Logos Bible Study

Matthew 20:15–22

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15‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your aeye 1envious because I am 2generous?’

16“So athe last shall be first, and the first last.”

Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection

17aAnd as Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,

18“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man awill be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,

19and awill deliver Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify Him, and on bthe third day He will be raised up.”

A Request for Status

20aThen the mother of bthe sons of Zebedee came to Him with her sons, cbowing down and making a request of Him.

21And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine amay sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”

22But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ato drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1Lit evil
  2. 2Lit good
  3. *Marks verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage.

Cross references

  1. aDeut 15:9; Matt 6:23; Mark 7:22
  2. aMatt 19:30; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30
  3. aMatt 20:17–19: Mark 10:32–34; Luke 18:31–33
  4. aMatt 16:21
  5. aMatt 27:2; Acts 2:23; 3:13; 4:27; 21:11
  6. bMatt 16:21; 17:23; Luke 18:32f
  7. aMatt 20:20–28: Mark 10:35–45
  8. bMatt 4:21; 10:2
  9. cMatt 8:2
  10. aMatt 19:28
  11. aIs 51:17, 22; Jer 49:12; Matt 26:39, 42; Luke 22:42; John 18:11

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 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.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first last.”

While going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples aside privately and said to them on the way, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.”

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached him with her sons. She knelt down to ask him for something. “What do you want?” he asked her.

“Promise,” she said to him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left, in your kingdom.”

Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”

“We are able,” they said to him.

NLTNew Living Translation

Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

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!”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Is it not permitted for me to do whatever I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?’ Thus the last will be first and the first last.”

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples by themselves and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock him and flog him and crucify him, and on the third day he will be raised.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked something from him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom.” 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.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 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.