God’s Word Translation
Matthew 20:22
22Jesus replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink?” “We can,” they told him.
Matthew 20:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
- New International Version (NIV)“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
Context of Matthew 20:22
20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her two sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor. 21“What do you want?” he asked her. She said to him, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink?” “We can,” they told him. 23Jesus said to them, “You will drink my cup. But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. My Father has already prepared these positions for certain people.” 24When the other ten apostles heard about this, they were irritated with the two brothers.
Read all of Matthew 20Matthew 20:22 word by word
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε. δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· δυνάμεθα.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- and saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Ye knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notοὐou · noG3756
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- ye askαἰτέωaiteō · to askG154
- Are ye ableδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- to drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- of the cupποτήριονpotērion · cupG4221
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- shallμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to be baptizedβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
- with the baptismβάπτισμαbaptisma · baptismG908
- They sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for Matthew 20:22
- Mark 10:38Jesus said, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive?”
- Romans 8:26At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words.
- James 4:3When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure.
- Matthew 26:39After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, “Father, if it’s possible, let this cup ⌞of suffering⌟ be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”
- Psalms 75:3When the earth and everyone who lives on it begin to melt, I will make its foundations as solid as rock. Selah
- Jeremiah 25:15This is what the Lord God of Israel said to me: Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my fury, and make all the nations to whom I’m sending you drink from it.
- Mark 14:36He said, “Abba! Father! You can do anything. Take this cup ⌞of suffering⌟ away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”
- Luke 22:42“Father, if it is your will, take this cup ⌞of suffering⌟ away from me. However, your will must be done, not mine.”
- John 18:11Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword away. Shouldn’t I drink the cup ⌞of suffering⌟ that my Father has given me?”
- Mark 10:39“We can,” they told him. Jesus told them, “You will drink the cup that I’m going to drink. You will be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive.
- Luke 12:50I have a baptism to go through, and I will suffer until it is over.
- Matthew 26:35Peter told him, “Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never say that I don’t know you!” All the other disciples said the same thing.
- Proverbs 16:18Pride precedes a disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.
Commentaries on Matthew 20:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Ye know not what ye ask - How strange is the infatuation, in some parents, which leads them to desire worldly or ecclesiastical honors for their children! He must be much in love with the cross who wishes to have his child a minister of the Gospel; for, if he be such as God approves of in the work, his life will be a life of toil and suffering; he will be obliged to sip, at least, if not to drink largely, of the cup of Christ. We know not what we ask…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. 22The cup refers to the duty duty, calling, and destiny of Jesus (see Matthew 26:39; John 18:11; also Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17, 22; Revelation 16:19).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 20:22
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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