Matthew 20:21

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 hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on the third day He will be raised up.” 20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.” 22But Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

Matthew 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

• And He saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• “Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• do you desireθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• She saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• that in Your kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
• theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• twoδύοduo · twoG1417
• sonsυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of mineἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• shall sitκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• at Your rightδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
• at Your leftεὐώνυμοςeuōnumos · left/southG2176

Cross-references for Matthew 20:21

• Matthew 20:32And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
• 1 Kings 3:5In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
• Esther 5:3Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”
• Mark 6:22and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
• Mark 10:36And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
• Luke 18:41“What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”
• John 15:7If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
• Matthew 18:1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
• Matthew 19:28And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Jeremiah 45:5But as for you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,’ declares the Lord, ‘but I will give your life to you as plunder in all the places where you may go.’”
• Mark 10:37They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
• Luke 22:24And a dispute also developed among them as to which one of them was regarded as being the greatest.
• Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
• Philemon 1:2and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
• 1 Kings 2:19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king stood to meet her, bowed to her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set up for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right.
• Psalms 45:9Kings’ daughters are among Your noble women; At Your right hand stands the queen in 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

• Civil Service
• Influence
• James
• Jesus, the Christ
• John
• Minister, Christian
• Politics
• Salome

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Choose
• Condemn
• Drink
• Idle
• James
• John
• Kingdom of God
• Prepare
• Ransom

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