the Second Week after Easter
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Revised Standard Version
Matthew 20:22
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Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”
But Iesus answered, and said, Ye know not what ye aske. Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of, and to be baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized with? They say vnto him, We are able.
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
But Jesus replied, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."
But Jesus said, "You don't understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" The sons answered, "Yes, we can."
But Jesus replied, "You do not realize what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup [of suffering] that I am about to drink?" They answered, "We are able."
And Iesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye aske. Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of, and to be baptized with the baptisme that I shalbe baptized with? They said to him, We are able.
But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."
But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They *said to Him, "We are able."
"You do not know what you are asking," Jesus replied. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," the brothers answered.
Jesus answered, "Not one of you knows what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from?" James and John said, "Yes, we are!"
But Yeshua answered, "You people don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We can."
And Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup which *I* am about to drink? They say to him, We are able.
So Jesus said to the sons, "You don't understand what you are asking. Can you drink from the cup that I must drink from?" The sons answered, "Yes, we can!"
Jesus answered and said, You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am ready to drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized? They said to him, We can.
"You don't know what you are asking for," Jesus answered the sons. "Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?" "We can," they answered.
But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
But answering, Jesus said, You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup which I am about to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized? They said to Him, We are able.
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They say unto him, We are able.
But Jesus made answer and said, You have no idea what you are requesting. Are you able to take of the cup which I am about to take?
But Yeshua answered, "You don't know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with?" They said to him, "We are able."
Jesus replied, "You don't realize what you're asking. Can you drink from the cup that I'm going to drink from?"to drink from, or be baptized with the baptism with which I'm going to be baptized?">[fn] They told him, "We can."Matthew 26:39,42; Mark 14:36; Luke 12:50; 22:42; John 18:11;">[xr]
Jeshu answered and said, You know not what you ask: are you able to drink the cup of which I am about to drink, or with the baptism with which I am baptized will you be baptized ? They say unto him, We are able !
Jesus answered and said: Ye know not what ye ask for. Can ye drink of the cup, of which I am to drink? or be baptized with the baptism, that I am baptized with? They say to him: We can.
But Iesus aunswered, and saide: Ye wote not what ye aske. Are ye able to drynke of the cuppe that I shall drynke of? and to be baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized with? They say vnto hym: we are able.
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They say unto him, We are able.
But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."
But Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink of, or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say to him, We are able.
"None of you know what you are asking for," said Jesus; "can you drink out of the cup from which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.
Jhesus answeride, and seide, Ye witen not what ye axen. Moun ye drynke the cuppe which Y schal drynke? Thei seien to hym, We moun.
But Jesus answered and said, You don't know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They say to him, We are able.
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say to him, We are able.
Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" [fn] They said to Him, "We are able."
But Jesus answered by saying to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!"
Jesus said to her, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to take the suffering that I am about to take? (*Are you able to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?)" They said, "Yes, we are able."
But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
But Jesus, answering, said - Ye know not what ye are asking: Are ye able to drink the cup, which, I, am about to drink; They say unto him - We are able.
And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can.
Iesus answered and sayd: Ye wot not what ye axe. Are ye able to drynke of the cuppe yt I shall drynke of and to be baptised wt the baptyme that I shalbe baptised with? They answered to him that we are.
And Jesus answering said, `Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?' They say to him, `We are able.'
But Iesus answered, and sayde: Ye wote not what ye axe. Maye ye drynke the cuppe, that I shal drynke? & to be baptised with the baptyme, that I shalbe baptysed withall?
but Jesus answered them, ye know not what ye ask. can ye bear to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? they said to him, we can.
Jesus responded, "You have no idea what you're asking." And he said to James and John, "Are you capable of drinking the cup that I'm about to drink?" They said, "Sure, why not?"
Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking for them. James and John, can you go through the pain and suffering I am going to endure when they beat me and string me up?""We can," they told him.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Ye know not: Mark 10:38, Romans 8:26, James 4:3
the cup: Matthew 26:39, Matthew 26:42, Psalms 75:3, Jeremiah 25:15-38, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, John 18:11
baptized with the: Mark 10:39, Luke 12:50
We: Matthew 26:35, Matthew 26:56, Proverbs 16:18
Reciprocal: Numbers 16:10 - and seek Deuteronomy 3:26 - Let it 1 Kings 2:22 - why dost 1 Kings 3:11 - hast not Job 35:13 - God Psalms 110:7 - He shall Ezekiel 23:32 - drink Luke 14:28 - counteth Luke 18:41 - What Luke 22:33 - I am 1 Corinthians 15:29 - what 2 Corinthians 12:8 - I besought Hebrews 6:2 - the doctrine Revelation 14:10 - into
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But Jesus answered, and said,.... To her two sons,
ye know not what ye ask. They were ignorant of the nature of Christ's kingdom, which is spiritual, and not of this world: or they would never have asked such a question, or sued for that which will never be enjoyed by any and supposing that Christ's kingdom had been such as they imagined, yet in asking for honours and riches, they might not know what they asked for; they might promise themselves much pleasure and happiness in the enjoyment of them, and yet, if indulged with them, might be disappointed, and find unexpected troubles and uneasiness. It would have been much more proper and seasonable, on hearing of Christ's being mocked, scourged, spit upon, and crucified, if they had put such a question to themselves, Christ here directs to,
are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? meaning his reproaches, sorrows, sufferings, and death; which because of the disagreeableness of them, he compares to a bitter cup of vengeance, wrath, fury, and indignation; and because they were appointed to him, and allotted for him, they were his portion, therefore he expresses them by a "cup"; and because they were so many and great, of such an overwhelming nature, that he seemed to be plunged into them, and covered with them, therefore he likens them to a "baptism" and which the ordinance of water baptism, performed by immersion, is a lively representation of. Now Christ suggests to these disciples, that instead of indulging their ambitious desires of worldly grandeur, that they would do well to consider what a bitter cup he had to drink of, and what a sea of sorrows and sufferings he was about to be plunged into, and drenched in; and whether they could think of enduring anything of the like kind, for his sake, which was most likely to be in a short time, what they would be called unto, and not to honours, ease, and pleasure; and what they must be sure, more or less, to undergo, before they entered the everlasting kingdom of glory:
they say unto him, we are able; not considering the nature of these sufferings, and their own weakness; but partly through ignorance of themselves, and a vain confidence which possessed them; and chiefly through a vehement desire of the places in his kingdom, they asked for, and which they thought drinking his cup, and being baptized with his baptism, were the condition, and the means of enjoying; and so rashly affirm their ability, and which includes their willingness to comply herewith.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
See also Mark 10:35-45.
Matthew 20:20
Then came to him give mother of Zebedeeâs children ... - This was probably Salome, Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1.
With her sons - The names of these sons were James and John, Mark 10:35
Mark says they came and made the request. That is, they made it, as appears from Matthew, through the medium of their mother; they requested her to ask it for them. It is not improbable that she was an ambitious woman, and was desirous to see her sons honored.
Worshipping him - Showing him respect; respectfully saluting him. In the original, kneeling. See the notes at Matthew 8:2.
Matthew 20:21
Grant that these my two sons may sit ... - They were still looking for a temporal kingdom.
They expected that he would reign on the earth with great pomp and glory. They anticipated that he would conquer as a prince and a warrior. They wished to be distinguished in the day of his triumph. To sit on the right and left hand of a prince was a token of confidence, and the highest honor granted to his friends, 1 Kings 2:19; Psalms 110:1; 1 Samuel 20:25. The disciples, here, had no reference to the kingdom of heaven, but only to the kingdom which they supposed he was about to set up on the earth.
Matthew 20:22
Ye know not what ye ask - You do not know the nature of your request, nor what would be involved in it.
You suppose that it would be attended only with honor and happiness if the request was granted, whereas it would require much suffering and trial.
