might know Him (Exodus 33:12–13).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: In Jewish wisdom tradition, only God knows Wisdom, and Wisdom alone knows God’s ways (Job 28:23; Sirach 1:6–9). Jesus claims that place for Himself as the Son. Within the Divine Council worldview, the heavenly beings are called “sons of God,” but Jesus speaks of a unique relationship that none of them shares: He alone is “the Son” who knows the Father fully. Scholars sometimes call this verse the “Johannine thunderbolt” because it sounds so much like John’s Gospel.

p 11:28 — Come to Me … and I will give you rest (δεῦτε πρός με … κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς / deute pros me … kagō anapausō hymas) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: δεῦτε deute, “come,” is an invitation. κοπιῶντες kopiōntes are those who are worn out from toil, and πεφορτισμένοι pephortismenoi those who are loaded with burdens; the perfect tense describes a burden already placed on them. ἀναπαύω anapauō means to give rest or refreshment.

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: God told Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). “I will satisfy the weary soul” (Jeremiah 31:25). Wisdom calls, “Come, eat of my bread” (Proverbs 9:5), and Isaiah, “Come, everyone who thirsts” (Isaiah 55:1). The scribes and Pharisees “tie up heavy burdens” on others (Matthew 23:4). “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Ben Sira’s closing poem has Wisdom’s teacher say, “Draw near to me, you who are untaught … put your neck under her yoke … see with your eyes that I have labored little and found much rest” (Sirach 51:23–27). Jesus speaks in that voice, but He calls people to Himself rather than to a book of wisdom. He also speaks the words God spoke to Moses: “I will give you rest.”

q 11:29 — My yoke … you will find rest for your souls (τὸν ζυγόν μου … εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν / ton zygon mou … heurēsete anapausin tais psychais hymōn) ↩ back to text

Tier 1 — Lexical Anchor: ζυγός zygos is a yoke, the wooden frame that joined animals for work, and a common image for submission to a master or a teaching. πραΰς praus is rendered “meek,” as in 5:5 (“Blessed are the meek”), and ταπεινός tapeinos means “lowly, humble.” “You will find rest for your souls” follows the Hebrew of Jeremiah 6:16 (וּמִצְאוּ מַרְגּוֹעַ לְנַפְשְׁכֶם ûmiṣʾû margôaʿ lənap̄šəḵem) rather than the Septuagint (“purification for your souls”), so TWB sets it in capitals as a citation. χρηστός chrēstos (11:30) means “easy, kind, good to use.”

Tier 2 — Canonical Mesh: Jeremiah said, “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls,” but the people refused (Jeremiah 6:16). Matthew later quotes Zechariah’s humble king, using the same word “meek” (Matthew 21:5; Zechariah 9:9). Peter calls the burden of the Law a yoke “neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10), and John writes that God’s commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).

Tier 3 — Historical / Cosmological Horizon: Jewish teachers spoke of taking on “the yoke of the kingdom of heaven” when reciting the Shema (Mishnah Berakhot 2:2) and of “the yoke of Torah” (Mishnah Avot 3:5). Jesus offers His own yoke in place of the heavy burdens of scribal interpretation (23:4). Where Israel refused Jeremiah’s good way, Jesus invites the weary to find in Him the rest the prophet promised.

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Book InsightsMatthew

Author

Matthew, also called Levi, the tax collector whom Jesus called to follow Him and who became one of the Twelve (9:9; 10:3; compare Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). The Gospel does not name its author, but the evidence for Matthew is strong:

