Darby Bible
Matthew 20:21
21And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak [the word] that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom.
Matthew 20:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
Context of Matthew 20:21
19and they will deliver him up to the nations to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and the third day he shall rise again. 20Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him. And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak [the word] that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom. 22And 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. 23[And] he says to them, Ye shall drink indeed my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on [my] left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Read all of Matthew 20Matthew 20:21 word by word
Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· τί θέλεις; λέγει αὐτῷ· εἰπὲ ἵνα καθίσωσιν οὗτοι οἱ δύο υἱοί μου εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 20:21
- Matthew 20:32And Jesus, having stopped, called them and said, What will ye that I shall do to you?
- 1 Kings 3:5In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
- Esther 5:3And the king said to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.
- Mark 6:22and the daughter of the same Herodias having come in, and danced, pleased Herod and those that were with [him] at table; and the king said to the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it thee.
- Mark 10:36And he said to them, What would ye that I should do for you?
- Luke 18:41What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see.
- John 15:7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall come to pass to you.
- Matthew 18:1In that hour the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?
- Matthew 19:28And Jesus said to them, Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit down upon his throne of glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Jeremiah 45:5And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek [them] not; for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith Jehovah; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou shalt go.
- Mark 10:37And they said to him, Give to us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory.
- Luke 22:24And there was also a strife among them which of them should be held to be [the] greatest.
- Romans 12:10as to brotherly love, kindly affectioned towards one another: as to honour, each taking the lead in paying it to the other:
- Philemon 1:2and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which [is] in thine house.
- 1 Kings 2:19And Bathsheba went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne; and he caused a throne to be set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.
- Psalms 45:9Kings' daughters are among thine honourable women; upon thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Commentaries on Matthew 20:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Grant that these my two sons - James and John. See Mark 15:40. In the preceding chapter, Matthew 19:28, our Lord had promised his disciples, that they should sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes. Salome, probably hearing of this, and understanding it literally, came to request the chief dignities in this new government for her sons; and it appears it was at their instigation that she made this request, for Mark, Mark 10:35, informs us that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 See also Mark 10:35-45. Matthew 20:20 Then came to him give mother of Zebedee‘s 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not the cup of the wicked. It is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Jesus had already promised positions of authority in God’s kingdom to the disciples (Matthew 19:28). The request of the two brothers came from selfish desire to be important, without concern for the suffering the Messiah would soon face (see Matthew 23:6; Luke 14:7–11).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 20:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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