translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: MAT

label: NET translator note

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


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


text: This verb, δέχομαι ( decomai ), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).


text: The Greek term σκανδαλίζω ( skandalizw ), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”


text: Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42 . sn The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.


text: The term translated “open” here ( πελάγει , pelagei ) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος ). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”


text: Grk “For it.” Here γάρ ( gar ) has not been translated.


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


text: Grk “than having.”


text: Grk “the Gehenna of fire.” sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22 .


text: Grk “a certain man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος ( anqrwpo" ) is used here in a somewhat generic sense.


text: Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated. All the “if” clauses in this paragraph are third class conditions in Greek.


text: The Greek term “brother” can mean “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a) whether male or female. It can also refer to siblings, though here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God. Therefore, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).


text: includes the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.


text: Grk “go reprove him.”


text: Grk “let him be to you as.”


text: Or “a pagan.”


text: Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.


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


text: Or “seventy times seven,” i.e., an unlimited number of times. See L&N 60.74 and 60.77 for the two possible translations of the phrase.


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


text: The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.


text: Grk “and his wife.”


text: Grk “falling therefore the slave bowed down to the ground.” The redundancy of this expression signals the desperation of the slave in begging for mercy.


text: Or Chr). Understanding the parable to refer to the Lord, scribes would be naturally prone to add the vocative here, especially as the slave’s plea is a plea for mercy. Thus, the shorter reading is more likely to be authentic.


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


text: Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.


text: Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”


text: The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.


text: Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων ( legwn ) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.


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


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


text: Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.


text: Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).