EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Matthew 20:21
21‘What do you want me to do?’ Jesus asked her. She said, ‘One day, you will be king. Then I want my two sons to rule with you. One may sit at your right side and the other one at your left side. Please will you do this?’
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
19Then they will take me and they will deliver me to people who are not Jews. They will laugh at me. They will hit me with whips. Then they will kill me on a cross. But after three days, I will become alive again.’ 20Then the mother of James and John took them to see Jesus. (Their father was Zebedee.) She went down on her knees in front of Jesus. She asked him to do something good for her. ‘What do you want me to do?’ Jesus asked her. She said, ‘One day, you will be king. Then I want my two sons to rule with you. One may sit at your right side and the other one at your left side. Please will you do this?’ 22Jesus said to them, ‘You do not understand what you are asking for. I will have much pain and trouble. Are you ready to have the same pain?’ James and John replied, ‘Yes, we can do that.’ 23Jesus said to them, ‘Yes, that is true. You will have pain and trouble like mine. But I cannot promise that you will sit at my right side or at my left side. My Father God has chosen the people who will sit there. He has prepared the places for those people.’
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- wilt thouθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- She saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- twoδύοduo · twoG1417
- sonsυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- may sitκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
- the oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- onἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- right handδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the leftεὐώνυμοςeuōnumos · left/southG2176
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
Cross-references for Matthew 20:21
- Matthew 20:32Jesus stopped there. He asked the two men, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
- 1 Kings 3:5One night in Gibeon, the Lord showed himself to Solomon in a dream. God said, ‘Ask me to give you whatever you want.’
- Esther 5:3The king asked her, ‘What is your trouble, Queen Esther? I will do for you whatever you want. I will even give you half of my kingdom!’
- Mark 6:22The daughter of Herodias came in and she danced. Herod and his visitors were very happy when they saw her dance. King Herod said to the girl, ‘Ask me for anything that you want. I will give it to you.’
- Mark 10:36‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked them.
- Luke 18:41‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ the blind man replied, ‘I want to see again.’
- John 15:7You must remain in me, and my teaching must remain in you. Then you may ask for anything that you want. God will do it for you.
- Matthew 18:1Soon after this, the disciples came to Jesus and they asked him, ‘Who is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?’
- Matthew 19:28Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: One day God will cause all things to become new. I, the Son of Man, will sit on my great throne as King and I will rule that new world. You who are my disciples will also sit like kings on thrones. You will judge the people of the 12 tribes of Israel.
- Jeremiah 45:5If you want to become famous and important, do not hope for that to happen. I will send great trouble to all the people on the earth. But I promise that I will keep your life safe, wherever you go.” That is what the Lord says.’
- Mark 10:37They said to him, ‘When you are king, we want to rule with you. One of us will sit at your right side and the other one at your left side.’
- Luke 22:24Then the apostles began to argue among themselves. They were arguing about which of them seemed to be the most important.
- Romans 12:10Love each other truly like brothers and sisters. Be really happy to respect other Christians.
- Philemon 1:2We say ‘hello’ also to Apphia, who is like a sister to us. And we say ‘hello’ to Archippus, who serves Christ like a soldier, as we do. We also say ‘hello’ to the group of Christians who meet in your home.
- 1 Kings 2:19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak on behalf of Adonijah. The king stood up to meet her. He bent his head down to respect her. Then he sat on his throne. He commanded his servants to bring another throne for his mother. So she sat down at his right side.
- Psalms 45:9The daughters of kings are among your visitors. Your royal bride stands at your right hand. She is wearing gold from 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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