SEV Biblia, Chapter 20:23
Y l les dice: A la verdad mi vaso beberis, y del bautismo de que yo soy bautizado, seris bautizados; mas el sentaros a mi mano derecha y a mi izquierda, no es mío darlo, sino a los que est aparejado por mi Padre.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 20:23
Verse 23. Is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for wham it is prepared of my Father.] The common translation, in which the words, it shall be given to them; are interpolated by our translators, utterly changes and destroys the meaning of the passage. It represents Christ (in opposition to the whole Scriptures) as having nothing to do in the dispensing of rewards and punishments; whereas, our Lord only intimates that, however partial he may be to these two brethren, yet seats in glory can only be given to those who are fitted for them. No favour can prevail here; the elevated seat is for him who is filled with the fullness of God. The true construction of the words is this:-ouk estin emon dounai, all oiv htoimustai upo tou atrov mou, To sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, except to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. According to the prediction of Christ, these brethren did partake of his afflictions: James was martyred by Herod, Acts xii. 2; and John was banished to Patmos, for the testimony of Christ, Rev. i. 9.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. And he saith unto them, ye shall drink indeed of my cup , etc.] Not of the selfsame, but of what was like unto it; meaning, that they should endure much persecution for his names sake, as all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must expect in one shape or another. Thus James, who was one of these persons, was slain with the sword by Herod; John, the other, was imprisoned, and beaten by the order of the Jewish sanhedrim, was banished into the isle of Patmos by Domitian; and, some say, was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, though saved in it: so that these words seem to be a prophecy of what they should suffer for Christ, instead of enjoying places of worldly honour and profit under him, they were seeking for. And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with : this clause is here, and in the former verse, omitted by the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, and in some Greek copies, and is thought to be transcribed hither out of Marks Gospel; but the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions have it, and so has Munsters Hebrew Gospel, and it appears in many Greek copies. James, being bathed in his own blood, when killed with the sword, and John being cast into a vessel of scalding oil, these are fitly expressed by a baptism. But to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine, to give ; in the sense in which they asked it, since he was no temporal prince; nor was his kingdom of this world; nor had he any such external favours, or worldly honours: and as to the true and spiritual sense of such a phrase, it was not a point to be fixed now by him, as man, and according to his own will; as who should reign with him in the kingdom of heaven, who should sit down on the same throne with him, and enjoy all the glories and happiness of the world to come; and though, as mediator, all this glory was given to him, and he had it in his hands to give to others, yet to none but those for whom , says he, it is prepared of my Father : for this is the true reading and sense of the last clause; signifying, that eternal life, or the heavenly glory, is a kingdom prepared by his Father, from the foundation of the world, and not for anybody, and every person, but for some only, according to his Fathers sovereign will and pleasure; and that this is an affair that was fixed by him, in his eternal counsels and purposes, and in the covenant of his grace, and not to be adjusted now; nor was the designation of it to be, nor will the distribution of it be according to the merits of men, but the free grace of God; and though he, as mediator, was appointed to bestow both grace and glory on men, yet only on those the Father had given to him, for whom grace was laid up in him, and glory prepared.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 20-28 - The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Prid is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outd others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but no the cup of the wicked. It is but a cup, it is but a draught, bitte perhaps, but soon emptied; it is a cup in the hand of a Father, Jo 18:11. Baptism is an ordinance by which we are joined to the Lord i covenant and communion; and so is suffering for Christ, Eze 20:37; Is 48:10. Baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward an spiritual grace; and so is suffering for Christ, for unto us it is given, Php 1:29. But they knew not what Christ's cup was, nor what his baptism. Those are commonly most confident, who are least acquainte with the cross. Nothing makes more mischief among brethren, than desir of greatness. And we never find Christ's disciples quarrelling, but something of this was at the bottom of it. That man who labours mos diligently, and suffers most patiently, seeking to do good to his brethren, and to promote the salvation of souls, most resembles Christ and will be most honoured by him to all eternity. Our Lord speaks of his death in the terms applied to the sacrifices of old. It is sacrifice for the sins of men, and is that true and substantia sacrifice, which those of the law faintly and imperfectly represented It was a ransom for many, enough for all, working upon many; and, is for many, then the poor trembling soul may say, Why not for me?
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM το 3588 T-ASN μεν 3303 PRT ποτηριον 4221 N-ASN μου 3450 P-1GS πιεσθε 4095 5695 V-FDI-2P και 2532 CONJ το 3588 T-ASN βαπτισμα 908 N-ASN ο 3739 R-ASN εγω 1473 P-1NS βαπτιζομαι 907 5743 V-PPI-1S βαπτισθησεσθε 907 5701 V-FPI-2P το 3588 T-NSN δε 1161 CONJ καθισαι 2523 5658 V-AAN εκ 1537 PREP δεξιων 1188 A-GPM μου 3450 P-1GS και 2532 CONJ εξ 1537 PREP ευωνυμων 2176 A-GPM μου 3450 P-1GS ουκ 3756 PRT-N εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S εμον 1699 S-1NSN δουναι 1325 5629 V-2AAN αλλ 235 CONJ οις 3739 R-DPM ητοιμασται 2090 5769 V-RPI-3S υπο 5259 PREP του 3588 T-GSM πατρος 3962 N-GSM μου 3450 P-1GS
Robertson's NT Word Studies
20:23 {Ye shall drink} (piesqe). Future middle from pinw. Christ's cup was martyrdom. James was the first of the Twelve to meet the martyr's death (#Ac 12:2) and John the last if reports are true about him. How little they knew what they were saying.