  • Unanimous early testimony. Every ancient manuscript that preserves a title reads “According to Matthew” (Κατὰ Μαθθαῖον Kata Maththaion), and no other author was ever proposed. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in the early 2nd century A.D., wrote that “Matthew compiled the sayings (λόγια logia) in the Hebrew language” (quoted by Eusebius, Church History 3.39.16). Irenaeus (c. A.D. 180), Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome all name Matthew.
  • Clues in the text. Only this Gospel calls the converted tax collector “Matthew” (9:9) and lists him as “Matthew the tax collector” (10:3), a humble self-reference. It has the most interest in money: the temple tax (17:24–27), the coin of the tribute (22:19, where Matthew alone uses the technical term νόμισμα nomisma), and talents and debts (18:23–35; 25:14–30). A tax collector would have been literate and used to keeping careful records, probably in Greek as well as Aramaic.
  • Matthew first. In John Wenham, Redating Matthew, Mark and Luke (1991), John Wenham argues that the early church’s order is correct: Matthew wrote first, then Mark, then Luke. Clement of Alexandria reported that “the Gospels containing the genealogies were written first” (Eusebius, Church History 6.14.5), which places Matthew and Luke before Mark, and every early writer who names an order puts Matthew first.
  • One shared teaching, with some borrowing. Wenham’s own model is “an oral theory with some measure of successive dependence.” All three Gospels draw on the Jerusalem catechesis, the apostles’ carefully taught oral account of Jesus’ words and deeds. On top of that shared teaching, Mark made some use of Matthew, and Luke made some use of both Matthew and Mark. On this view the hypothetical source Q is unnecessary, and each Gospel is an independent witness to the apostolic preaching.

Papias’s report that Matthew wrote “in the Hebrew language” is read by many who hold Matthew’s priority as evidence of an earlier Hebrew or Aramaic edition, followed by the Greek Gospel we have; others take it to describe a Hebrew style of writing or a collection of sayings.

Other views — What Papias meant

Papias’s words are debated. Some take them to mean Matthew first wrote a Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel that was later translated into the Greek we have. Others think he meant a collection of Jesus’ sayings rather than this Gospel. Still others read “in the Hebrew language” as “in a Hebrew style.” Our Greek Matthew does not read like a translation, and it often quotes the Old Testament from the Septuagint.

Other views — The Synoptic Problem

Most scholars today explain the shared material in Matthew, Mark, and Luke differently from Wenham:

  • Two-Source Hypothesis (the majority view): Mark wrote first. Matthew and Luke each used Mark plus a lost collection of Jesus’ sayings called Q, from the German Quelle (“source”). Material found only in Matthew is often labeled M.
  • Farrer Hypothesis: Mark wrote first, Matthew used Mark, and Luke used both, so no Q is needed.
  • Two-Gospel (Griesbach) Hypothesis: Matthew wrote first, Luke used Matthew, and Mark combined both. Wenham charts what this would require in Mark 1:1–13: Mark switching between Matthew, Luke, and his own words every few words, a process he finds implausible (pp. 13–15).

Supporters of Mark’s priority point to Mark’s rougher Greek, which Matthew and Luke seem to smooth, and to Matthew’s inclusion of nearly all of Mark. No manuscript of Q has ever been found. Many conservative scholars hold Mark’s priority and still affirm the apostle Matthew as author.

Other views — An unnamed Jewish-Christian author

Many critical scholars hold that the Gospel was written by an unknown Jewish believer, perhaps a scribe trained for the kingdom (13:52), and later attached to Matthew’s name. They argue that an eyewitness apostle would not have relied on Mark, who was not one of the Twelve.

Audience

Primarily Jewish believers, along with Jews being invited to believe. Matthew assumes his readers know the Law, the Prophets, and Jewish customs. He leaves customs unexplained that Mark explains for Gentiles (compare 15:2 with Mark 7:3–4), and traces Jesus’ line back to Abraham. Out of reverence he usually says “kingdom of heaven” rather than “kingdom of God.” Yet the Gospel looks outward from the start, with Gentile magi at the cradle (2:1–12), and ends with the command to make disciples of all nations (28:19).

Date Written

c. A.D. 40–65, before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70. Conservative scholars hold two main positions within that range.

c. A.D. 50–65. Matthew writes as though the temple is still standing: he includes instructions about offering gifts at the altar (5:23–24), paying the temple tax (17:24–27), and swearing by the temple (23:16–22). Twice he says something remains “to this day” (27:8; 28:15). Jesus predicts the temple’s fall (24:1–2), but the Gospel never reports it as having happened. Many conservative scholars, including those who hold that Matthew used Mark, place the Gospel in this period.

c. A.D. 40 (John Wenham). Those who hold Matthean priority often place it earlier still, in the A.D. 40s or 50s. Wenham reaches c. A.D. 40 by working back from Acts:

