1
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων ὥστε ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὰ καὶ θεραπεύειν πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν.
And calling his twelve disciples he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every disease and every weakness.
His twelve disciples — the number is given before the names, and before the word “apostles” in verse 2.
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the twelve — “to cast them out” is the unclean spirits
2
τῶν δὲ δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τὰ ὀνόματά ἐστιν ταῦτα· πρῶτος Σίμων ὁ λεγόμενος Πέτρος καὶ Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς ⸀αὐτοῦ, Ἰάκωβος ὁ τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ,
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Apostles renders ἀπόστολοι (apostoloi), those sent out — this book uses the word only here. First, Simon — the ordering is marked.
first here Simon Σίμων Simōn
first here Peter Πέτρος Petros
first here Andrew Ἀνδρέας Andreas
first here James Ἰάκωβος Iakōbos
first here Zebedee Ζεβεδαῖος Zebedaios
first here John Ἰωάννης Iōannēs
pronoun these = the names that follow
pronoun his = Simon — the second “his” is James
Why this rendering
Matt.10.2 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἀπόστολος occurs only here in Matthew, only once in Mark (6:30) and only once in John (13:16). Luke alone uses it six times (6:13, 9:10, 11:49, 17:5, 22:14, 24:10). Three books are sparing with it and one is not. The three normally say μαθηταί, disciples, or οἱ δώδεκα, the twelve. The list opens with πρῶτος, first — but not as a count: no second or third follows, only καί. So πρῶτος attaches to Simon rather than numbering the list. The names come in pairs (two brothers, two brothers…), and Matthew's own name carries ὁ τελώνης, the tax collector — a qualifier absent from the parallel list at Mark 3:18. And Judas carries ὁ καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτόν, the one who handed him over, spoken as already done at the moment the list is written. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀αὐτοῦ,).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “first, Simon” — without numbering
Basis Keeps πρῶτος without supplying second and third. The translation does not count what the text does not.
Number the list through
Basis Tidies the list for reading.
Rejected The text counts one and stops. Numbering through invents a system the text lacks and closes what was open — whether πρῶτος belongs to Simon or to the list.
3
Φίλιππος καὶ Βαρθολομαῖος, Θωμᾶς καὶ Μαθθαῖος ὁ τελώνης, Ἰάκωβος ὁ τοῦ Ἁλφαίου καὶ ⸀Θαδδαῖος,
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Matthew the tax collector — only this book adds the trade to the name.
first here Philippi Φίλιππος Philippos
first here Bartholomew Βαρθολομαῖος Bartholomaios
first here Thomas Θωμᾶς Thōmas
first here Matthew Μαθθαῖος Maththaios
first here Alphaeus Ἁλφαῖος Halphaios
first here Thaddaeus Θαδδαῖος Thaddaios
4
Σίμων ὁ ⸀Καναναῖος καὶ Ἰούδας ⸀ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης ὁ καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτόν.
Simon the Kananaios, and Judas Iscariot, the one who handed him over.
Kananaios is an Aramaic word for zealot, kept as sound and not turned into a place-name.
first here Judas Ἰούδας Ioudas
first here Iscariot Ἰσκαριώτης Iskariōtēs
pronoun who = Judas Iscariot
pronoun him = Jesus
5
Τούτους τοὺς δώδεκα ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς παραγγείλας αὐτοῖς λέγων· Εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε καὶ εἰς πόλιν Σαμαριτῶν μὴ εἰσέλθητε·
These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them: “Do not go off on a road of the gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans;
Not a road of the gentiles — only this book limits the sending, and 28:19 will lift the limit.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
first here Samaritan Σαμαρίτης Samaritēs
pronoun These = the twelve
pronoun them = the twelve
6
πορεύεσθε δὲ μᾶλλον πρὸς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ.
go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Lost sheep of the house of Israel — the phrase returns at 15:24.
first here Israel Ἰσραήλ Israēl
7
πορευόμενοι δὲ κηρύσσετε λέγοντες ὅτι Ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has come near.'
