| Matthew 12 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gospel of Matthew 12:24–26 onPapyrus 21, from 3rd century | |
| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Category | Gospel |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 1 |
Matthew 12 is the twelfthchapter in theGospel of Matthew in theNew Testament section of theChristian Bible. It continues the narrative aboutJesus' ministry inGalilee and introduces controversy over theobservance of the Sabbath for the first time.
The original text was written inKoine Greek. This chapter isdivided into 50 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to other biblical passages):
German Protestant theologianHeinrich Meyer notes that there was no accusation oftrespass ortheft here: "any one was allowed to pluck ... ears of corn in another man’s field till he was satisfied" in accordance withDeuteronomy 23:25:
TheMosaic law left it unclear whether such licence was authorised on the Sabbath. Both Mark and Luke raise the controversy about the sabbath earlier in their respective gospels (Mark 2:23–27 andLuke 6:1–11).[2]
Matthew states that Jesus' withdrawal from the cities of Galilee and his request that the crowds not make him known[3] is a fulfillment of the firstServant Song of the prophetIsaiah. The verses quoted fromIsaiah are from theSeptuagint version ofIsaiah 42:1–4.[4] One difference from theHebrew version is found in verse 21 (Isaiah 42:4).
In translation from the Hebrew version, this reads:
In the Septuagint and in Matthew's Gospel this reads:
Dale Allison associates the references to "idle" words in verses 36 and 37 with the earlier references toblasphemy inverse 31, and sees Jesus as refuting the suggestion that blasphemy "cannot really have eternal consequence because it consists of nothing but words".[6]
TheologianAlbert Barnes describes an "idle word" as literally "a vain, thoughtless, useless word; a word that accomplishes no good", but states that in the context the meaning is "wicked, injurious, false [or] malicious" words.[8] The Greek reveals a contrast between ρημα αργον,rhēma argon, idle words or sounds, and the consequential need to ἀποδώσουσιν περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον,apodōsousin peri autou logon, to provide a reasoned account on theday of judgment.
Arthur Carr, in theCambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, notes the connection between words andcharacter.[10]W. R. Nicoll contrasts this verse withMatthew 25:31–46, where justification turns on actions:for I was hungry and you gave Me food ...[11] He seeschapter 3 of James's epistle as an extension of this verse.[11]
Media related toGospel of Matthew - Chapter 12 at Wikimedia Commons