1
Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἐπορεύθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς σάββασιν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων· οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπείνασαν καὶ ἤρξαντο τίλλειν στάχυας καὶ ἐσθίειν.
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and eat.
Were hungry — only this book gives the reason for the plucking.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
pronoun his = Jesus
2
οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἰδόντες εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Ἰδοὺ οἱ μαθηταί σου ποιοῦσιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ποιεῖν ἐν σαββάτῳ.
But the Pharisees, seeing it, said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a sabbath.”
Your disciples — the charge is against them, and it is put to him.
first here Pharisee Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios
pronoun it = the plucking
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun your = Jesus
3
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε τί ἐποίησεν Δαυὶδ ὅτε ⸀ἐπείνασεν καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ;
And he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him —
Have you not read — the answer is put as a question about their own reading.
first here daughter Δαυίδ Dauid
pronoun he = Jesus — “when he was hungry” is David
pronoun them = the Pharisees
pronoun you = the Pharisees
pronoun him = David
4
πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ⸂ἔφαγον, ὃ⸃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἦν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν οὐδὲ τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ, εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν μόνοις;
how he entered the house of God and they ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but only for the priests?
The bread of the Presence renders “the loaves of the setting out”. Mark 2:26 names Abiathar; this book does not.
pronoun he = David
pronoun they = David and those with him
pronoun which = the bread
pronoun him = David
5
ἢ οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὅτι τοῖς σάββασιν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τὸ σάββατον βεβηλοῦσιν καὶ ἀναίτιοί εἰσιν;
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are guiltless?
The priests profane the sabbath and are guiltless — this argument stands only in this book.
pronoun you = the Pharisees
6
λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι τοῦ ἱεροῦ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ὧδε.
But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
Something greater — the Greek is neuter, not “someone greater”.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the Pharisees
7
εἰ δὲ ἐγνώκειτε τί ἐστιν· Ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν, οὐκ ἂν κατεδικάσατε τοὺς ἀναιτίους.
And if you had known what this is — ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice' — you would not have sentenced the guiltless.
I want mercy and not sacrifice is Hosea 6:6, quoted also at 9:13 — only this book uses it.
pronoun you = the Pharisees — both times
pronoun this = the saying quoted
pronoun I = the one speaking in the quotation
8
κύριος γάρ ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
Lord of the sabbath — Mark 2:27 puts a further line before this one; this book does not have it.
Why this rendering
Matt.12.8 Observation
Syntactic observation
The two books reach nearly the same conclusion, but what precedes it differs. Mark 2:27-28 is two sentences — Τὸ σάββατον διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐγένετο καὶ οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ σάββατον, the sabbath came about for the man and not the man for the sabbath; and then ὥστε κύριός ἐστιν … καὶ τοῦ σαββάτου, so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath. Matthew does not have the first sentence. Matthew 12:8 is one clause: κύριος γάρ ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Luke 6:5 is the same — Κύριός ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου and nothing before it. Mark's καί, even, is absent from both — Mark alone has the two. Note also that it is absent in Matthew — Mark says he is lord of other things and of the sabbath besides; Matthew says lord of the sabbath outright. In its place Matthew stacks three grounds beforehand: David and the bread of the Presence (vv.3-4), the priests who profane the sabbath in the temple and are guiltless (v.5), and the Hosea citation (v.7 — the one already used at 9:13). The ἀναίτιος, guiltless, of vv.5 and 7 occurs only in these two places in all four Gospels.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “for the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath” — kept apart from Mark 2:28's lord even of the sabbath
Basis Mark's καί is absent in Matthew, so no even is supplied; nor is the missing sentence filled in.
Supply Mark 2:27 in the body or a note
Basis Helps the reader hold both books together.
Rejected The sentence is not in Matthew's text. Showing what is absent is part of what the four Gospels does; filling it removes the place.
9
Καὶ μεταβὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτῶν·
And moving on from there he came into their synagogue;
Their synagogue — the writer marks the distance with one word.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun their = the Pharisees
10
καὶ ἰδοὺ ⸀ἄνθρωπος χεῖρα ἔχων ξηράν. καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· Εἰ ἔξεστι τοῖς σάββασιν ⸀θεραπεύειν; ἵνα κατηγορήσωσιν αὐτοῦ.
and look — there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?” — so that they might accuse him.