  • Acts was finished in A.D. 62. It ends with Paul two years under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30–31) and says nothing of his death (c. A.D. 67), the great fire of Rome and Nero’s persecution (A.D. 64), the outbreak of the Jewish War (A.D. 66), or the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70).
  • Luke came before Acts (Acts 1:1). Wenham dates Luke to about A.D. 54 and identifies Luke with “the brother whose praise is in the gospel” (2 Corinthians 8:18), in a letter he dates to A.D. 56.
  • Mark came before Luke, about A.D. 45, from Peter’s preaching in Rome. Wenham reads Peter’s escape from Herod Agrippa I to “another place” (Acts 12:17, A.D. 42) as his journey to Rome.
  • Matthew came first, about A.D. 40, before the persecution under Herod Agrippa I scattered the apostles from Jerusalem in A.D. 42 (Acts 12:1–17). Eusebius says Matthew wrote for the Hebrews when he was about to leave them to preach to others (Church History 3.24.6).

Source for Wenham’s dates: John Wenham, Redating Matthew, Mark and Luke (1991), Chronological Table, pp. xxv–xxvi.

Other views — Critical dating (c. A.D. 80–90)

Many critical scholars date Matthew after A.D. 70. They reason that Matthew used Mark, usually dated around A.D. 65–70, and that the parable of the king who “burned their city” (22:7) looks back on Jerusalem’s fall. They also point to sharp conflict with synagogue leaders (23:34), which they place in the decades after the war. Conservative scholars respond that 22:7 uses the common language of ancient warfare and judgment (compare Judges 1:8; Isaiah 1:7), not specific details of A.D. 70, and that predictive prophecy should not be ruled out in advance.

Location Written

Judea, most likely Jerusalem. Wenham, following the early tradition, places Matthew’s writing in the land of Israel for Jewish believers before the apostles left Jerusalem.

  • Early testimony. Irenaeus says Matthew wrote “among the Hebrews” (Against Heresies 3.1.1), and Eusebius says he wrote for them before leaving to preach to others (Church History 3.24.6).
  • The audience. The Gospel assumes readers who know Jewish customs without explanation (compare 15:2 with Mark 7:3–4), care about the temple and the Law, and need answers to questions raised by the synagogue.

Other views — Other proposed places

Many scholars, conservative and critical, suggest Syrian Antioch, a city with a large Jewish population and an early church of both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 11:19–26). Ignatius, bishop of Antioch (c. A.D. 110), is the earliest writer to show clear knowledge of Matthew. Galilee, Caesarea Maritima, and Phoenicia have also been suggested.

Purpose

To show that Jesus is the promised Messiah (Χριστός Christos), the Son of David and Son of Abraham (1:1). He fulfills the Law and the Prophets and brings the kingdom of heaven near. Matthew also trains disciples in how to live under that kingdom, and sends them to make disciples of every nation.

Matthew does this through two patterns. Ten times he introduces an Old Testament text with a fulfillment formula such as “this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet” (1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9). He also gathers Jesus’ teaching into five great discourses, each closing with “when Jesus had finished” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). Many readers see an echo of the five books of Moses:

  • The Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7)
  • Instructions to the Twelve (chapter 10)
  • Parables of the kingdom (chapter 13)
  • Life in the community (chapter 18)
  • The Olivet Discourse, on the end of the age (chapters 24–25)

Historical Problem Being Addressed

Jewish believers faced a hard question. If Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, why did Israel’s own leaders reject Him and hand Him over to be crucified? And why were Gentiles now streaming into the people of God? Believers were being opposed in the synagogues (10:17; 23:34) and needed to know that following Jesus was not abandoning the faith of Abraham and Moses, but its fulfillment. Matthew answers that the rejection itself was foretold. Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (5:17), and Abraham’s family was always meant to bless the nations (8:11; 28:19).