Are ye able to drink of the cup ... - To drink of a cup, in the Scriptures, often signifies to be afflicted, or to be punished, Matthew 26:39; Isaiah 51:17, Isaiah 51:22; Psalms 73:10; Psalms 75:8; Jeremiah 25:15; Revelation 16:9. The figure is taken from a feast, where the master of a feast extends a cup to those present. Thus God is represented as extending to his Son a cup filled with a bitter mixture - one causing deep sufferings, John 18:11. This was the cup to which he referred.
The baptism that I am baptized with - This is evidently a phrase denoting the same thing. Are ye able to suffer with me - to endure the trials and pains which shall come upon you and me in endeavoring to build up my kingdom? Are you able to bear it when sorrows shall cover you like water, and you shall be sunk beneath calamities as floods, in the work of religion? Afflictions are often expressed by being sunk in the floods and plunged in deep waters, Psalms 69:2; Isaiah 43:2; Psalms 124:4-5; Lamentations 3:54.
Matthew 20:23
Ye shall indeed drink of my cup ... - You will follow me, and you will partake of my afflictions, and will suffer as I shall.
This was fulfilled. James was slain with the sword by Herod, Acts 12:2. John lived many years; but he attended the Saviour through his sufferings, and was himself banished to Patmos, a solitary island, for the testimony of Jesus Christ - a companion of others in tribulation, Revelation 1:9.
Is not mine to give ... - The translation of this place evidently does not express the sense of the original. The translation expresses the idea that Jesus has nothing to do in bestowing rewards on his followers. This is at variance with the uniform testimony of the Scriptures, Matthew 25:31-40; John 5:22-30. The correct translation of the passage would be, âTo sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, except to those for whom it is prepared by my Father.â The passage thus declares that Christ would give rewards to his followers, but only to such as should be entitled to them according to the purpose of his Father. Much as he might be attached to these two disciples, yet he could not bestow any such signal favors on them out of the regular course of things. Rewards were prepared for his followers, and in due time they should be bestowed. He would bestow them according as they had been provided from eternity by God the Father, Matthew 25:34. The correct sense is seen by leaving out that part of the verse in italics, and this is one of the places in the Bible where the sense has been obscured by the introduction of words which have nothing to correspond with them in the original. See a similar instance in 1 John 2:23.
Matthew 20:24
The ten heard it - That is, the ten other apostles.
They were moved with indignation - They were offended at their ambition, and at their desire to be exalted above their brethren.
The word âitâ refers not to what Jesus said, but to their request. When the ten heard the request which they had made they were indignant.
Matthew 20:25-27
But Jesus called them unto him - That is, he called all the apostles to him, and stated the principles on which they were to act.
The princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them - That is, over their subjects. âYou know that such honors are customary among nations. The kings of the earth raise their favorites to posts of trust and power they give authority to some over others; but my kingdom is established in a different manner. All are to be on a level. The rich, the poor, the learned, the unlearned, the bond, the free, are to be equal. He will be the most distinguished that shows most humility, the deepest sense of his unworthiness, and the most earnest desire to promote the welfare of his brethren.â
Gentiles - All who were not Jews - used here to denote the manner in which human governments are constituted.
Minister - A servant. The original word is deacon - a word meaning a servant of any kind; one especially who served at the table, and, in the New Testament, one who serves the church, Acts 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 3:8. Preachers of the gospel are called ministerâs because they are the servants of God and of the church 1Co 3:5; 1 Corinthians 4:1; 2Co 3:6; 2 Corinthians 6:4; Ephesians 4:12; an office, therefore, which forbids them to lord it over Godâs heritage, which is the very opposite of a station of superiority, and which demands the very lowest degree of humility.
Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man ... - See the notes at Matthew 8:20. Jesus points them to his own example. He was in the form of God in heaven, Philippians 2:6. He came to people in the form of a servant, Philippians 2:7. He came not with pomp and glory, but as a man in humble life; and since he came he had not required them to minister to him. âHe labored for them.â He strove to do them good. He provided for their needs; fared as poorly as they did; went before them in dangers and sufferings; practiced self-denial on their account, and for them was about to lay down his life. See John 13:4-5.
To give his life a ransom for many - The word âransomâ means literally a price paid for the redemption of captives. In war, when prisoners are taken by an enemy, the money demanded for their release is called a ransom; that is, it is the means by which they are set at liberty. So anything that releases anyone from a state of punishment, or suffering, or sin, is called a ransom. People are by nature captives to sin. They are sold under it. They are under condemnation, Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:9-20, Romans 3:23; 1 John 5:19. They are under a curse, Galatians 3:10. They are in love with sin They are under its withering dominion, and are exposed to death eternal, Ezekiel 18:4; Psalms 9:17; Psalms 11:6; Psalms 68:2; Psalms 139:19; Matthew 25:46; Romans 2:6-9. They must have perished unless there had been some way by which they could he rescued. This was done by the death of Jesus - by giving his life a ransom. The meaning is, that he died in the place of sinners, and that God was willing to accept the pains of his death in the place of the eternal suffering of the redeemed. The reasons why such a ransom was necessary are:
1.That God had declared that the sinner shall die; that is, that he would punish, or show his hatred to, all sin.
2.That all people had sinned, and, if justice was to take its regular course, all must perish.
3.That man could make no atonement for his own sins. All that he could do, were he holy, would be only to do his duty, and would make no amends for the past. Repentance and future obedience would not blot away one sin.
- No man was pure, and no angel could make atonement. God was pleased, therefore, to appoint his only-begotten Son to make such a ransom. See John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 13:8; John 1:29; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 8:2-7; Isaiah 53:1-12; This is commonly called the atonement. See the notes at Romans 5:2.
For many - See also Matthew 26:28; Joh 10:15; 1 Timothy 2:6; 1Jo 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Hebrews 2:9.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Matthew 20:22. Ye know not what ye ask. — How strange is the infatuation, in some parents, which leads them to desire worldly or ecclesiastical honours for their children! He must be much in love with the cross who wishes to have his child a minister of the Gospel; for, if he be such as God approves of in the work, his life will be a life of toil and suffering; he will be obliged to sip, at least, if not to drink largely, of the cup of Christ. We know not what we ask, when, in getting our children into the CHURCH, we take upon ourselves to answer for their CALL to the sacred office, and for the salvation of the souls that are put under their care. Blind parents! rather let your children beg their bread than thrust them into an office to which God has not called them; and in which they will not only ruin their souls, but be the means of damnation to hundreds; for if God has not sent them, they shall not profit the people at all.
And to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized, &c.] This clause in this, and the next verse, is wanting in BDL, two others, (7 more in Matthew 20:23,) Coptic, Sahidic, Ethiopic, Mr. WHEELOCK'S Persic, Vulgate, Saxon, and all the Itala, except two. Grotius, Mill, and Bengel, think it should be omitted, and Griesbach has left it out of the text in both his editions. It is omitted also by Origen, Epiphanius, Hilary, Jerome, Ambrose, and Juvencus. According to the rules laid down by critics to appreciate a false or true reading, this clause cannot be considered as forming a part of the sacred text. It may be asked, Does not drink of my cup, convey the same idea? Does the clause add any thing to the perspicuity of the passage? And, though found in many good MSS., is not the balance of evidence in point of antiquity against it? Baptism among the Jews, as it was performed in the coldest weather, and the persons were kept under water for some time, was used not only to express death, but the most cruel kind of death. See Lightfoot. As to the term cup, it was a common figure, by which they expressed calamities, judgments, desolation, &c.
They say unto him, We are able. — Strange blindness! You can? No: one drop of this cup would sink you into utter ruin, unless upheld by the power of God. However, the man whom God has appointed to the work he will preserve in it.