So that they might accuse him — only this book gives the purpose of the question.
pronoun they = those in the synagogue
pronoun him = Jesus — both times
pronoun it = healing on the sabbath
11
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τίς ⸀ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἕξει πρόβατον ἕν, καὶ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ τοῦτο τοῖς σάββασιν εἰς βόθυνον, οὐχὶ κρατήσει αὐτὸ καὶ ἐγερεῖ;
But he said to them, “What man among you, having one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
One sheep — this argument from a sheep in a pit stands only in this book.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = those in the synagogue
pronoun you = those in the synagogue
pronoun it = the sheep — every “it” here is the sheep
12
πόσῳ οὖν διαφέρει ἄνθρωπος προβάτου. ὥστε ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν καλῶς ποιεῖν.
How much more, then, is a man worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do well on the sabbaths.”
Do well renders one verb (καλῶς ποιεῖν) — to do the fitting thing.
pronoun it = healing on the sabbath
13
τότε λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· Ἔκτεινόν ⸂σου τὴν χεῖρα⸃· καὶ ἐξέτεινεν, καὶ ἀπεκατεστάθη ὑγιὴς ὡς ἡ ἄλλη.
Then he says to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored, sound as the other.
Sound as the other — only this book adds the comparison.
pronoun he = Jesus — the second “he” is the man
pronoun your = the man
pronoun it = his hand — both times
14
⸂ἐξελθόντες δὲ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατ’ αὐτοῦ⸃ ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν.
But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
Took counsel against him — Mark 3:6 names the Herodians with them; this book does not.
pronoun him = Jesus — both times
pronoun they = the Pharisees
15
Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς γνοὺς ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν. καὶ ἠκολούθησαν ⸀αὐτῷ πολλοί, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτοὺς πάντας,
And Jesus, knowing it, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all,
Withdrew (ἀναχωρέω, anachōreō) is this book's word for moving away from danger, used also at 2:12 and 4:12.
pronoun it = their counsel
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the many
16
καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ φανερὸν αὐτὸν ποιήσωσιν,
and he charged them not to make him known;
Not to make him known — the silencing of Mark, kept here and grounded in the quotation that follows.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the many
pronoun him = Jesus
17
⸀ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·
so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:
The formula of 1:22 opens the longest quotation in this book.
first here Isaiah Ἠσαΐας Ēsaias
18
Ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς μου ὃν ᾑρέτισα, ὁ ἀγαπητός μου ⸂εἰς ὃν⸃ εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου· θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ’ αὐτόν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ.
“Look, my servant whom I chose, my beloved in whom my life is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will announce judgement to the nations.
My life renders ψυχή (psychē) — the quotation says God's own life is well pleased.
pronoun my = the one speaking in the quotation — every “my” here is the same
pronoun whom = my servant
pronoun I = the one speaking in the quotation
pronoun him = my servant
pronoun he = my servant
19
οὐκ ἐρίσει οὐδὲ κραυγάσει, οὐδὲ ἀκούσει τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.
He will not quarrel or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
Quarrel (ἐρίζω, erizō) is used once in the four Gospels.
pronoun He = my servant
pronoun his = my servant
20
κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not quench, until he brings judgement out into victory.
Smouldering wick renders “smoking flax”. Out into victory keeps the Greek preposition.
pronoun he = my servant — both times
21
καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.
And in his name the nations will hope.”
The nations will hope — the quotation ends on the gentiles, though 10:5 forbade going to them.
pronoun his = my servant
22
Τότε ⸂προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ δαιμονιζόμενος τυφλὸς καὶ κωφός⸃· καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτόν, ὥστε τὸν ⸀κωφὸν λαλεῖν καὶ βλέπειν.
Then a demon-possessed man, blind and mute, was brought to him; and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.
Blind and mute — this book joins the two; Luke 11:14 has only the mute.
pronoun him = Jesus — “he healed him” is the demon-possessed man
pronoun he = Jesus
23
καὶ ἐξίσταντο πάντες οἱ ὄχλοι καὶ ἔλεγον· Μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς Δαυίδ;
And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Can this be the Son of David?”
Can this be — the Greek expects the answer “no”, and the crowd asks anyway.
pronoun this = Jesus
24
οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἀκούσαντες εἶπον· Οὗτος οὐκ ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ Βεελζεβοὺλ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων.