The kingdom of the heavens has come near — the words of John at 3:2 and of Jesus at 4:17.
pronoun you = the twelve
8
ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, ⸂νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε⸃, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
Freely renders δωρεάν (dōrean), as a gift — the same word as “without cause” at John 15:25.
pronoun you = the twelve
9
μὴ κτήσησθε χρυσὸν μηδὲ ἄργυρον μηδὲ χαλκὸν εἰς τὰς ζώνας ὑμῶν,
Do not procure gold or silver or copper for your belts,
Procure (κτάομαι, ktaomai) is to get for oneself, not merely to carry.
pronoun your = the twelve
10
μὴ πήραν εἰς ὁδὸν μηδὲ δύο χιτῶνας μηδὲ ὑποδήματα μηδὲ ⸀ῥάβδον· ἄξιος γὰρ ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς ⸀αὐτοῦ.
nor a bag for the road, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the worker is worthy of his sustenance.
Nor a staff — Mark 6:8 allows the staff and the sandals. The books stand against each other, and are left as they stand.
pronoun his = the worker
Why this rendering
Matt.10.10 Observation
Syntactic observation
The two books contradict each other head on. Mark 6:8-9: μηδὲν αἴρωσιν εἰς ὁδὸν εἰ μὴ ῥάβδον μόνον — take nothing for the road except a staff only — and then ἀλλὰ ὑποδεδεμένους σανδάλια, but wearing sandals. Matthew 10:10: μηδὲ ὑποδήματα μηδὲ ῥάβδον — no sandals, no staff. What Mark permits, Matthew forbids. And Luke 9:3 has Μηδὲν αἴρετε εἰς τὴν ὁδόν, μήτε ῥάβδον — Luke forbids the staff too. So this is not one against one but two against one, and Mark alone permits it. ῥάβδος occurs exactly once in each of the three books (Mark 6:8, Matt 10:10, Luke 9:3), and only Mark's runs the other way. This is not a variant: all three base texts print it so, and since we render all three books it cannot be harmonised. The footwear divides too: only Mark uses σανδάλιον (6:9, once in all four Gospels), while Matthew 10:10 and Luke 10:4 use ὑπόδημα. The lists are built differently too: Mark puts bread, bag and money in the do-not-take list; Matthew begins with gold, silver and bronze (v.9) and then adds bag, tunics, sandals, staff. The last sentence gives the ground — ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὐτοῦ, the worker is worthy of his food. Luke 10:7 has the same maxim with a different word — ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ, worthy of his wage, not of his food. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀ῥάβδον· ⸀αὐτοῦ.).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted Rendered as prohibition — no sandals, no staff — kept apart from Mark 6:8's except a staff only
Basis Renders each book as printed; the contradiction is recorded in the analysis, not evened out. This is where the value of rendering both books together shows.
Harmonise, e.g. “no extra staff”
Basis Reads the two instructions as compatible.
Rejected There is no word for extra in the text. That the two books diverge is the datum here, and harmonising removes it from the translation.
11
εἰς ἣν δ’ ἂν πόλιν ἢ κώμην εἰσέλθητε, ἐξετάσατε τίς ἐν αὐτῇ ἄξιός ἐστιν· κἀκεῖ μείνατε ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθητε.
And into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
Worthy (ἄξιος, axios) runs through verses 10 to 13 and again at 37 to 38.
pronoun you = the twelve — both times
pronoun it = the town or village
12
εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν·
And as you enter the house, greet it;
Greet it — the greeting is “peace to you”, which is why verse 13 speaks of peace.
pronoun you = the twelve
pronoun it = the house
13
καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία, ἐλθάτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτήν· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἀξία, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ⸀πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιστραφήτω.
and if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Let your peace return to you — the greeting is treated as a thing that can be taken back.
pronoun your = the twelve — both times
pronoun it = the house — the second “it” is your peace
pronoun you = the twelve
14
καὶ ὃς ⸀ἂν μὴ δέξηται ὑμᾶς μηδὲ ἀκούσῃ τοὺς λόγους ὑμῶν, ἐξερχόμενοι ⸀ἔξω τῆς οἰκίας ἢ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης ἐκτινάξατε τὸν κονιορτὸν τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν.
And whoever does not receive you or listen to your words — as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.
Shake the dust off your feet — the gesture of Mark 6:11.
pronoun you = the twelve — both times
pronoun your = the twelve — both times
15
ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρων ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἢ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ.
Amen I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that city.