Through the Original Readers’ Eyes

Matthew’s first readers lived in a land ruled by Rome through Herod’s family and Roman governors (2:1, 22; 27:2), worshiping in synagogues and arguing over how to keep the Law. Several things they knew shape how they heard this Gospel:

  • Hope for a Son of David. Many Jews longed for a king who would restore Israel. The Psalms of Solomon (1st century B.C.) pray for “the son of David” to purge Jerusalem of Gentiles and rule in righteousness (Psalms of Solomon 17). Some Qumran texts expect both a royal and a priestly messiah (1QS 9:11). Matthew’s Son of David heals the blind and lame (21:14) and dies under the charge “King of the Jews.”
  • The Son of Man. Daniel 7 pictures one like a son of man receiving everlasting dominion. The Similitudes of Enoch (1 Enoch 37–71, whose date is debated) speak of a heavenly Son of Man who judges from a glorious throne. Readers who knew these texts would hear Jesus’ favorite self-designation as a claim to that throne (19:28; 25:31).
  • Caesar’s claims. Augustus was called “son of god” (divi filius), and an inscription from Priene (9 B.C.) calls his birthday the beginning of “good news” (εὐαγγέλια euangelia) for the world. A Gospel announcing a different King, a different Son of God, and a different kingdom would have sounded like a rival claim.
  • Pharisees, scribes, and synagogues. The disputes over Sabbath, purity, oaths, and tithing (chapters 12, 15, 23) were live questions for Jewish communities. Matthew’s readers needed to know how Jesus’ followers related to the Law and to the synagogue leaders.

Among the early church, Matthew quickly became the most quoted Gospel. The Didache (late 1st or early 2nd century) gives the Lord’s Prayer in a form very close to Matthew’s (Didache 8:2), and Ignatius of Antioch (c. A.D. 110) shows knowledge of it. It was placed first in the New Testament, as the bridge from Israel’s Scriptures to the gospel.

Key Words

Kingdom of heaven: βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν basileia tōn ouranōn

The phrase appears more than thirty times in Matthew and nowhere else in the New Testament. Following Jewish reverence for God’s name, “heaven” stands for God Himself, so it means the same as “kingdom of God,” which Matthew also uses a few times (12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43).

Fulfill: πληρόω plēroō

Ten times Matthew introduces an Old Testament text with a fulfillment formula (1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9), and Jesus says He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (5:17). In Matthew, fulfillment means more than prediction coming true: Israel’s story and Scripture reach their goal in Jesus.

Righteousness: δικαιοσύνη dikaiosynē

Jesus is baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (3:15), and His disciples must hunger for righteousness (5:6), have a righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees (5:20), and seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (6:33). It names the life that matches God’s will.

Key Verses

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17 (TWB)

The main key verse: Jesus came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. The whole Gospel unfolds this claim.

Matthew 16:16

Peter’s confession, the turning point of the Gospel: Jesus is the Messiah (Χριστός Christos), the Son of the living God.

Matthew 28:18–20

The Great Commission: the risen Jesus, with all authority in heaven and on earth, sends His disciples to make disciples of all nations, and promises to be with them always, echoing “Immanuel, God with us” (1:23).

Outline

Matthew alternates narrative with five major blocks of teaching, each ending with “when Jesus had finished” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1).

  1. The coming of the King 1:1–4:25
    1. Genealogy, birth, and infancy 1:1–2:23
    2. John the Baptist, the baptism, and the temptation 3:1–4:11
    3. Ministry in Galilee begins 4:12–25
  2. First discourse: the Sermon on the Mount 5:1–7:29
  3. Mighty works: ten miracles 8:1–9:38
  4. Second discourse: sending out the Twelve 10:1–11:1 You are here
  5. Growing opposition 11:2–12:50 You are here
  6. Third discourse: parables of the kingdom 13:1–53
  7. Peter’s confession and the road to the cross 13:54–17:27
  8. Fourth discourse: life in the community 18:1–19:1
  9. In Judea and Jerusalem 19:2–23:39
  10. Fifth discourse: the Olivet Discourse 24:1–25:46
  11. Death and resurrection; the Great Commission 26:1–28:20

Christ in the Book

Matthew presents Jesus above all as the King.