But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, “This man does not cast out the demons except by Beelzeboul, ruler of the demons.”
Beelzeboul is kept as sound; the sense of the name is not certain.
first here Beelzeboul Βεελζεβούλ Beelzeboul
pronoun it = what the crowds said
pronoun This man = Jesus
25
εἰδὼς ⸀δὲ τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Πᾶσα βασιλεία μερισθεῖσα καθ’ ἑαυτῆς ἐρημοῦται, καὶ πᾶσα πόλις ἢ οἰκία μερισθεῖσα καθ’ ἑαυτῆς οὐ σταθήσεται.
And knowing their thoughts he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
Laid waste (ἐρημόω, erēmoō) is built on the wilderness-word.
pronoun their = the Pharisees
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the Pharisees
pronoun itself = the kingdom — the second “itself” is the town or house
26
καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς τὸν Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν ἐμερίσθη· πῶς οὖν σταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ;
And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
The argument is put as a question, and it is not answered.
first here Satan Σατανᾶς Satanas
pronoun he = Satan
pronoun himself = Satan
pronoun his = Satan
27
καὶ εἰ ἐγὼ ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσιν; διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὶ ⸂κριταὶ ἔσονται ὑμῶν⸃.
And if I cast out the demons by Beelzeboul, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
Your sons — the counter-question turns the charge on their own people.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun your = the Pharisees — both times
pronoun them = the demons
pronoun they = your sons
28
εἰ δὲ ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ.
But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
By the Spirit of God — Luke 11:20 says “by the finger of God”. The two are left as they stand.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the Pharisees
29
ἢ πῶς δύναταί τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ⸀ἁρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν; καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ⸀διαρπάσει.
Or how can anyone enter the house of the strong man and seize his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
The strong man — the saying of Mark 3:27.
pronoun his = the strong man — both times
pronoun he = the one who enters
30
ὁ μὴ ὢν μετ’ ἐμοῦ κατ’ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ μὴ συνάγων μετ’ ἐμοῦ σκορπίζει.
The one not with me is against me, and the one not gathering with me scatters.
The one not with me is against me — Mark 9:40 puts it the other way round. Both are left as they stand.
pronoun me = Jesus — both times
31
διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημία οὐκ ⸀ἀφεθήσεται.
Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Blasphemy of the Spirit — the Greek does not say “against”, only “of”.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the Pharisees
32
καὶ ὃς ἐὰν εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ οὔτε ἐν ⸂τούτῳ τῷ⸃ αἰῶνι οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι.
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming one.
Neither in this age nor in the coming one — only this book adds these words.
pronoun it = the word spoken — both times
pronoun him = whoever speaks — both times
Why this rendering
Matt.12.32 Observation
Syntactic observation
Matthew adds a distinction Mark does not have. Mark 3:28-29 has two tiers: all sins and blasphemies are forgiven the sons of men, but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit is not forgiven. Matthew 12:31 takes up those two tiers, and 12:32 sets down a third — a word against the Son of Man is forgiven; a word against the Holy Spirit is not. Luke 12:10 has that third tier as well. So it is not that Matthew adds it but that Mark lacks it. The temporal frame, though, is Matthew's alone: οὔτε ἐν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι, neither in this age nor in the coming one — where Mark 3:29 says εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, for ever, and αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος, an eternal sin, and Luke 12:10 has no temporal phrase at all. Mark states the matter with an adjective from one word (αἰών); Matthew with a contrast of two ages. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂τούτῳ τῷ⸃).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “neither in this age nor in the coming one” — kept apart from Mark 3:29's eternal sin
Basis Different expressions in the two books get different renderings; αἰών stays age so the contrast of two ages shows.
Compress to “never forgiven”
Basis Renders the sense concisely.
Rejected For ever is Mark's word at 3:29. Matthew counts two ages, and compressing erases the count and makes the books look identical.
33
Ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν, ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται.
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for by the fruit the tree is known.
Rotten (σαπρός, sapros) is spoiled fruit, not simply bad — the word of 7:17.
pronoun its = the tree — both times
34
γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν πονηροὶ ὄντες; ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ.
Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things while being evil? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Offspring of vipers — John's words at 3:7, now on Jesus' lips.
pronoun you = the Pharisees
35
ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει ἀγαθά, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει πονηρά.
The good person out of his good store brings out good things, and the evil person out of his evil store brings out evil things.
Store (θησαυρός, thēsauros) is the treasure-word of 6:19.
pronoun his = the good person — the second “his” is the evil person
36
λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶν ῥῆμα ἀργὸν ὃ ⸀λαλήσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀποδώσουσιν περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως·
And I say to you that for every idle word people speak they will render an account for it on the day of judgement;
Idle (ἀργός, argos) is a word built on “without work”.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the Pharisees
pronoun they = people
pronoun it = every idle word
Why this rendering
Matt.12.36 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἀργός is ἀ-, without, plus ἔργον, work — literally not working, idle. It occurs three times in all four Gospels; the other two are 20:3 and 6, where labourers standing in the marketplace are called ἀργοί, standing with nothing to do. The same word is used of people and then of words. So a ῥῆμα ἀργόν is not a wicked word but a word that does no work, a word that does nothing. And of such words λόγον ἀποδώσουσιν, they will render an account — ἀποδίδωμι being the verb of Mark 12:17, give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and of Matthew 6:4, 6, 18, your Father will repay. And λόγος arrives in one sentence in two senses: for a ῥῆμα, a word, they render a λόγον, an account. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀λαλήσουσιν).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “every idle word” — sharing the root with the idle labourers of 20:3, 6
Basis Holds ἀργός to one root so its use of people and of words stays joined.
“careless word” or “evil word”
Basis Renders what it means in context.
Rejected ἀργός does not mean wicked but not working. Importing evil severs the root from the labourers of 20:3, 6 and lightens the point that even a word doing nothing comes into the reckoning.
37
ἐκ γὰρ τῶν λόγων σου δικαιωθήσῃ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν λόγων σου καταδικασθήσῃ.
for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be sentenced.”
Justified and condemned stand as a pair, both passive.
pronoun your = the hearer — both times
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
38
Τότε ἀπεκρίθησαν ⸀αὐτῷ τινες τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων λέγοντες· Διδάσκαλε, θέλομεν ἀπὸ σοῦ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν.
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
We want to see a sign — the request comes right after the works of verse 22.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun we = the scribes and Pharisees
pronoun you = Jesus
39
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου.
But answering he said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Adulterous is used of a generation, not of persons.
first here Jonah Ἰωνᾶς Iōnas
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the scribes and Pharisees
pronoun it = the generation
40
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.
For just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea creature three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
Sea creature renders κῆτος (kētos), a large sea animal — the Greek does not say whale. Only this book gives this reading of the sign.
Why this rendering
Matt.12.40 Observation
Syntactic observation
κῆτος names a large sea creature and occurs only here in the four Gospels — the text does not say which creature. Ἰωνᾶς stands five times in Matthew (12:39, 40, twice at 41, 16:4) and four times in Luke (11:29, 30, twice at 32), and not in Mark or John. But Luke 11:30 names only the sign — καθὼς ἐγένετο Ἰωνᾶς τοῖς Νινευίταις σημεῖον, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Neither the sea creature nor the three days and nights is in Luke. Both books make Jonah the sign; only Matthew spells out what the sign is. The counting stands out: τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, three days and three nights, twice over — while Mark's expression for the resurrection is μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας, after three days (8:31, 9:31, 10:34), counting no nights. Matthew counts nights only here, and elsewhere in his own book uses τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, on the third day (16:21, 17:23, 20:19) — one author with three expressions. ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς, in the heart of the earth, is not a standing idiom for a grave but a phrase found only here.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “in the belly of the sea creature” — the species not specified
Basis The text does not identify the creature, so the translation does not either.
“in the whale's belly”
Basis Uses the settled rendering.
Rejected There is no word for whale in the text. Fixing the species is not the translation's task, and doing so removes an indeterminacy the text left.
41
ἄνδρες Νινευῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν· ὅτι μετενόησαν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε.
Men of Nineveh will rise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah — and look, something more than Jonah is here.
Something more than Jonah — neuter again, as at verse 6.
first here Ninevites Νινευίτης Nineuitēs
pronoun it = this generation
pronoun they = the men of Nineveh
42
βασίλισσα νότου ἐγερθήσεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινεῖ αὐτήν· ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶνος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε.
