| Matthew 12 | |
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.jpg) Gospel of Matthew 12:24–26 on Papyrus 21, from 3rd century | |
| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Category | Gospel |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 1 |
| Gospel of Matthew |
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Chapters |
Matthew 12 is the twelfth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. It continues the narrative about Jesus' ministry in Galilee and introduces controversy over the observance of the Sabbath for the first time.
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided 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):
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See also: Matthew 12:1 |
German Protestant theologian Heinrich Meyer notes that there was no accusation of trespass or theft here: "any one was allowed to pluck ... ears of corn in another man’s field till he was satisfied" in accordance with Deuteronomy 23:25:
The Mosaic 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 and Luke 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 first Servant Song of the prophet Isaiah. The verses quoted from Isaiah are from the Septuagint version of Isaiah 42:1–4.[4] One difference from the Hebrew 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 to blasphemy in verse 31, and sees Jesus as refuting the suggestion that blasphemy "cannot really have eternal consequence because it consists of nothing but words".[6]
Theologian Albert 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 the day of judgment.
Arthur Carr, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, notes the connection between words and character.[10] W. R. Nicoll contrasts this verse with Matthew 25:31–46, where justification turns on actions: for I was hungry and you gave Me food ...[11] He sees chapter 3 of James's epistle as an extension of this verse.[11]