  • The Son of David, heir to the throne promised in 2 Samuel 7:12–16 (1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 20:30–31; 21:9).
  • The Son of Abraham, the seed through whom the nations are blessed (1:1; compare Genesis 12:3; 22:18).
  • Immanuel, “God with us” (1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14). The Gospel ends where it began: “I am with you always” (28:20).
  • The Messiah, the Son of the living God, as Peter confesses at Caesarea Philippi (16:16), where TWB renders Χριστός Christos as “Messiah.”
  • The new Moses: spared as an infant from a king’s slaughter (2:13–18; compare Exodus 1:22–2:10), called out of Egypt (2:15, quoting Hosea 11:1), and teaching from the mountain (5:1).
  • The Son of Man of Daniel 7:13–14, who receives dominion and comes on the clouds (24:30; 26:64).
  • Greater than the temple, Jonah, and Solomon (12:6, 41–42).
  • The Servant of Isaiah, who carries our sicknesses and brings justice to the nations (8:17; 12:17–21).
  • The humble King riding into Jerusalem (21:5, quoting Zechariah 9:9), crucified under the charge “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (27:37).
  • The risen Lord with all authority in heaven and on earth (28:18).

The Divine Council Worldview in the Book

What is the Divine Council Worldview?

The Divine Council Worldview reads Scripture the way its first readers did. The Lord, God Most High, presides over a heavenly assembly of spiritual beings, called “sons of God,” “holy ones,” and “gods” (אֱלֹהִים ʾĕlōhîm) (Psalm 82:1; Psalm 89:5–7; 1 Kings 22:19–22; Job 1:6). He alone is Creator, and none of them is like Him (Psalm 89:6; Exodus 15:11). Some of these beings rebelled: in Eden, before the flood, and at Babel, after which the nations were placed under lesser powers while the Lord took Israel as His own portion (Deuteronomy 32:8–9). The rest of Scripture tells how God reclaims the nations through the Messiah. Not every interpreter reads these texts this way; where views differ, they are noted.

Matthew presents Jesus’ ministry as the beginning of God’s campaign to take back the nations from the powers that rebelled at Babel. The kingdom of heaven advances against an opposing kingdom.

  • The kingdoms of the world (4:8–9). The devil offers Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” if He will worship him. On a Divine Council reading, the offer is real because the nations had been placed under other powers (Deuteronomy 32:8–9; compare Luke 4:6; John 12:31). Jesus refuses to receive the nations from the rebel and quotes Deuteronomy: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (4:10).
  • Binding the strong man (12:28–29). Jesus’ exorcisms show that “the kingdom of God has come upon you.” He enters Satan’s house, binds the strong man, and plunders it.
  • The gates of Hades (16:13–18). Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah at Caesarea Philippi, at the foot of Mount Hermon. A cave there held a shrine to the god Pan and was thought to be a gateway to the underworld, and Jewish tradition remembered Hermon as where the rebellious sons of God of Genesis 6 came down (1 Enoch 6:6). There Jesus promises that “the gates of Hades will not prevail” against His church.
  • The high mountain (17:1–8). Six days later Jesus is transfigured on “a high mountain.” Many scholars think this was Hermon itself, given its height and nearness to Caesarea Philippi; tradition since the 4th century has favored Mount Tabor.
  • Their angels (18:10). The little ones have angels who “always see the face of My Father in heaven,” a picture of heavenly beings attending God’s presence.
  • The Son of Man and the thrones (19:28; 26:64). Jesus draws on Daniel 7, where thrones are set up, the court sits, and one like a son of man receives the dominion over the nations (Daniel 7:9–14). He promises the Twelve that they will sit on twelve thrones, so that redeemed humans share in God’s rule.
  • The devil and his angels (25:41). The eternal fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels,” not originally for people.
  • All authority, all nations (28:18–20). The risen Jesus claims “all authority in heaven and on earth” and sends His disciples to make disciples of “all the nations” (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη panta ta ethnē), the very nations once given over at Babel.

