UTN uW Translation Notes:

Matthew 26 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

11. The crucifixion of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection (26:1-28:19) * The chief priests and elders plan to kill Jesus (26:1–5) * A woman anoints Jesus (26:6–13) * Judas agrees to hand Jesus over (26:14–16) * Jesus’ last meal with his disciples (26:17–29) * Jesus predicts that his disciples will deny him (26:30–35) * Jesus prays in Gethsemane (26:36–46) * Judas hands Jesus over (26:47–56) * Jesus’ trial before the Jewish council (26:57–68) * Peter denies Jesus three times (26:69–75)Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 26:31, which is a quote from Zechariah 13:7.

Special concepts in this Chapter

Perfumed oil

In 26:6–13, a woman anoints Jesus with perfumed oil. The kind that the woman uses was very expensive. People would use these oils to make themselves look and smell good. Also, they used oils to anoint corpses before they buried them, possibly to keep them from smelling. In this story, the woman uses the oil to honor Jesus, and Jesus also interprets it as a preparation for his burial. Make sure that your readers understand what anointing with this kind of oil means. (See: oil)

Denying Jesus

Throughout this chapter, Jesus and his disciples speak about “denying” Jesus. If a disciple denies Jesus, the disciple claims to have no connection with Jesus, neither knowing nor following him. Consider how you might naturally express this idea in your language.

Jesus’ trial before the Jewish council

In 26:57–68, Matthew narrates Jesus’ trial before the Jewish council. Since Jerusalem was governed by the Roman empire, the Roman governor, Pilate, was the only one who could actually have someone executed. So, the Jewish council needed to find evidence against Jesus that proved that he did something for which the Roman governor would execute him. This trial, then, was a preliminary step. They first needed to find good evidence to condemn Jesus, and then they needed to present evidence to the Roman governor that would lead to him executing Jesus. While you should not explain all these details in your translation, make sure that your translation does fit with this general idea.

The Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven

In 26:64, Jesus indicates that he, the Son of Man, will “come” on the clouds of heaven. However, he does not indicate the location to which he will “come.” Christians debate whether Jesus is describing his return to earth or his enthronement in heaven. If possible, your translation should allow for both possibilities. See the notes on this verse for translation options.

Peter’s accent

In 26:73, people who are standing near Peter tell him that they think he was one of Jesus’ disciples. They back up this claim by referring to his “speech,” by which they mean his accent and choice of words. In other words, Peter’s accent and word choice make it clear that he is from Galilee, where Jesus was from. So, they infer that Peter came to Jerusalem from Galilee with Jesus. Make sure that it is clear in your translation that the people standing near Peter are speaking about his accent and word choice that prove that he is from a specific region.

Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

Metaphor with bread and cup

In 26:26–28, Jesus identifies bread as “my body” and wine in a cup as “my blood of the covenant.” These metaphors can be understood in at least three primary ways: (1) the bread and wine somehow become Jesus’ body and blood; (2) Jesus’ body and blood are present, physically or spiritually, in the bread and wine; or (3) the bread and wine memorialize or symbolize Jesus’ body and blood. Christians are divided on this question, and metaphors that link body and blood to bread and wine are very significant in the Bible and in Christian teaching. For these reasons, it is best to preserve these metaphors without expressing them as similes or in another nonfigurative way. If you must express them in another way, see the notes on 26:26–28 for translation possibilities. (See: figs-metaphor)

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Most of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in dialogue, which can include both individuals and groups. Because of this, there are many of both singular and plural forms of “you.” However, there are slightly more plural forms of “you” in this chapter, so you should assume forms of “you” are plural unless a note specifies that the form is singular. (See: figs-yousingular)

The answer “You said it”

In 26:25 and 26:64, Jesus answers questions with the clause “You said it.” He uses this answer because he does not want to directly say “yes,” but he wants to imply that what the person asked is true in some way. In other words, Jesus’ answer indirectly provides a positive answer to the question. If possible, you should use a comparable phrase that gives an indirect positive answer to a question. If necessary, you could use a more direct answer, as modeled by the UST. See the notes on these verses for translation options that are more indirect.

Judas’ kiss for Jesus

In 26:49, Matthew describes how Judas kissed Jesus so the soldiers would know whom to arrest. In this culture, when men greeted other men who were family or friends, they would kiss them, probably on one cheek or on both cheeks. If men would not greet each other with a kiss in your culture, you could explain the purpose of the kiss, or you could translate the expression in a more general way. See the notes on this verse for translation options. (See: kiss)