More bearable (ἀνεκτότερον, anektoteron) — the comparison is not softened.
first here Sodom Σόδομα Sodoma
first here Gomorrah Γόμορρα Gomorra
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the twelve
pronoun it = the day of judgement
16
Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.
Look, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be prudent as the snakes and unmixed as the doves.
Unmixed renders ἀκέραιος (akeraios), unalloyed — the word for metal with nothing added. Prudent is the practical good sense of 7:24.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the twelve
17
προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· παραδώσουσιν γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰς συνέδρια, καὶ ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν μαστιγώσουσιν ὑμᾶς·
But beware of people; for they will hand you over to councils, and in their synagogues they will flog you;
Councils renders συνέδρια (synedria), the word used of the body that tries him at 26:59.
pronoun they = people — both times
pronoun you = the twelve — both times
pronoun their = people
18
καὶ ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας δὲ καὶ βασιλεῖς ἀχθήσεσθε ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the gentiles.
As a testimony to them and to the gentiles — this book adds the gentiles here.
pronoun you = the twelve
pronoun my = Jesus
pronoun them = the governors and kings
19
ὅταν δὲ ⸀παραδῶσιν ὑμᾶς, μὴ μεριμνήσητε πῶς ἢ τί λαλήσητε· δοθήσεται γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ τί ⸀λαλήσητε·
But when they hand you over, do not worry how or what you will say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour.
In that hour — the same phrase as at 8:13.
pronoun they = those who hand you over
pronoun you = the twelve — every “you” here is the twelve
20
οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν.
For it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking in you.
The Spirit of your Father — Mark 13:11 says “the Holy Spirit”.
pronoun you = the twelve — both times
pronoun your = the twelve
21
παραδώσει δὲ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον, καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς.
And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and put them to death.
The line is the same as Mark 13:12, placed here instead.
pronoun his = a father
pronoun them = parents
22
καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου· ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος οὗτος σωθήσεται.
And you will be hated by all because of my name; but the one who endures to the end — this one will be saved.
Endures (ὑπομένω, hypomenō) is built on the remaining-verb of John 15.
pronoun you = the twelve
pronoun my = Jesus
pronoun this one = the one who endures
23
ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ⸀ἑτέραν· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις ⸀τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἕως ⸀ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
And when they persecute you in this city, flee to the other; for Amen I say to you, you will not finish the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
You will not finish the towns of Israel — the Greek says “finish”, and what is finished is not stated. The line is among the hardest in the book and is left as it stands.
pronoun they = those who persecute
pronoun you = the twelve — both times
pronoun I = Jesus
24
Οὐκ ἔστιν μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ.
A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above his master.
Above renders ὑπέρ (hyper) — over and beyond.
pronoun his = a slave
25
ἀρκετὸν τῷ μαθητῇ ἵνα γένηται ὡς ὁ διδάσκαλος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ δοῦλος ὡς ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ. εἰ τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην Βεελζεβοὺλ ⸀ἐπεκάλεσαν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τοὺς οἰκιακοὺς αὐτοῦ.
It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they called the master of the house Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household.
Beelzeboul is kept as sound; the sense of the name is not certain. Those of his household is one Greek word (οἰκιακοί, oikiakoi).
first here Beelzeboul Βεελζεβούλ Beelzeboul
pronoun he = the disciple
pronoun his = the disciple — the last “his” is the master of the house
pronoun they = people
26
Μὴ οὖν φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν κεκαλυμμένον ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται, καὶ κρυπτὸν ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται.
So do not fear them; for nothing is covered that will not be uncovered, and hidden that will not be known.
Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered — the same saying as Mark 4:22, put here as comfort.
pronoun them = those who persecute
27
ὃ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτί· καὶ ὃ εἰς τὸ οὖς ἀκούετε, κηρύξατε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων.
