Matthew 12


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 and introduces controversy over the observance of the Sabbath for the first time.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 50 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
  • Papyrus 21
  • Papyrus 70
  • Codex Vaticanus
  • Codex Sinaiticus
  • Codex Bezae
  • Codex Washingtonianus
  • Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
  • Codex Purpureus Rossanensis
  • Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus

    Structure

This chapter can be grouped :
German Protestant theologian Heinrich Meyer notes that there was no accusation of trespass or theft here: "any one was allowed to pluck... ears of corn in another man’s field till he was satisfied" in accordance with :
The Mosaic law left it unclear whether such licence was authorised on the Sabbath. Both Mark and Luke raise the controversy about the sabbath earlier in their respective gospels.

Fulfillment of the Servant Song of Isaiah

Matthew states that Jesus' withdrawal from the cities of Galilee and his request that the crowds 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 of. One difference from the Hebrew version is found in verse 21.
In translation from the Hebrew version, this reads:
In the Septuagint and in Matthew's Gospel this reads:

Verses 17–21

Careless or idle words

associates the references to "idle" words in verses 36 and 37 with the earlier references to blasphemy in verse 31, and sees Jesus as refuting the suggestion that blasphemy "cannot really have eternal consequence because it consists of nothing but words".

Verse 36

Theologian Albert Barnes describes an "idle word" 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 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.

Verse 37

Arthur Carr, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, notes the connection between words and character. W. R. Nicoll contrasts this verse with, where justification turns on actions: for I was hungry and you gave Me food... He sees chapter 3 of James's epistle as an extension of this verse.