Matthew
Matthew 20:20–23
20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.
21“What do you want?” He inquired.
She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”
22“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”g
“We can,” the brothers answered.
23“You will indeed drink My cup,”h Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”
Footnotes
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Greek it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Matthew 20:20
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then | Τότε | Tote | Adverb | G5119 then |
| the | ἡ | hē | Article - Nominative Feminine Singular | G3588 the |
| mother | μήτηρ | mētēr | Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular | G3384 a mother |
| of Zebedee’s | Ζεβεδαίου | Zebedaiou | Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular | G2199 Zebedee |
| sons | υἱῶν | huiōn | Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural | G5207 a son, descendent |
| came | προσῆλθεν | prosēlthen | Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular | G4334 I come near, consent to |
| to | αὐτῷ | autō | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular | G846 he, she, it, they, them, same |
| with | μετὰ | meta | Preposition | G3326 with, after |
| her | αὐτῆς | autēs | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular | G846 he, she, it, they, them, same |
| sons | υἱῶν | huiōn | Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural | G5207 a son, descendent |
| knelt down | προσκυνοῦσα | proskynousa | Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular | G4352 I worship |
| to make a request | αἰτοῦσά | aitousa | Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular | G154 I ask, request, beg, petition |
| of | ἀπ’ | ap’ | Preposition | G575 from, away from |
| Him | αὐτοῦ | autou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular | G846 he, she, it, they, them, same |
Matthew 20:21
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What | Τί | Ti | Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular | G5101 who, which, what |
| do you want | θέλεις | theleis | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular | G2309 I will, wish, desire |
| He inquired | εἶπεν | eipen | Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular | G2036 to speak or say (by word or writing) |
| She answered | Λέγει | Legei | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular | G3004 I say, speak |
| Declare | Εἰπὲ | Eipe | Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular | G2036 to speak or say (by word or writing) |
| that | ἵνα | hina | Conjunction | G2443 in order that, so that |
| in | ἐν | en | Preposition | G1722 in, on, among |
| Your | σου | sou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| kingdom | βασιλείᾳ | basileia | Noun - Dative Feminine Singular | G932 kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule, kingdom |
| one | εἷς | heis | Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular | G1520 one |
| of these | οὗτοι | houtoi | Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural | G3778 this, he, she, it |
| two | δύο | dyo | Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural | G1417 two |
| sons | υἱοί | huioi | Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural | G5207 a son, descendent |
| of mine | μου | mou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| may sit | καθίσωσιν | kathisōsin | Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural | G2523 I set, make to sit |
| at | ἐκ | ek | Preposition | G1537 from out, out from among, from |
| Your | σου | sou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| right hand | δεξιῶν | dexiōn | Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural | G1188 on the right hand, right hand, right |
| and | καὶ | kai | Conjunction | G2532 and, even, also, namely |
| at | ἐξ | ex | Preposition | G1537 from out, out from among, from |
| Your | σου | sou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| left | εὐωνύμων | euōnymōn | Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural | G2176 on the left-hand side, left |
Matthew 20:22
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You do not know | οἴδατε | oidate | Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural | G1492 I know, remember |
| what | τί | ti | Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular | G5101 who, which, what |
| you are asking | αἰτεῖσθε | aiteisthe | Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Plural | G154 I ask, request, beg, petition |
| Jesus | Ἰησοῦς | Iēsous | Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular | G2424 Jesus |
| replied | Ἀποκριθεὶς | Apokritheis | Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular | G611 I answer, reply |
| Can you | δύνασθε | dynasthe | Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural | G1410 I am powerful, am able |
| drink | πιεῖν | piein | Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active | G4095 I drink, imbibe |
| the | τὸ | to | Article - Accusative Neuter Singular | G3588 the |
| cup | ποτήριον | potērion | Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular | G4221 a drinking cup |
| I | ἐγὼ | egō | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| am going | μέλλω | mellō | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular | G3195 I am about to |
| to drink | πίνειν | pinein | Verb - Present Infinitive Active | G4095 I drink, imbibe |
| We can | Δυνάμεθα | Dynametha | Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural | G1410 I am powerful, am able |
| answered | Λέγουσιν | Legousin | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural | G3004 I say, speak |
Matthew 20:23
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You will indeed drink | πίεσθε | piesthe | Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Plural | G4095 I drink, imbibe |
| My | μου | mou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| cup | ποτήριόν | potērion | Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular | G4221 a drinking cup |
| said | Λέγει | Legei | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular | G3004 I say, speak |
| But | δὲ | de | Conjunction | G1161 but, on the other hand, and |
| to sit | καθίσαι | kathisai | Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active | G2523 I set, make to sit |
| at | ἐκ | ek | Preposition | G1537 from out, out from among, from |
| My | μου | mou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| right | δεξιῶν | dexiōn | Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural | G1188 on the right hand, right hand, right |
| left | εὐωνύμων | euōnymōn | Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural | G2176 on the left-hand side, left |
| is | ἔστιν | estin | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular | G1510 I am, exist |
| not | οὐκ | ouk | Adverb | G3756 no, not |
| Mine | ἐμὸν | emon | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Neuter 1st Person Singular | G1699 mine |
| to grant | δοῦναι | dounai | Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active | G1325 I offer, give |
| to those for whom | οἷς | hois | Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plural | G3739 who, which, what, that |
| My | μου | mou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| Father | Πατρός | Patros | Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular | G3962 father, Father, ancestor |
| has prepared them | ἡτοίμασται | hētoimastai | Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular | G2090 I make ready, prepare |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Matthew 20:20 Mark 10:35–45 · Matthew 4:21 · Matthew 8:2 · Matthew 27:56
Matthew 20:21 Matthew 19:28 · Mark 10:36–37 · Psalm 110:1 · Esther 5:3 · Matthew 18:1 · 1 Kings 3:5 · Matthew 20:32 · Acts 1:6 · Mark 6:22 · Philemon 1:2–3 · Romans 12:10 · Luke 22:24
Matthew 20:22 Luke 22:42 · Matthew 26:42 · John 18:11 · Mark 14:36 · Matthew 26:39 · Mark 10:38–39 · Romans 8:26 · Isaiah 51:22 · Luke 12:50 · James 4:3 · Jeremiah 49:12 · Psalm 75:3
Matthew 20:23 Matthew 25:34 · Mark 10:40 · Revelation 1:9 · Acts 12:2 · 2 Timothy 2:11–12 · 1 Corinthians 2:9 · Romans 8:17 · Colossians 1:24 · Hebrews 11:16 · 2 Corinthians 1:7
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.