God’s Word Translation
Matthew 20:23
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.”
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?” 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.” 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. Jesus 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. 25Jesus called the apostles and said, “You know that the rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over 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 had James, the brother of John, executed.
- Romans 8:17If we are his children, we are also God’s heirs. If we share in Christ’s suffering in order to share his glory, we are heirs together with him.
- 2 Corinthians 1:7We have confidence in you. We know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort.
- Colossians 1:24I am happy to suffer for you now. In my body I am completing whatever remains of Christ’s sufferings. I am doing this on behalf of his body, the church.
- 2 Timothy 2:11This is a statement that can be trusted: If we have died with him, we will live with him.
- Revelation 1:9I am John, your brother. I share your suffering, ruling, and endurance because of Jesus. I was ⌞exiled⌟ on the island of Patmos because of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus.
- Matthew 25:34“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
- Mark 10:40But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already been prepared for certain people.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:9But as Scripture says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”
- Hebrews 11:16Instead, these men were longing for a better country—a heavenly country. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has prepared a city for them.
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
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