UTN uW Translation Notes:

Matthew 19 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

9. Jesus ministers in Judea (19:1-22:46) * Jesus goes to Judea (19:1–2) * Jesus teaches about marriage and divorce (19:3–12) * Jesus blesses little children (19:13–15) * Jesus talks with a young man (19:16–22) * Jesus teaches about wealth, possessions, and the kingdom (19:23–30)

Special Concepts in this Chapter

Divorce

In 19:3, the Pharisees test Jesus by asking him about an issue that was controversial among Jewish religious leaders: divorce. More specifically, the religious leaders argued about what were acceptable grounds for a divorce. So, they ask Jesus about this. Jesus responds that divorce is never what God wants, and he quotes from Genesis 1 and 2 to prove this. In response, the Pharisees refer to Deuteronomy 24:1–4, which assumes that men do divorce their wives. Jesus replies that this section of the Law exists only because the Israelites were stubborn. He means that God knew that the Israelite men would sometimes divorce their wives, so he included a law about how to do it. Jesus then states that the only acceptable ground for a divorce is sexual immorality. He further says that any divorced person who marries again is involved in adultery. Make sure that it is clear that both Jesus and the Pharisees are making arguments based on the Scriptures.

Eunuchs

The word “eunuch” refers to a man who is unable to reproduce. People in Jesus’ culture knew about two types of eunuchs:1. some eunuchs were men who underwent a surgery in which parts of their genitals were removed. This kept them from being able to reproduce. These eunuchs were often important servants of kings and rulers, often serving in the harem.2. some eunuchs were men who were born with genitals that were already unable to reproduce.In 19:12, Jesus refers to both of these kinds of eunuchs. Then he refers to “eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of the heavens.” Here he is referring to people who live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom. Consider how you might naturally refer to “eunuchs” in your language.

Rich people and the kingdom of the heavens

In Jesus’ culture, many people thought that rich people had been specifically blessed by God. When Jesus said that it was extremely difficult for rich people to enter God’s kingdom (see 19:23–24), the disciples were shocked. They thought that if it was hard for rich people to enter the kingdom, it would be impossible for everyone else. That is why they ask the question, “Who then is able to be saved?” (19:25). If your readers might not understand why the disciples respond in this way, you may need to include a footnote that explains some of this information.

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Many of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear when Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees or to his disciples. This means that Jesus frequently uses plural forms of “you.” In this chapter, you should assume that forms of “you” are plural unless a note specifies that the form is singular. (See: figs-yousingular)