Daniel P. Barron

Matthew 12

Sunday, May 30, 2021 

1 At that time Joshua walked through the grain fields on the sabbaths. i And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pick the heads and eat. 2 And the Pharisees seeing said to him, "Behold, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." ii


3 And he said to them, "Did you not read what David did when he was hungry and those with him, 4 how he came into the house of God and ate the loaves iii of the purpose, iv which was not lawful for him to eat nor those with him, except only the priests? v 5 Or, did you not read in the law that on the sabbaths vi the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath vii and are innocent? viii 6 Yet I say to you that there is here one greater than the temple. 7 And if you had known what it is, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' then you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the son of the man is Lord of the Sabbath." ix


9 And passing from there he went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, a man was there who had a withered x hand. And they asked him saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?" xi that they might accuse him.


11 And he said to them, "What man is there out of you who, having one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the sabbaths, xii will not grab it and raise it up? 12 How different xiii then is a man from a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the sabbaths." xiv 13 Then he says to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched out, and it was restored as healthy as the other. 14 But the Pharisees going out took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.


15 And Joshua knowing this withdrew from there. And many crowds followed him, and he healed all of them. 16 And he warned them that they should not make him known, 17 that the saying through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled saying, 18 "Behold, my child xv whom I chose, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will set my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice xvi to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel xvii nor cry out, xviii and his voice will not be heard in the streets. 20 A bruised xix reed he will not break, xx and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish, until he sends out justice to victory. xxi 21 And in his name the Gentiles shall hope." xxii


22 Then a blind and mute demoniac xxiii was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the blind and mute one both spoke and saw. 23 And all the crowds were astonished and were saying, "This is not xxiv the son of David, is it?"


24 But the Pharisees hearing said, "He does not cast out the demons except by Beelzebul xxv the ruler of the demons." 25 But Joshua knowing their thoughts said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, xxvi he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast out? xxvii Because of this, they will be your judges."


28 "But, if by the Spirit of God I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God came upon you. 29 Or how is someone able to enter into the strong one's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong one? xxviii And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with me xxix is against me, and he who does not gather together with me scatters."


31 "Because of this, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 And he who speaks a word against the son of the man, it will be forgiven him. But he who speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, not in the now xxx age nor in the one about to be." xxxi


33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad xxxii and its fruit bad. xxxiii For out of the fruit of the tree it is known. 34 Brood of snakes! How are you, being evil, able to speak good? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of the good teasure xxxiv sends out good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure sends out evil. 36 And I say to you that every idle word xxxv which men may speak, they will give a word xxxvi concerning it in the day of judgment. 37 For by xxxvii your words you will be justified, and by xxxvii your words you will be condemned."


38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered saying, "Teacher, we desire to see from you a sign." 39 And he answering said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given it except the sign xxxviii of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish xxxix three xl days and three nights, xli so the son of the man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. xlii 41 The Ninevite xliii men will raise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; xliv and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south xlv will arise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth xlvi to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here." xlvii


43 "And when an unclean spirit goes out from the man, it goes through dry places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes it finds it empty, sweep, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes along with himself seven more spirits more evil than himself, and going in dwells there, and the latter state of that man becomes worse than the first. So it will be also with this evil generation."


46 And while he was still speaking to the crowd, behold, his mother and brothers had been standing outside seeking to speak with him. 47 And someone said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers have been standing outside seeking to speak to you."


48 And answering he said to the one who spoke to him, "Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?" 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my father who is in heavens, he is my brother and sister and mother." xlviii