What I tell you in the darkness, say in the light; and what you hear into the ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Into the ear — the Greek says what is heard into the ear, a whisper.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the twelve — both times
Why this rendering
Matt.10.27 Observation
Syntactic observation
One of Matthew's two places for σκοτία (the other is 4:16). His remaining six are σκότος (6:23 twice, 8:12, 22:13, 25:30, 27:45), while John runs the other way, eight σκοτία to one σκότος, and Luke has one σκοτία (12:3) to four σκότος. Here σκοτία is not the darkness of judgement but the place where words pass — one side of a contrast between hearing in the dark and speaking in the light. Set against the outer dark (σκότος) of 8:12, the two words look to be doing different work in this book; with only two places, no more can be said. The sentence pairs four items: darkness—light, ear—housetops. In the second pair εἰς τὸ οὖς, into the ear, states secrecy as a place, and ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων, on the housetops, states publicity as a place — all four are locations.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “in the darkness” — kept distinct from the dark of 8:12
Basis Applies the four Gospels decision separating σκοτία from σκότος (Matthew 4). Only if Matthew's two places and John's eight share a rendering can the distribution be counted.
Render by sense, e.g. “in secret”
Basis Makes the contrast plain.
Rejected The text sets all four items as places. In secret carries the sense but deletes the word darkness, breaking the link to 4:16 and to John's σκοτία.
28
καὶ μὴ ⸀φοβεῖσθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι· ⸁φοβεῖσθε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον ⸀καὶ ψυχὴν ⸁καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ.
And do not fear from those who kill the body but cannot kill the life; rather fear the one who can destroy both life and body in Gehenna.
Life here is ψυχή (psychē), often rendered “soul”; the same word stands twice. Luke 12:5 says “fear him who has authority to throw into Gehenna”.
Why this rendering
Matt.10.28 Observation
Syntactic observation
ψυχή and σῶμα are split and then rejoined in one sentence — the first half separates them (they kill the body but cannot kill the ψυχή), the second puts them together as καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα. This edition has held ψυχή to one word, life (the paradox of Mark 8:35-37, Mark 12:30, Mark 14:34), and this is where that decision is pulled hardest: calling life what survives the killing of the body strains the word, while switching to soul breaks the fixed rendering across the four Gospels. We keep the fixed rendering and record the strain as a loss — the same handling as at Mark 8:36-37, where one word was said to bear two weights. γέεννα stays transliterated here too (fixed from Mark 9:43) — seven in Matthew, three in Mark, one in Luke, none in John. And the verse's two commands of φοβέομαι differ in construction: the first takes ἀπό with the genitive, do not fear from them; the second takes its object directly — the grammar of fearing divides. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀φοβεῖσθε ⸁φοβεῖσθε ⸀καὶ ⸁καὶ).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “those who kill the body but cannot kill the life” — the fixed rendering kept
Basis Keeps ψυχή to one word as fixed at Mark 8:35-37, recording the strain here as a loss.
“…but cannot kill the soul”
Basis Chooses the word that fits this place.
Rejected This edition decided not to vary ψυχή by place. Changing it here parts this verse from the paradox of Mark 8:35-37 and from with all your life at Mark 12:30 — trading the countability of the whole for the ease of one place.
Lost in translation
the widest stretch of ψυχή English soul carries this verse well and strains at the other end (2:20; 6:25), where the Greek speaks of the life a body has. Varying the word by place would cut the thread this noun runs across the four Gospels — either choice loses something, and this project chose to keep the thread.
Survives in · this edition — 4 of the nine carry it (not this language)
29
οὐχὶ δύο στρουθία ἀσσαρίου πωλεῖται; καὶ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ πεσεῖται ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν.
Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
Assarion is a small Roman coin kept as sound. Apart from your Father — the Greek says only “apart from”, with no verb.
pronoun them = the sparrows
pronoun your = the twelve
30
ὑμῶν δὲ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς πᾶσαι ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν.
And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Are all numbered — a perfect passive; they stand counted.
pronoun your = the twelve
31
μὴ οὖν ⸀φοβεῖσθε· πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε ὑμεῖς.
So do not fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Do not fear — the third time in six verses.
pronoun you = the twelve
32
Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ⸀ἐν οὐρανοῖς·
So everyone who confesses me before people, I too will confess him before my Father in the heavens;
Confesses (ὁμολογέω, homologeō) is to say the same thing, to agree openly.
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun him = everyone who confesses me
pronoun my = Jesus
33
ὅστις ⸂δ’ ἂν⸃ ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀρνήσομαι ⸂κἀγὼ αὐτὸν⸃ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ⸀ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
but whoever denies me before people, I too will deny him before my Father in the heavens.