Divine Council notes in the chapters translated so far

How the Book Connects to Other Books

  • Genesis: Matthew opens with “the book of the genealogy” (βίβλος γενέσεως biblos geneseōs, 1:1), the same wording the Septuagint uses in Genesis 2:4 and 5:1. A new beginning is announced in the language of the first one.
  • 2 Chronicles and Malachi: In the order of the Hebrew Bible, the Scriptures close with 2 Chronicles, which opens with genealogies and ends with an invitation to go up to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:23). Matthew opens with a genealogy. In the Christian order, Malachi’s promise of Elijah (Malachi 4:5) leads into John the Baptist, whom Jesus identifies as that Elijah (11:14; 17:12–13).
  • The Prophets: Matthew quotes or echoes the Old Testament more than any other Gospel, including Isaiah 7:14 (1:23), Micah 5:2 (2:6), Hosea 11:1 (2:15), Jeremiah 31:15 (2:18), and Zechariah 9:9 (21:5).
  • Mark and Luke tell much of the same story (see the Synoptic Problem under Author), and John complements them with Jesus’ ministry in Judea.
  • Acts carries out the Great Commission (28:18–20), beginning in Jerusalem and reaching the nations (Acts 1:8).
  • James echoes the Sermon on the Mount more closely than any other letter (compare 5:3 with James 2:5; 5:11–12 with James 1:2; 5:34–37 with James 5:12; 7:7 with James 1:5).
  • Revelation: the Son of Man coming with the clouds (24:30; Revelation 1:7) and the kingdom of the world becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah (Revelation 11:15).

TWB Translation Decisions

The main rendering decisions made so far in Matthew. Each one with a study note links to it.

“Messiah” for Χριστός

TWB renders Χριστός Christos as “Messiah” throughout, showing that it is a title (“Anointed One”) rather than a surname. The notes show the Greek wherever it matters.

Speech colors

Jesus’ words are printed in red and God the Father’s in blue (for example, the voice from heaven at the baptism, 3:17). The words of ordinary angels, such as the angel who speaks to Joseph in dreams (2:13, 19–20), are not colored.

Old Testament quotations in capitals

Direct quotations of the Old Testament are printed in capitals, so readers can see where Matthew is citing Scripture (for example, Micah 5:2 at 2:6 and Hosea 11:1 at 2:15).

Read the full note →

“Magi” (2:1)

Rather than “wise men,” which hides their priestly and astrological role, or “magicians,” which gives a negative sense Matthew does not intend.

Read the full note →

“His star at its rising” (2:2)

Not “in the east”: the singular with the article is an astronomical expression for a star’s rising.

Read the full note →

“Worship” (2:2, 11)

For προσκυνέω proskyneō, rather than “pay homage,” because Matthew uses the same verb for the disciples’ worship of Jesus (14:33; 28:9, 17).

Read the full note →

“He had been mocked” (2:16)

Rather than “tricked,” to keep the link with the mockery of Jesus at His trial and crucifixion, where Matthew uses the same verb.

Read the full note →

“That He would be called a Nazarene” (2:23)

Rendered as indirect speech, without quotation marks or capitals, because the words are not found in any one Old Testament book.

Read the full note →

Textual Notes

Base text: Nestle-Aland, 28th edition (NA28). Where the Majority Text or Textus Receptus reads differently, the notes record both readings and the manuscripts behind them.

The doxology of the Lord’s Prayer 6:13

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” is found in the Majority Text and the Textus Receptus but not in the earliest manuscripts, including Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. A shorter doxology appears in the Didache (8:2), which shows it was used in worship very early. TWB follows NA28 and records the longer reading in the note.

Verses not found in the earliest manuscripts 17:21

Three verses found in the Majority Text and Textus Receptus are absent from the earliest manuscripts: 17:21 (“this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”), 18:11 (“the Son of Man came to save the lost”), and 23:14 (on devouring widows’ houses). Each closely matches a verse in another Gospel (Mark 9:29; Luke 19:10; Mark 12:40), and most scholars think scribes added them from there. Supporters of the Majority Text regard them as original. TWB follows NA28 and records each in the notes.

“Without cause” 5:22

The Majority Text and Textus Receptus read “whoever is angry with his brother without cause” (εἰκῆ eikē). The earliest manuscripts lack the phrase, which softens Jesus’ saying. TWB follows NA28.

The spear at the cross 27:49

Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus add that a soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear before He died, wording that closely matches John 19:34. NA28 places it in the apparatus, judging it an early addition from John.

Textual notes in the chapters translated so far

Contested Questions

Major questions on which careful readers and Christian traditions disagree. TWB states each view fairly and does not take a side, per the Master Specification Record.

What is “this rock” in Matthew 16:18?
Peter, with a continuing office

Jesus plays on Peter’s name (Πέτρος Petros, “rock”) and builds the church on him, giving him the keys (16:19). Catholic teaching sees this office continued in Peter’s successors, the bishops of Rome.

