Matthew 20:23 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 20:23

“You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

He saith unto them, My cup indeed ye shall drink: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give; but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared of my Father.

KJV

And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

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Commentary

2 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew (420)

(Ver. 23.) He said to them: 'You will indeed drink my cup. But to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give you, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.' It is questioned how James and John, the sons of Zebedee, drank the cup of martyrdom, when the Scripture narrates that only James the Apostle was beheaded by Herod (Acts XII): but John ended his life by his own death.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

And he saith unto them, ye shall drink indeed of my cup,.... Not of the selfsame, but of what was like unto it; meaning, that they should endure much persecution for his name's sake, as all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must expect in one shape or another.

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

But he does not deny that this is his to give. It is his to give in the strictest propriety, both as God, and as the Son of man. He only asserts, that he gives it to none but those for whom it is originally prepared; namely, those who endure to the end in the faith that worketh by love.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Peter and they were his favourites; John was the disciple whom Jesus loved; yet none were so often reproved as they; whom Christ loves best he reproves most, Rev. iii. Here is the ambitious address they made to Christ--that they might sit, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left, in his kingdom,

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Christ's answer is very mild; they were overtaken in the fault of ambition, but Christ restored them with the spirit of meekness. How he reproved the ignorance and error of their petition; (1.) They were much in the dark concerning the kingdom they had their eye upon; they dreamed of a temporal kingdom, whereas Christ's kingdom is not of this world.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He took the cup, offered himself to the baptism, and it was accepted. (2.) He leaves them in the dark about the degrees of their glory. To carry them cheerfully through their sufferings, it was enough to be assured that they should have a place in his kingdom.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for wham it is prepared of my Father - The common translation, in which the words, it shall be given to them; are interpolated by our translators, utterly changes and destroys the meaning of the passage. It represents Christ (in opposition to the whole Scriptures) as having nothing to do in the dispensing of rewards and punishments; whereas, our Lord only intimates that, however partial he may be to these two brethren, yet seats in glory can only be given to those who are fitted for them.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

(1856)

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

28 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
λέγει	legei	He says	G3004 →
αὐτοῖς·	autois	to them;	G846 →
τὸ	to	<the>	G3588 →
μὲν	men	Indeed	G3303 →
ποτήριόν	potērion	the cup	G4221 →
μου	mou	of Mine	G3165 →
πίεσθε	piesthe	You will drink	G4095 →
τὸ	to	<the>	G3588 →
δὲ	de	but	G1161 →
καθίσαι	kathisai	to sit	G2523 →
ἐκ	ek	on	G1537 →
δεξιῶν	dexiōn	[the] right hand	G1188 →
μου	mou	of Me	G3165 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ἐξ	ex	on	G1537 →
εὐωνύμων	euōnumōn	[the] left	G2176 →
οὐκ	ouk	not	G3756 →
ἔστιν	estin	is	G1510 →
ἐμὸν	emon	Mine	G1473 →
τοῦτο	touto	this	G3778 →
δοῦναι,	dounai	to give,	G1325 →
ἀλλ᾽	all᾽	but [to those]	G235 →
οἷς	hois	for whom	G3739 →
ἡτοίμασται	hētoimastai	it has been prepared	G2090 →
ὑπὸ	hupo	by	G5259 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
πατρός	patros	Father	G3962 →
μου.¶	mou	of Mine.	G3165 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 25:34
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
leads to
- 1 Peter 1:19–20
  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- James 2:5
  Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Revelation 21:7
  The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.
- Revelation 13:8
  And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was…
- 1 Peter 1:3–5
  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Through
Revelation 1:9
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
leads to
- Acts 14:22
  strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
- Revelation 3:10
  Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the…
- John 16:33
  I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

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About Matthew

John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Matthew: the study guide →Read chapter 20 →The featured study →

Continue: Matthew 20 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Matthew

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Matthew