EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Matthew 20:23
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.’
Matthew 20:23 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So He said to them, “You will indeed drink 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 is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
Context of Matthew 20:23
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?’ 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.’ Jesus 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.’ 24When the other ten disciples heard about this, they were angry with the two brothers. 25Then Jesus told all the 12 disciples to come to him. He said to them, ‘You know the things that rulers of other countries do. They show that they have great power over their people. The leaders of those countries use great authority over their people.
Read all of Matthew 20Matthew 20:23 word by word
λέγει αὐτοῖς· τὸ μὲν ποτήριόν μου πίεσθε τὸ δὲ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν τοῦτο δοῦναι, ἀλλ᾽ οἷς ἡτοίμασται ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Ye shall drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- indeedμένmen · on the other handG3303
- ofποτήριονpotērion · cupG4221
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- be baptizedβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
- with the baptismβάπτισμαbaptisma · baptismG908
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- butδέde · thenG1161
- to sitκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
- onἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- right handδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
- leftεὐώνυμοςeuōnumos · left/southG2176
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- mineἐμόςemos · mineG1699
- to giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- it is preparedἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
- ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
- Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
Cross-references for Matthew 20:23
- Acts 12:2He sent his soldiers to cut off James's head. James was John's brother.
- Romans 8:17Because we are God's children, we also know that we will receive good things from him. Those are the things that he has promised to give to his children. Together with Christ, we will receive the things that God has kept for him. That is true if we agree to have troubles like Christ did. Then we will also enjoy life in heaven like Christ does.
- 2 Corinthians 1:7So we continue to be sure that you will remain strong. You receive many troubles, as we do too. But we know that God will also comfort you, as he comforts us.
- Colossians 1:24At this time, I am suffering on your behalf, but I am still happy. Christ himself suffered on behalf of his people, the church. Now, while I live in my human body, I also suffer. I continue to receive the pain that Christ received, so that it may be complete. In that way, I help the church, which is like Christ's own body.
- 2 Timothy 2:11We all know that this is true: ‘If we have died with Christ in this world, we will also live with him in the future world.
- Revelation 1:9I am John. I am a believer, as you are. I am like your brother and your friend. Because we belong to Jesus' kingdom, we are having trouble and pain. So we all need to be strong and patient, as Jesus helps us. The Roman leaders punished me because I taught God's message. I told people the true message about Jesus. That is why they sent me to Patmos island.
- Matthew 25:34The king will say to those people who are on his right side, “Come here. My Father has been good to you. He has prepared a place for you in his kingdom. That kingdom has been ready for you since the time that God made the world.
- Mark 10:40But I cannot promise that you will sit at my right side or at my left side. God has chosen the people who will sit there. He has prepared the places for those people.’
- 1 Corinthians 2:9This is written in the Bible: ‘Nobody ever saw or heard anything about this. Nobody ever thought that it could happen. But these are the things that God has prepared for his people who love him.’
- Hebrews 11:16No, they wanted very much to go to a better place, in heaven. For that reason, God is not ashamed for them to call him their God. He has already prepared a city for them to live in.
Commentaries on Matthew 20:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Is 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…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. 23You will indeed: James eventually died for his faith (Acts 12:2). John suffered severe persecution (Acts 4:3; 5:40; Revelation 1:9).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 20:23
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
EasyEnglish Bible 2018 — Copyright © MissionAssist 2018
Commentaries