Matthew 11 - Matthew 13


Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf. xlix

  1. sabbasin (sabbasin) – “sabbaths” plural form, same as in verse 5 & 10. See the following verses and also Acts 13:14 “the day of the sabbaths,” th hmera twn sabbatwn (tê hêmera tôn sabbatôn); 16:13 “and on the day of the sabbaths,” th te hmera twn sabbatwn (tê te hêmera tôn sabbatôn); and Luke 18:12 “twice from the sabbath,” div tou sabbatou (dis tou sabbatou), NKJV “twice a week.” See also Matthew 28:1 and footnote. ^
  2. sabbatw (sabbatô) – "sabbath" singular form ^
  3. artouv (artous) - "loaves" - plural ^
  4. proyesewv (protheseôs) - "purpose" - found also in Acts 11:23; 27:13; Romans 8:28; 9:11; Ephesians 1:11; 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; 3:10; All are translated “purpose” in the NKJV except for Acts 27:13 (desire), and in the passages similar to here (Matthew 12:4; Luke 6:4; Hebrews 9:2) as “showbread.” See also footnote for Exodus 25:30. ^
  5. Leviticus 24:9 ^
  6. sabbasin (sabbasin) - "sabbaths" plural, same as in verse 1 & 10. ^
  7. sabbaton (sabbaton) – "sabbath" singular form ^
  8. e.g. Leviticus 24:8; Numbers 28:9-10 (Exodus 35:2 "any work") ^
  9. Received Text adds kai (kai) so that it reads, "The son of the man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Also, “sabbath,” sabbatou (sabbatou) is in the singular form. ^
  10. See footnote for Luke 6:6. ^
  11. sabbasin (sabbasin) – “sabbaths” plural form, same as in verse 1, 5 & 11. ^
  12. sabbasin (sabbasin) – “sabbaths” plural form, same as in verse 1, 5 & 10. Here is a good example of the use of the word sabbath where the context is indeed an event on a singular sabbath day, but conceptually and/or in it's usage is yet plural. See also Mark 3:2. ^
  13. diaferei (diapherei) - "different" - present active indicative third person singular - the basic idea of the word is to "carry through," "carry" from ferw (pheô) and "through," dia (dia). This word is found also in Matthew 6:26; 10:31 (value); Mark 11:16 ("to carry"); Luke 12:7, 24 ("value"); Acts 13:49 ("being spread"); 27:27 ("driven up and down"); Romans 2:18 ("excellent"); 1 Corinthians 15:41 ("differs"); Galatians 2:6 ("difference"); 4:1 ("differ"); Philippians 1:10 ("excellent"); all NKJV. Also, there is no "more" (mallon, mallon) here as in Matthew 6:26 & Luke 12:24. How does man differ? See Psalm 8:5-8; Ecclesiastes 3:21;  ^
  14. sabbasin (sabbasin) – “sabbaths” plural form, same as in verse 1, 5, 10-11. ^
  15. paiv (pais) - "child" - found also in e.g. Matthew 2:8-9, 11, 13-14, 20-21; 1 John 2:12, 18; 3:7. ^
  16. krisin (krisin) - "justice" (e.g. Matthew 23:23) - or "judgment" (e.g. John 7:24) ^
  17. John 8:48-50 ^
  18. John 7:28, 37; 12:44 (Mark 15:34-39), note Isaiah 42:2 ("in the street") ^
  19. suntetrimmenon (suntetrimmenon) - "bruised" - found also in Mark 5:4 ("broken"); 14:3 ("broken"); Luke 9:39 ("bruising"); John 19:36 ("broken"); Romans 16:20 ("crush"); Revelation 2:27 ("dashed to pieces"). ^
  20. i.e. gentle (Matthew 11:29) ^
  21. John 16:33; 1 John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ^
  22. Isaiah 42:1-4 ^
  23. What a horrible predicament! ^
  24. mhti (mêti) - negative particle, "is he" is added to complete the idea. ^
  25. See footnote for Matthew 10:25. ^
  26. Casting out a demon is equated to casting out Satan. ^
  27. In other words, it doesn't make any sense that their sons would be casting out demons by the power of God, and Joshua casting out demons by Satan. ^
  28. There is no record of Joshua saying, "I bind you . . ." like the charismatics of today. ^
  29. "with me" obviously in spirit (e.g. John the Baptist is in prison) ^
  30. nun (nun) - "now" - Received and Critical Text have toutw (toutô) "this." ^
  31. mellonti (mellonti) - "about to be", used in this way e.g. Acts 16:27 (see also Luke 7:2; John 4:47 "at the point of") ^
  32. sapron (saprov) - "bad" or "rotten" or "no good" (e.g. Matthew 13:48)  ^
  33. Amos 4:4; Matthew 23:32; Revelation 3:15 ^
  34. Received Text adds "of the heart" ^
  35. rhma (hrêma) - "word" ^
  36. logon (logon) - "word" - it is typically translated "account" in this kind of context (e.g. Luke 16:2; Acts 19:40; Romans 14:12; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 3:15 (reason); 4:5. ^
  37. ek (ek) "by" or "out of" ^ ^
  38. Jonah's journey in the belly of a fish was a sign to the Ninevites. See Luke 11:29-30. ^
  39. khtouv (kêtous) - found also in the LXX in Job 3:8 for Leviathan in the Hebrew, and in Jonah 2:1 for l/dG: gD; (dag gadol) "great fish." ^
  40. treiv (treis) - "three" ^
  41. “three days and three nights” - Jonah 1:17; For other three days and/or nights see Genesis 42:17-18; 1 Samuel 30:12-13; 2 Chronicles 10:5 (more literally, “until a third day” µymiy: tv,lov] d/[ [`od sheloshet yâmiym]), 12; Esther 4:16-5:1. ^
  42. “three days and three nights” mandates a Thursday crucifixion. In a Friday crucifixion/Sunday resurrection there are only two nights, not three (Friday night & Saturday night). In a Wednesday crucifixion/Sunday resurrection there are four nights. Thus, a simple look at the nights demands a Thursday crucifixion/Sunday resurrection.


