translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: MAT

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “Behold.”


text: In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 ( ἅ … αὐτά [ Ja … auta ]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [ epesen ]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9 ; Luke 8:4-8 ).


text: Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ ( de ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”


text: The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:43 ; Mark 4:9, 23 ; Luke 8:8, 14:35 ).


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.


text: Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated.


text: This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).


text: Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.


text: Grk “the mysteries.” sn The key term secrets ( μυστήριον , musthrion ) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30 . Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises ( Rom 1:1-4 ; Heb 1:1-2 ). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).


text: Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” ( ExSyn 168-69).


text: Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.


text: Grk “truly ( ἀμήν , amhn ) I say to you.”


text: Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one.” The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.


text: Grk “is temporary.”


text: Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”


text: The Greek is difficult to translate because it switches from a generic “he” to three people within this generic class (thus, something like: “Who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one instance a hundred times, in another, sixty times, in another, thirty times”).


text: Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων ( legwn ) is redundant and has not been translated.


text: Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον ( zizanion ) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).


text: See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9 .


text: Here δέ ( de ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “but.”


text: Grk “put before.”


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


text: Grk “hid in.”


text: Grk “it was all leavened.” sn The parable of the yeast and the dough teaches that the kingdom of God will start small but eventually grow to permeate everything. Jesus’ point was not to be deceived by its seemingly small start, the same point made in the parable of the mustard seed, which preceded this one.


text: B C D L W 0233 0242 Ï lat sy co). However, as B. M. Metzger points out, “if no prophet were originally named, more than one scribe might have been prompted to insert the name of the best known prophet – something which has, in fact, happened elsewhere more than once” ( TCGNT 27). In light of the paucity of evidence for the reading ᾿Ησαΐου , as well as the proclivity of scribes to add his name, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic. Grk “was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος ( legontos ) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.


text: Grk “And answering, he said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “the sons of the kingdom.” This idiom refers to people who should properly be, or were traditionally regarded as, a part of God’s kingdom. L&N 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”


text: Grk “the sons of the evil one.” See the preceding note on the phrase “people of the kingdom” earlier in this verse, which is the opposite of this phrase. See also L&N 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.


text: Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν ( oun ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”


text: The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:9 ; Mark 4:9, 23 ; Luke 8:8, 14:35 ).


text: Or “every scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4 . It is possible that the term translated “expert in the law” (traditionally, “scribe”) here is a self-description used by the author, Matthew, to represent his role in conveying the traditions about Jesus to his intended audience. See David E. Orton, The Understanding Scribe [JSNTSup].


text: Grk “Now it happened that when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο ( kai egeneto , “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “Then.”


text: Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “synagogue, so that they.” Here ὥστε ( Jwste ) has not been translated. Instead a new sentence was started in the translation.