MAT 20:22 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ἀποκριθείς
2. apokrinō
3. answering
4. answered
5. 6110
6. VPAP·NMS
7. answering
8. answering
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13792
1. Δέ
2. de
3. But
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y33
11. 13793
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13794
1. δέ
2. de
3. -
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. -
10. -
11. 13795
1. Ἰησοῦς
2. iēsous
3. Yaʸsous
4. -
5. 24240
6. N····NMS
7. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
8. Jesus
9. UN
10. Person=Jesus; Y33; F13811; F13822
11. 13796
1. εἶπεν
2. legō
3. said
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIAA3··S
7. said
8. said
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13797
1. Οὐκ
2. ou
3. not
4. don't
5. 37560
6. D·······
7. not
8. not
9. D
10. Y33
11. 13798
1. οἴδατε
2. eidō
3. You all have known
4. -
5. 14920
6. VIEA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓have˒ known
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓have˒ known
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13799
1. τί
2. tis
3. what
4. -
5. 51010
6. R····ANS
7. what
8. what
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13800
1. αἰτεῖσθε
2. aiteō
3. you all are requesting
4. -
5. 1540
6. VIPM2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ requesting
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ requesting
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13801
1. αἰτεῖτε
2. aiteō
3. -
4. -
5. 1540
6. VIPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ requested
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ requested
9. -
10. -
11. 13802
1. Δύνασθε
2. dunamai
3. Are you all being able
4. -
5. 14100
6. VIPM2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ being_able
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ being_able
9. S
10. Y33
11. 13803
1. πιεῖν
2. pinō
3. to drink
4. -
5. 40950
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ drink
8. ˓to˒ drink
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13804
1. τό
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13805
1. ποτήριον
2. potērion
3. cup
4. -
5. 42210
6. N····ANS
7. cup
8. cup
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13806
1. πιεῖν
2. pinō
3. -
4. -
5. 40950
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ drink
8. ˓to˒ drink
9. -
10. -
11. 13807
1. ὅ
2. hos
3. which
4. that
5. 37390
6. R····ANS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13808
1. ἐγώ
2. egō
3. I
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1N·S
7. I
8. I
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13809
1. μέλλω
2. mellō
3. am going
4. -
5. 31950
6. VIPA1··S
7. ˓am˒ going
8. ˓am˒ going
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13810
1. πίνειν
2. pinō
3. to be drinking
4. -
5. 40950
6. VNPA····
7. ˓to_be˒ drinking
8. ˓to_be˒ drinking
9. -
10. Y33; R13796; Person=Jesus
11. 13811
1. πιεῖν
2. pinō
3. -
4. -
5. 40950
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ drink
8. ˓to˒ drink
9. -
10. -
11. 13812
1. ἤ
2. ē
3. -
4. -
5. 22280
6. C·······
7. or
8. or
9. -
10. -
11. 13813
1. καί
2. kai
3. -
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. -
11. 13814
1. τό
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. -
11. 13815
1. βάπτισμα
2. baptisma
3. -
4. -
5. 9080
6. N····ANS
7. immersion
8. baptism
9. -
10. -
11. 13816
1. ὅ
2. hos
3. -
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····ANS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. -
11. 13817
1. ἐγώ
2. egō
3. -
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1N·S
7. I
8. I
9. -
10. -
11. 13818
1. βαπτίζομαι
2. baptizō
3. -
4. -
5. 9070
6. VIPP1··S
7. ˓am_being˒ immersed
8. ˓am_being˒ baptized
9. -
10. -
11. 13819
1. βαπτισθῆναι
2. baptizō
3. -
4. -
5. 9070
6. VNAP····
7. ˓to_be˒ immersed
8. ˓to_be˒ baptized
9. -
10. -
11. 13820
1. Λέγουσιν
2. legō
3. They are saying
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIPA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓are˒ saying
8. ˱they˲ ˓are˒ saying
9. S
10. Y33
11. 13821
1. αὐτῷ
2. autos
3. to him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DMS
7. ˱to˲ him
8. ˱to˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R13796; Person=Jesus
11. 13822
1. Δυνάμεθα
2. dunamai
3. We are being able
4. -
5. 14100
6. VIPM1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓are˒ being_able
8. ˱we˲ ˓are˒ being_able
9. D
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13823

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 20:20–28: The mother of James and John asked Jesus for something

In this section, Jesus again dealt with the issue of who is important. In 18:1–4, the disciples had asked Jesus “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus had answered them there. Here, the mother of James and John asked Jesus to give her two sons the most important positions in his kingdom. Jesus again responded to the disciples’ concern to become important people.