Peter, as the first apostle

The rock is Peter himself, as the leading apostle and first preacher (Acts 2; 10), without a line of successors. Held by many Protestant scholars today.

Peter’s confession of faith

The rock is the truth Peter confessed, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God (16:16). Common in Orthodox and in much Protestant teaching; Orthodox tradition also sees every bishop as sharing Peter’s ministry.

Christ Himself

The rock is Christ, the one foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11; compare 1 Peter 2:4–8). Augustine argued for this reading in some of his writings.

What does the exception for “sexual immorality” allow (5:32; 19:9)?
Divorce and remarriage after adultery

Sexual unfaithfulness (πορνεία porneia) breaks the marriage, so the innocent party may divorce and remarry. Held in most Protestant traditions.

Separation without remarriage

A valid sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved; the exception allows separation, or applies to unions that were never valid marriages (the basis of annulment). Catholic teaching.

Remarriage permitted by pastoral mercy

Marriage is meant to be lifelong, but the church may permit a second marriage after divorce as an act of mercy (οἰκονομία oikonomia). Orthodox practice.

A narrow case

πορνεία porneia refers to unfaithfulness during betrothal (as Joseph suspected of Mary, 1:19) or to marriages within forbidden family relationships (Leviticus 18; Acts 15:29).

When is the Olivet Discourse (chapter 24) fulfilled?
In A.D. 70

Most of the discourse was fulfilled when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, within “this generation” (24:34). Held by preterist interpreters.

At the end of the age

The discourse describes events still future, before Christ’s return. Held by futurist interpreters.

Both

The fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 fulfills the near prophecy and foreshadows the final judgment at Christ’s return. Held by many interpreters across traditions.

Did Mary have other children (1:25; 13:55)?
Mary remained a virgin

“Until” (1:25) does not imply anything afterward, and Jesus’ “brothers” (13:55) were relatives. Catholic and Orthodox teaching, and held by Luther and other early Reformers. Orthodox tradition sees them as Joseph’s children from an earlier marriage; Catholic tradition, following Jerome, as cousins.

Mary and Joseph had other children

“Until” most naturally implies a normal marriage afterward, and the brothers and sisters named in 13:55–56 were younger children of Mary and Joseph. Held by most Protestants today.

Places in the Book

  • Babylon Identified first mentioned 1:11
  • Bethlehem Identified first mentioned 2:1
  • Judea Identified first mentioned 2:1
  • Jerusalem Identified first mentioned 2:1
  • Egypt Identified first mentioned 2:13
  • Ramah Identified first mentioned 2:18
  • Israel Identified first mentioned 2:20
  • Galilee Identified first mentioned 2:22
  • Nazareth Identified first mentioned 2:23
  • the wilderness Identified first mentioned 3:1
  • the Jordan Identified first mentioned 3:5
  • Capernaum Identified first mentioned 4:13
  • Zebulun Identified first mentioned 4:13
  • Naphtali Identified first mentioned 4:13
  • Sea of Galilee Identified first mentioned 4:18
  • Syria Identified first mentioned 4:24
  • Decapolis Identified first mentioned 4:25
  • the mountain Location unknown first mentioned 5:1
  • Gehenna Identified first mentioned 5:22
  • country of the Gadarenes Disputed first mentioned 8:28
  • Samaria Identified first mentioned 10:5
  • Sodom Disputed first mentioned 10:15
  • Gomorrah Disputed first mentioned 10:15
  • Chorazin Identified first mentioned 11:21
  • Bethsaida Disputed first mentioned 11:21
  • Tyre Identified first mentioned 11:21
  • Sidon Identified first mentioned 11:21
  • Nineveh Identified first mentioned 12:41
  • Gennesaret Identified first mentioned 14:34
  • Magadan Disputed first mentioned 15:39

The map shows unlabeled physical relief, with no modern borders or names. Hollow pins mark proposed sites for disputed places; places of unknown location are not pinned. This list grows as more chapters are translated.

The conservative view is given first; other views follow where scholars differ. Status: draft, version 0.7.0, updated 2026-10-10.