Matthew 22

1 Once again [a second time, afresh], Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] spoke [to say, to share teachings] to them [the Jewish leaders, his audience] in parables [illustrated stories, moral lessons]: word study 2 “The kingdom [domain, royal power] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place] is like [compared to, similar to] a king [sovereign ruler, monarch] who prepared [made, organized] a wedding banquet [marriage feast, celebration] for his son [child, heir]. word study 3 He sent [dispatched on a mission] his servants [slaves, bond servants] to call [invite, summon] those he had invited [bidden, called] to the banquet [wedding feast, marriage celebration], but they refused [would not, were unwilling] to come [attend, participate]. word study 4 Again [once more, a second time], he sent [dispatched, set apart] other [different, additional] servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited [called, summoned] that I have prepared [made ready, arranged] my dinner [early meal, feast]. My oxen [bulls, cattle] and fattened cattle [fatlings, animals fed for slaughter] have been killed [sacrificed, slaughtered], and everything [all things, every preparation] is ready [prepared, in order]. Come [draw near, approach] to the wedding banquet [marriage feast, celebration].’ word study 5 But they paid no attention [made light of it, ignored] and went away [departed, went their separate ways], one to his field [own farm, agricultural land], another to his business [trade, commerce, merchandise]. word study 6 The rest [remaining ones] seized [laid hold on, grabbed] his servants [slaves], mistreated [treated shamefully, exercised violence on] them, and killed [slew, destroyed] them. word study 7 The king [sovereign ruler, monarch] was enraged [filled with intense anger, furious], and he sent [dispatched, commanded to go] his troops [armies, soldiers] to destroy [completely ruin, annihilate] those murderers [killers, assassins] and burn [set on fire, ignite] their city [town, metropolis]. word study 8 Then [at that specific point in time] he said to his servants [slaves, attendants], ‘The wedding banquet [feast, celebration] is ready [prepared, made available], but those I invited [called, bidden] were not worthy [deserving, suitable]. word study 9 Go therefore [then, as a consequence] to the crossroads [highways, intersections of the main streets] and invite [call, bid] to the banquet [wedding feast, marriage celebration] as many as you can find [discover, meet].’ word study 10 So the servants [slave attendants, those subject to another] went out into the streets [highways, public roads] and gathered everyone they could find, both [including all kinds of] evil [bad, morally wrong] and good [beneficial, righteous], and the wedding hall [feast, marriage celebration] was filled [made full, completed] with guests [those reclining, attendees]. word study 11 But when the king [a sovereign ruler] came in to see [to look at closely] the guests, he spotted a man [a human being] who was not dressed in [not clothed with] wedding clothes [garments of the marriage-feast]. word study 12 ‘Friend [comrade, close companion],’ he asked, ‘how [in what way, by what means] did you get in here [enter this place, come into this hall] without [lacking, not having] wedding clothes [a guest’s robe, attire for a wedding feast]?’ But the man was [remained, stood] speechless [muzzled, unable to speak, silenced]. word study 13 Then the king [sovereign ruler, monarch] told the servants [attendants, waiters], ‘Tie him hand [with cords or chains] and foot [rendering him unable to move], and throw him into the outer [extreme, utter] darkness [absence of light, spiritual gloom], where there will be weeping [intense crying, lamentation] and gnashing [grinding, intense anger] of teeth [in frustration and despair].’ word study 14 For [since, as a reason] many [a large number, numerous] are called [invited, summoned to salvation], but [in contrast, however] few [a small number, limited] are chosen [selected, favored by God].” word study 15 Then [at that specific point in time] the Pharisees [a Jewish sect following strict religious rules] went out [to travel, to journey] and conspired [took counsel, had a meeting] to trap [ensnare, catch off guard] Jesus [the Messiah, the Savior] in His words [talk, message, logos]. word study 16 They sent their disciples [with the Herodians, supporters of Herod] to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher [instructing in the way of God],” they said, “we know that You are honest [true, trustworthy] and that You teach the way [path, road] of God [the supreme Creator] in accordance with the truth [reality, fact]. You seek favor [approval, recognition] from no one [nobody, none], because You pay no attention [do not regard, do not care] to external appearance [outward show, physical presence]. word study 17 So tell us what You think [what is Your opinion, how do You consider]: Is it lawful [permitted, allowed] to pay taxes [tribute, enrollment] to Caesar [the Roman emperor, the ruling power] or [as an alternative] not [no, by no means]?” word study 18 But Jesus [perceived, knew intimately] knew their evil [wicked] intent [motives, desires] and said, “You [pretending to be righteous, insincere] hypocrites [acting falsely, deceiving others], why are you testing [tempting] Me [trying to trap, deceive]? word study 19 Show Me [exhibit to Me, prove to Me] the coin [a widely accepted currency] used for the tax [a census or enrollment tax].” And they brought Him [offered to Him, led to Him] a denarius [a Roman coin, a day’s wage]. word study 20 “Whose [whose ownership, which one’s] image [likeness, representation] is this,” He asked, “and whose [belonging to, associated with] inscription [written message, superscription]?” word study 21 “Caesar’s [belonging to the Roman emperor],” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give [render, pay back] to Caesar [the ruling power] what is Caesar’s [owed to the government], and to God [the one true deity] what is God’s [due to the divine, owed to the Almighty].” word study 22 And when they heard [with understanding, to perceive] this, they were amazed [marveled, full of wonder]. So they left [released, departed from] Him and went away [departed, went their way]. word study 23 That same day [on the same occasion, during that same time] the Sadducees [a Jewish sect, who reject the afterlife], who say [claim, affirm] there is no [absolutely not, none] resurrection [a standing up again from death, rising again], came [approached, drew near] to Jesus and questioned [asked, sought information from] Him. word study 24 “Teacher [instructor, rabbi],” they