Jesus said that the most important person in his kingdom is the person who behaves like a servant rather than like someone in charge. He finished by saying that he himself came to help other people rather than to ask other to help him. He showed that the values in his kingdom are different than the values here on earth.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Request of the Mother of James and John (NRSV)

The mother of James and John asks Jesus to make her sons the most people in his kingdom

Jesus Teaches about Serving Others (NLT)

There is a parallel passage for this section in Mark 10:35–45.

20:22a

“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied.

Jesus said, “You^(dual/plur) do not understand what you^(dual/(plur) are asking for.
Jesus said to them, “You^(dual/plur) do not realize what you are requesting.

“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as know means “have information about something.” The disciples asked for these positions of authority without fully knowing what it might mean to have them. By asking to have authority with Jesus, they were asking to suffer with him.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

You do not understand what you are asking (REB)

You don’t realize what you’re asking. (GW)

You do not know what you are asking: In Greek, You do not know and you are asking are plural. The mother alone asked Jesus a question, but Jesus responded to the two sons. It is possible that he included the mother in his response. But because the two men answered in 20:22c, it is best to understand Jesus’ response as addressed to the sons. If your language has both plural and dual pronouns, you should use dual pronouns here.

20:22b

“Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

Are you^(plur/dual) able to drink from the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?”
Do you^(plur/dual) have the strength/power to suffer like I will soon suffer?”

Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?: Some Greek manuscripts include a clause here and in the next verse: “and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.” The UBS editors judged these clauses most likely added by a later copyist to make Matthew’s account the same as Mark’s. The editors decided with their highest confidence that these clauses were not original and did not include them in the UBS text. Only the KJV translates these clauses. The expression drink the cup is a complex figure of speech. The cup represents the contents of the cup. The expression drink the cup compares suffering with drinking the contents of a cup. This metaphor was used in the Old Testament to represent suffering.See Isaiah 51:17–23 and Lamentations 4:21. This metaphor is also used in the Old Testament to refer to God’s judgment, particularly the punishment of the wicked, and even blessing. Here it refers to suffering.

In this context, Jesus used this figure of speech to refer to the suffering that he would experience.In the Bible, the Greek and Hebrew words that some English versions translate as cup sometimes refer to something that people had to experience. It could be something good (Psalm 116:13) or something bad (Isaiah 51:17). In other words, Jesus asked the disciples if they were able to suffer in the same way that he would suffer.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

Keep the metaphor and clearly show that the word cup represents the contents of the cup. For example:
Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from? (CEV)
Keep the metaphor but make explicit the meaning of the word cup. For example:
Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink? (GNT)
Change the metaphor to a simile and make the meaning of cup explicit. For example:
Can you suffer with me, as though we drank suffering from the same cup?
State the meaning directly. For example:
Can you endure the suffering that I will experience?

The word “cup” is used as a figure of speech in various places in both the Old and New Testaments. If it is not possible to use this figure of speech in your language, you may want to add a footnote that gives the literal meaning. Here is a sample footnote:

What Jesus literally said was, “Can you drink the cup that I drink?” The phrase “drink the cup” is a metaphor. In the Old Testament it often referred to the experience of suffering or of punishment from God. Here it refers to the suffering that Jesus was about to experience.

Can you: This Greek verb that the BSB translates as Can you means “Do you have the capacity to do something.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

Is it possible for you

Are you capable

Do you have the strength/power

I am going to drink: In Greek, this clause is more literally “that I am about to drink.” The Greek word that means “about to” indicates that this would happen in the near future.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

that I am about to drink (NET)

that I am soon to drink

20:22c

“We can,” the brothers answered.

They^(dual) answered him, “We^(excl/dual) are able.”
They^(dual) said, “Yes, we^(excl/dual) have the strength/power.”