    Moreover, Mark 16:9 reads, “He rose early on the first day of the week” (NKJV) which clearly declares a Sunday resurrection, Sunday being the first day of the week. Mark 16:9 more literally reads, “And rising early, first from sabbath” anastav de prwi prwth sabbatou (anastas de prôi prôtê sabbatou). Mark 16:9 declares a Sunday resurrection. Yet, a Sunday resurrection can also be proven via the fact that there were two sabbaths.


    There was a sabbath immediately after the day Christ was crucified (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54), and there was a Sabbath immediately before He was risen from the dead (see Matthew 28:1 and footnote). There was the Passover sabbath of the fifteenth day of the month of Abib in which “no customary work” was to be done (Leviticus 23:5-7). Joshua and the disciples celebrated the Passover of the 14th of Abib the night before (Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Luke 22:7-15). Then, as Leviticus 23:5-7 describes, the following day (the fifteenth) is the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread and it is a sabbath rest. The second sabbath was the normal weekly sabbath, Saturday, afterwhich Christ was risen (Matthew 28:1). Note also, Matthew 28:1 more literally reads, “And after sabbaths . . . ” oqe de sabbatwn (opse de sabbatôn). See footnote for Matthew 28:1.


    Therefore, Joshua was placed in the grave before sunset on the Preparation day just before the Passover Sabbath of the 15th (Mark 15:42-43; Luke 23:52-54). Thus, the first day in the grave was the last part of Thursday before sunset. Thursday night was the first night in the grave, which was also a sabbath day. In Scripture, the evening is the beginning of the day (e.g. Leviticus 23:32). Therefore, this Passover sabbath of the 15th began on Thursday night. This first night (Thursday night/Friday morning) and second day (Friday) in the grave was not the Saturday sabbath, but it was the Passover sabbath (Leviticus 23:5-7 “no customary work”) of the 15th day of the month of Abib (Exodus 12:2; Deuteronomy 16:1). This can be seen via the fact that Joshua and the disciples already celebrated the Passover of the 14th day of the month of Abib the night before (Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 9:2-3; Matthew 26:17-20; Luke 22:7-15), which was the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the Passover (Mark 14:12), which was also a sabbath (Exodus 12:16). Nonetheless, there was a Passover and sabbath yet to be kept on the following day as well (John 13:1; 18:28, 39; John 19:14). That second Passover (on the 15th) was a sabbath (Leviticus 23:6-7), and not the regular weekly Saturday sabbath. Therefore, the first day Joshua was in the grave was Thursday. The first night was Thursday night/Friday morning. The second day was Friday. The second night was Friday night/Saturday morning. The third day was Saturday. The third night was Saturday night/Sunday morning. Joshua rose from the dead early in the morning (Mark 16:9 see footnote) while it was still dark (John 20:1) during that third night (darkness). Thus, there was no forth daytime in which He was in the grave. He was crucified on the 14th of the month of Abib (also known as the month of Nisan, Esther 3:7), and rose from the dead on the 17th. For more, see “A Thursday Crucifixion and A Friday Lie.” ^

  43. Nineuitai (nineuitai) - "Ninevites" - plural ^
  44. "the preaching of Jonah" - Jonah 3:4 ^
  45. "queen of the south" - 1 Kings 10:1-10, 13 (2 Chronicles 9:1-9, 12) ^
  46. "ends of the earth" - location unknown. In Joshua 19:2 Beersheba is noted as Sheba, but this is yet inside Israel, particularly in the time of Solomon. ^
  47. "a greater than Solomon is here" - yes wisdom Himself (1 Corinthians 1:24). ^
  48. Ephesians 3:14-15 (Ephesians 4:4-6) ^
  49. Mirrored here^

8 Responses

  1. How would you translate the word "logos" in these verses? Matthew 5:37, Matthew 10:14, Matthew 12:32, and Matthew 18:23?

    Feel free to look for yourself.

  2. And other verses support purgatory:

    • 2 Maccabees 12:43-45
    • 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
    • Matthew 5:25-26
    • Luke 12:42-48
    • Matthew 12:32
  3. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you travel the sea and the dry to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him a son of hell twice more than you.” -- xhran (xêran) - “dry” - found also only in Matthew 12:10 (“withered” NKJV); Mark 3:3 (“withered” NKJV); Luke 6:6, 8 (“withered” NKJV); 23:31; John 5:3 (“paralyzed” NKJV); Hebrews 11:29.