said, “Moses [the Hebrew lawgiver] declared that if a man [a husband, a male spouse] dies [passes away, stops living] without having [possessing, being with] children [offspring, descendants], his brother [male sibling, relative] is to marry [take as wife, form a family connection with] the widow [the woman who has lost her husband] and raise up [bring forth, produce] offspring [seed, descendants] for him [on his behalf, in his place]. word study 25 Now there were seven brothers among us [living nearby, in our community]. The first one [the initial, primary brother] married [to take a wife, to wed] and died [to decease, to come to the end of life] without having children [no seed, no offspring]. So he left [to release, to give up] his wife [woman, spouse] to his brother [male sibling, fellow believer]. word study 26 The same thing [similarly, in like manner] happened to the second [the next in sequence] and third brothers, down to [until] the seventh. word study 27 And last [finally, in the end] of all [everything, every person], the woman [wife, female] died [passed away, came to her end, stopped living] [also, too]. word study 28 In [before all time, from the very first] the resurrection [standing up again from death, a rising again], then [therefore, as a consequence], whose [which one of the seven] wife [woman, either married or unmarried] will she be [exist, have being] of the [these] seven? For [because, as an explanation] all [every one, the whole group] of them [the seven brothers] were married [had, held] to her [this woman, the one in question].” word study 29 Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] answered, “You are mistaken [to lead astray, in error] because you do not know [are not aware of, do not perceive] the Scriptures [the holy writings, God’s Word] or [nor] the power [ability to perform miracles, divine strength] of God [the one true deity, Creator of all]. word study 30 In [before all time, from the very first] the resurrection [standing up again from death], people will neither [not one or the other] marry [to wed, become husband and wife] nor [not one or the other] be given in marriage [to marry off a daughter, united in matrimony]. Instead, they will be like [similar to, in the same manner as] the angels [messengers of God, heavenly beings] in [within, among] heaven [the sky, God’s home, a place of happiness and power]. word study 31 But concerning [about, regarding] the resurrection [standing up again from death] of the dead [lifeless, spiritually or physically], have you not read [known, understood] what God [the one true deity] said [spoken, uttered] to you [directly, personally]: word study 32 ‘I [the eternal, self-existent One] am the God [the supreme Deity, Creator of all] of Abraham [the father of faith], the God of Isaac [the son of promise], and the God of Jacob’ ? He is not the God [the ruler or lord] of the dead [those who have passed away, lifeless], but of the living [those who have spiritual life, eternal existence].” word study 33 When the crowds [multitudes, large groups of people] heard this, they were astonished [amazed, struck with wonder] at His teaching [doctrine, instruction, guiding others in what is right]. word study 34 And when the Pharisees [a Jewish sect that followed strict religious rules] heard [listened and understood] that Jesus had silenced [muzzled, restrained] the Sadducees [a Jewish group that rejected the afterlife], they themselves [on their own initiative] gathered together [assembled, came together as one]. word study 35 One [a certain individual, a specific expert] of them, an expert [a lawyer, knowledgeable in the law] in the law [God’s commandments, divine instructions], tested [tried, tempted, or proved] Him with a question [to challenge, to examine, or to inquire]: word study 36 “Teacher [instructing one, master], which commandment [great rule, divine instruction] is the greatest [most important, supreme] in the Law [Mosaic law, God’s regulations]?” word study 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love [with all your affection and devotion] the Lord [the supreme authority] your God [the one true deity] with all [completely and totally] your heart [the seat of thoughts and emotions] and with all [entirely and wholly] your soul [the breath of life] and with all [fully and completely] your mind [the faculties of thought and reason].’ word study 38 This [specific, particular] is the [most important, greatest] first and [also, additionally] greatest commandment [divine instruction, order from God]. word study 39 And the second [like unto it, similarly] is like it: ‘Love [showing esteem and goodwill towards] your neighbor [those near to you, fellow believers] as [in the same manner as, when] yourself [your own person, taking care of your own needs].’ word study 40 All [the whole, entire] the Law [Mosaic law, divine instruction] and the Prophets [those who speak forth God’s will] hang [depend, are based] on these [specific] two [dual, a pair] commandments [divine instructions, orders].” word study 41 While the Pharisees [a Jewish sect, strict religious followers] were assembled [gathered together, collected], Jesus [God is salvation] questioned [asked, sought information from] them [the Pharisees, the assembled group]: word study 42 “What do you think [have an opinion, suppose] about the Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah]? Whose son [descendant, offspring] is He?” “David’s [of King David, the son of Jesse],” they answered. word study 43 Jesus said [spoke, declared] to them, “How [in what way] then does David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s heart] in the Spirit [the divine breath or inspiration] call Him ‘Lord’ [the supreme Master, God]? For he says [speaks, utters]: word study 44 ‘The Lord [God, the supreme ruler] said to my Lord [the Messiah, Jesus Christ], “Sit [be seated, take your rightful place] at My right hand [the position of power and authority] until I put [place, subdue] Your enemies [those who oppose You, adversaries] under Your feet [in subjection, as a footstool].”’ word study 45 So if [in the event that, if it is the case] David [the king of Israel, an ancestor of Jesus] calls Him [as Lord and Master] ‘Lord,’ how [in what way, by what means] can He [the Messiah, the Christ] be [exist as, have the nature of] David’s [the son of, descendant of] son [a descendant, a child]?” word study 46 No one [none, nobody] was able [had the power or strength] to answer [respond or reply] a word [message or idea], and from that day [time period] on [forward, afterwards] no one [nobody] dared [was bold enough] to question [seek information or ask] Him [Jesus, the Messiah] any further [not any more, no longer]. word study