We can: In some languages, it may be natural to add the word “Yes” here. For example:

Yes, we are able

We: If your language has both inclusive and exclusive pronouns, the pronoun We should be exclusive here. If your language has both plural and dual pronouns, the pronoun We should be dual here.

can: The verb can is the same verb as in 20:22b. You should translate it the same way in both places. For example:

Is it possible

We are capable

We have the strength/power

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

εἶπεν

said

Matthew implies that Jesus is speaking directly to the two sons of Zebedee. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [said to her two sons]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν

˓to˒_drink (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀποκριθείς Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε Δύνασθε πιεῖν τό ποτήριον ὅ ἐγώ μέλλω πίνειν Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Δυνάμεθα)

Jesus speaks of experiencing pain and suffering as "drinking from a cup." If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [to experience the pain that I am about to experience] or [to experience the suffering that I am about to experience]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τὸ ποτήριον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀποκριθείς Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε Δύνασθε πιεῖν τό ποτήριον ὅ ἐγώ μέλλω πίνειν Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Δυνάμεθα)

Here, cup represents the drink inside the cup, which in Jesus’ culture would probably have been wine. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the drink] or [the wine in the cup]

Note 4 topic: translate-textvariants

πίνειν

˓to_be˒_drinking

Many ancient manuscripts end the question with the word drink. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts include after the word drink the words “or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am being baptized.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns

λέγουσιν

The pronoun They refers to the sons of Zebedee. If this is not clear for your readers, you could use the person's name here. Alternate translation: [The sons of Zebedee say]

Note 6 topic: translate-tense

λέγουσιν

To call attention to a development in the story, Matthew uses the present tense in past narration. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: [They said]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

δυνάμεθα

By We, the sons of Zebedee mean themselves, but not their mother or Jesus, so use the exclusive form of that word in your translation if your language marks that distinction.

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

δυνάμεθα

The sons of Zebedee are leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [We are able to drink that cup]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. But
2. -
3. 11610
4. S
5. de
6. C-·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y33
11. 13793
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13794
1. Yaʸsous
2. -
3. 24240
4. UN
5. iēsous
6. N-····NMS
7. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
8. Jesus
9. UN
10. Person=Jesus; Y33; F13811; F13822
11. 13796
1. answering
2. answered
3. 6110
5. apokrinō
6. V-PAP·NMS
7. answering
8. answering
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13792
1. said
2. -
3. 30040
5. legō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. said
8. said
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13797
1. You all have
2. -
3. 14920
5. eidō
6. V-IEA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓have˒ known
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓have˒ known
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13799
1. not
2. don't
3. 37560
4. D
5. ou
6. D-·······
7. not
8. not
9. D
10. Y33
11. 13798
1. known
2. -
3. 14920
5. eidō
6. V-IEA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓have˒ known
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓have˒ known
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13799
1. what
2. -
3. 51010
5. tis
6. R-····ANS
7. what
8. what
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13800
1. you all are requesting
2. -
3. 1540
5. aiteō
6. V-IPM2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ requesting
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ requesting
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13801
1. Are you all being able
2. -
3. 14100
4. S
5. dunamai
6. V-IPM2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ being_able
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ being_able
9. S
10. Y33
11. 13803
1. to drink
2. -
3. 40950
5. pinō
6. V-NAA····
7. ˓to˒ drink
8. ˓to˒ drink
9. -
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13804
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····ANS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13805
1. cup
2. -
3. 42210
5. potērion
6. N-····ANS
7. cup
8. cup
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13806
1. which
2. that
3. 37390
5. hos
6. R-····ANS
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13808
1. I
2. -
3. 14730
5. egō
6. R-···1N·S
7. I
8. I
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13809
1. am going
2. -
3. 31950
5. mellō
6. V-IPA1··S
7. ˓am˒ going
8. ˓am˒ going
9. -
10. Y33
11. 13810
1. to be drinking
2. -
3. 40950
5. pinō
6. V-NPA····
7. ˓to_be˒ drinking
8. ˓to_be˒ drinking
9. -
10. Y33; R13796; Person=Jesus
11. 13811
1. They are saying
2. -
3. 30040
4. S
5. legō
6. V-IPA3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓are˒ saying
8. ˱they˲ ˓are˒ saying
9. S
10. Y33
11. 13821
1. to him
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3DMS
7. ˱to˲ him
8. ˱to˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R13796; Person=Jesus
11. 13822
1. We are being able
2. -
3. 14100
4. D
5. dunamai
6. V-IPM1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓are˒ being_able
8. ˱we˲ ˓are˒ being_able
9. D
10. Y33; R13777
11. 13823

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear MAT 20:22

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 20:20–28: The mother of James and John asked Jesus for something

20:22a

20:22b

20:22c

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)