  4. Then all those virgins arose and put their lamps in order. -- ekosmhsan (ekosmêsan) - “put . . . in order” - used for “put in order” also in Matthew 12:44; Luke 11:25. Used elsewhere for “adorn” (Matthew 23:29; Luke 21:5; 1 Timothy 2:9; Titus 2:10; 1 Peter 3:5; Revelation 21:2, 19). All passages cited.

  5. And I say to you that I will by no means drink from now out of this the product of the vine until that day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my father.” -- γεννήματος (gennêmatos) - “product” - more literally, “offspring.” For example, this same root word is also only found in Matthew 3:7 (“brood”); 12:34 (“brood”); 23:33 (“brood”); Mark 14:25 (“fruit”); Luke 3:7 (“brood”); 12:18 (“crops” see also footnote); 22:18 (“fruit”); 2 Corinthians 9:10 (“fruits”). See also footnote for Luke 12:

  6. And after sabbaths, in the dawning on one from sabbaths, Mary the Magdalene came, and also the other Mary, to see the tomb. -- oqe de sabbatwn (opse de sabbatôn) - “and after sabbaths” - It was truly “after sabbaths,” that is, after three sabbaths, that Joshua rose from the dead. See footnote for Matthew 12:40.


    mian sabbatwn (mian sabbatôn) – "one from sabbaths" – see similar phrases in this translation in Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19. Acts 20:7 (th mia twn sabbatwn [tê mia tôn sabbatôn] “on the one from the sabbaths”) and 1 Corinthians 16:2 (mian sabbatwn [mian sabbatôn] “one from sabbaths”) indicate this was a way to describe the first day of the week. See also in this translation Matthew 12:1-12; Mark 1:21; 2:23-3:4; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:1-9 (14:1, 3, 5); 18:12 and their footnotes for use of the term “sabbath.” The resurrection was indeed after sabbaths (plural) as Matthew 28:1 says. The first sabbath began at sundown on the night Joshua was crucified, because that was the Passover sabbath; and the second sabbath followed immediately after that being the weekly Saturday sabbath. For more, see footnote for Matthew 12:40. Mark 16:9 marks this as “first from sabbath” prwth sabbatou (prôtê sabbatou), NKJV “first day of the week.”


    Going, make disciples of all the nations, immersing them into the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit, teaching them to keep all things which I commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.” Amen. -- aiwnov (aiônos) - “age” - this word can be translated “forever” (e.g. Matthew 6:13) or “age” (e.g. Matthew 12:32). Considering the usage of these two words (sunteleiav & aiwnov) used together in Matthew 13:39, 40, 49; 24:3; Hebrews 9:26, it's evident “age” is the appropriate translation.

  7. Then Joshua says to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘The Lord your God you shall worship and him only shall you serve.” -- Σατανα (satana) - "Satan" - from Hebrew שָׂטָן (sâtân) meaning "adversary" (e.g. Numbers 22:22, 32; 1 Kings 11:14). In the New Testament σατανας (satanas) "satan" is used with the definite article referring to Satan the person most of the time (Matthew 12:26 [2x]; Mark 1:13; 3:26; 4:15; Luke 10:18; 11:18; 13:16; 22:31; John 13:27; Acts 5:3; 26:18; Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 7:5; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Timothy 1:20; 5:15; Revelation 2:9, 13 [2x], 24; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2, 7). Yet, it is found without the definite article where it is clearly speaking of the person Satan in Luke 22:3 (compare with John 13:27) and 2 Corinthians 12:7. Compare Mark 3:23 (without the definite article) with Matthew 12:26 (with the definite article). Σατανας (Satanas) is also found without the article in Matthew 4:10; 16:23; Mark 8:33 where all three are υπαγε οπισω μου, σατανα (hupage opisô mou, satana) "Get behind me, Satan" (or adversary). In Matthew 4:1 Joshua is speaking to Satan. In Matthew 16:23 & Mark 8:33 He is talking to Peter.


    From then Joshua began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is near.” -- Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20; 10:8-11; 17:20-21

  8. But you shall receive power, the holy spirit coming upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in both Jerusalem and in all the Judea and Samaria, and unto last of the earth.” -- ἐσχάτου (eschatou) “last” DLNT - “end” NKJV, KJV, NAS, YLT – this same word is translated “last” e.g. in Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter 3:3 for “last” days. Elsewhere, e.g. Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31 “ends” of the earth is περάτων (peratôn) for “ends,” and same root word in Romans 10:18, πέρατα (perata), for “the ends of the world.”

Leave a Reply

Your criticism is welcome. Your name and website are optional. Some HTML tags are allowed.