Verse 32 is put again with each half negated.
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun him = whoever denies me
pronoun my = Jesus
34
Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν.
Do not think that I came to throw peace on the earth; I did not come to throw peace but a sword.
Throw peace — the Greek verb is “throw”, and this edition keeps it rather than smoothing it to “bring”.
pronoun I = Jesus — both times
35
ἦλθον γὰρ διχάσαι ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ θυγατέρα κατὰ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ νύμφην κατὰ τῆς πενθερᾶς αὐτῆς,
For I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
Divide (διχάζω, dichazō) is used once in the four Gospels. The lines take up Micah 7:6.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun his = a man
pronoun her = a daughter — both times
36
καὶ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οἱ οἰκιακοὶ αὐτοῦ.
and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.
Those of his own household — the word of verse 25.
pronoun his = a man
37
ὁ φιλῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος· καὶ ὁ φιλῶν υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος·
The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
Worthy of me — the word that ran through verses 10 to 13, now turned on the hearer. Luke 14:26 says “hate” where this book says “loves more than me”.
pronoun me = Jesus — every “me” here is Jesus
38
καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος.
and whoever does not take his cross and follow behind me is not worthy of me.
His cross — the beam a condemned man carried.
pronoun his = whoever does not take it
pronoun me = Jesus — both times
39
ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.
The one who found his life will lose it, and the one who lost his life because of me will find it.
Life is ψυχή (psychē) again, and found and lost are set crosswise.
pronoun his = the one who found it — both times
pronoun it = his life — both times
pronoun me = Jesus
Why this rendering
Matt.10.39 Observation
Syntactic observation
The two books build the same paradox on different verbs. Mark 8:35 sets σῴζω, to save, against ἀπόλλυμι, to lose: whoever would save loses, whoever loses saves. Matthew 10:39 sets εὑρίσκω, to find, against ἀπόλλυμι: the one who found loses, the one who lost finds. The losing verb is shared; the gaining verb differs. And Matthew's sentence runs on participles (ὁ εὑρών, ὁ ἀπολέσας), putting both as something already done, where Mark uses relative clauses with subjunctives, as something still ahead. Matthew states the paradox again at 16:25, and there he mixes the two verbs — σῶσαι for the saving, εὑρήσει for the finding. Luke states it twice as well: 9:24 has σῶσαι/σώσει as Mark does, and 17:33 uses two altogether different verbs — περιποιήσασθαι, to preserve, and ζῳογονήσει, to keep alive. Both of those occur nowhere else in the four Gospels. So five places fall into four patterns: Mark 8:35 and Luke 9:24 save/save, Matthew 10:39 find/find, Matthew 16:25 save/find, Luke 17:33 preserve/keep alive. The causal phrase differs too: Mark has ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, because of me and of the gospel; Matthew and Luke 9:24 only ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ; and Luke 17:33 has no causal phrase at all.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “the one who found his life will lose it” — kept apart from Mark 8:35's save
Basis Different verbs, different renderings; and at Matthew 16:25 the first must be save and the second find, so that all three places stay distinguishable.
Level to save/lose as in Mark
Basis One paradox, one wording.
Rejected The five places pair their verbs in four ways (Mark 8:35 and Luke 9:24 save/save, Matt 10:39 find/find, Matt 16:25 save/find, Luke 17:33 preserve/keep alive). Levelling makes the four one.
40
Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ δέχεται, καὶ ὁ ἐμὲ δεχόμενος δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με.
The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.
A chain of three — the sent one, the sender, and the one who receives.
pronoun you = the twelve
pronoun me = Jesus — both times
41
ὁ δεχόμενος προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου μισθὸν προφήτου λήμψεται, καὶ ὁ δεχόμενος δίκαιον εἰς ὄνομα δικαίου μισθὸν δικαίου λήμψεται.
The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.
In the name of renders εἰς ὄνομα (eis onoma) — on account of what someone is.
42
καὶ ὃς ⸀ἂν ποτίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ποτήριον ψυχροῦ μόνον εἰς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ.
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple — Amen I say to you, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
These little ones — the phrase returns at 18:6 and 18:10.
pronoun these = the little ones
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the twelve
pronoun he = whoever gives a cup
pronoun his = whoever gives a cup