Book Gospel of Matthew Order in the Bible part 1 | Bible part New Testament Category Gospel | |
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Matthew 12 is the twelfth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. It continues the narrative about Jesus' ministry in Galilee.
Contents
Text
Structure
This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to the other parts of the Bible):
Fulfillment of the Servant Song of Isaiah
Matthew states that Jesus' withdrawal from the cities of Galilee and his request that the crowds do not make him known is a fulfillment of the first Servant Song of the prophet Isaiah. The verses quoted from Isaiah are from the Septuagint version. One difference from the Hebrew version is found in verse 21 (Isaiah 42:4).
In translation from the Hebrew version, this reads:
and the coastlands shall wait for His lawIn the Septuagint and in Matthew's Gospel this reads:
and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.Idle words
Theologian Albert Barnes describes an "idle word" (Matthew 12:36) as literally "a vain, thoughtless, useless word; a word that accomplishes no good", but states that in the context the meaning is "wicked, injurious, false [or] malicious" words. The Greek reveals a contrast between ρημα αργον, rhēma argon, idle words or sounds, and the consequential need to ἀποδώσουσιν περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον, apodōsousin peri autou logon, to provide a reasoned account on the day of judgment.