The queen of the south will be raised at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon — and look, something more than Solomon is here.
The queen of the south — the second witness set against this generation.
first here Solomon Σολομών Solomōn
pronoun it = this generation
pronoun she = the queen of the south
43
Ὅταν δὲ τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα ἐξέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, διέρχεται δι’ ἀνύδρων τόπων ζητοῦν ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκει.
When the unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
Waterless places — the Greek says “waterless”, and the wilderness is meant.
pronoun it = the unclean spirit — every “it” here is the spirit
44
τότε λέγει· ⸂Εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐπιστρέψω⸃ ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον· καὶ ἐλθὸν ⸀εὑρίσκει ⸀σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον.
Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.' And coming, it finds it empty, swept and adorned.
Adorned (κοσμέω, kosmeō) is the verb behind “cosmetic” — Luke 11:25 has the same word, and this edition keeps one rendering for both.
pronoun it = the unclean spirit — “finds it empty” is the house
pronoun I = the unclean spirit
pronoun my = the unclean spirit
pronoun which = my house
45
τότε πορεύεται καὶ παραλαμβάνει μεθ’ ἑαυτοῦ ἑπτὰ ἕτερα πνεύματα πονηρότερα ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ εἰσελθόντα κατοικεῖ ἐκεῖ· καὶ γίνεται τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκείνου χείρονα τῶν πρώτων. οὕτως ἔσται καὶ τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ τῇ πονηρᾷ.
Then it goes and takes along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and entering they live there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So will it be also for this evil generation.”
So will it be also for this evil generation — the last line turns the picture into a charge.
pronoun it = the unclean spirit — the last “it” is what will happen
pronoun itself = the unclean spirit — both times
pronoun they = the eight spirits
pronoun that person = the one the spirit left
46
Ἔτι ⸀δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἱστήκεισαν ἔξω ζητοῦντες αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι.
While he was still speaking to the crowds — look — his mother and his brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with him.
Standing outside — the family scene of Mark 3:31.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun his = Jesus — both times
pronoun him = Jesus
47
⸂εἶπεν δέ τις αὐτῷ· Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἔξω ἑστήκασιν, ζητοῦντές σοι λαλῆσαι.⸃
And someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with you.”
Someone said to him — the manuscripts differ over whether this verse stands, and the base text of this edition keeps it.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun your = Jesus — both times
pronoun you = Jesus
Why this rendering
Matt.12.47 Observation
Syntactic observation
SBLGNT prints this entire verse inside ⸂⸃ marks. This differs from the absent verses seen earlier (Mark 7:16, 9:44, 46, 11:26, 15:28): those are not in the base text at all, whereas this one is present with the variant marks spanning the whole verse — meaning the copying tradition includes forms in which the verse is missing altogether. What is notable is that the context survives without it: v.46 says the mother and brothers are standing outside, and v.48 opens answering the one speaking to him, so that someone spoke is already presupposed by v.48. Verse 47 writes that presupposition out as a sentence; without it v.48 does not collapse — though the τῷ λέγοντι, the one speaking, of v.48 loses its antecedent. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂εἶπεν λαλῆσαι.⸃).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted Print and render it — the base text prints it
Basis What the base text prints in the body is rendered. Unlike the double-bracketed Mark 16:9-20, this carries only variant marks, so the marks are recorded in the analysis rather than in the body.
Demote to a note or omit
Basis The marks span the verse, so it is left out of the body.
Rejected The base text prints it and does not double-bracket it as at Mark 16. Removing what the editor kept in the body would loosen our rule of following the base text.
48
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν τῷ ⸀λέγοντι αὐτῷ· Τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ ἀδελφοί μου;
But answering the one speaking to him he said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
The question is not refused; it is asked back.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun my = Jesus — both times
49
καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου·
And stretching out his hand over his disciples he said, “Look, my mother and my brothers.
Stretching out his hand — only this book gives the gesture.
pronoun his = Jesus — both times
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun my = Jesus — both times
50
ὅστις γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, αὐτός μου ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν.
For whoever does the will of my Father in the heavens, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
Brother and sister and mother — a sister is named, though no sister was standing outside.
pronoun my = Jesus — both times
pronoun he = whoever does the will