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Matthew 18:16

“But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.”

Matthew 18:16 · direct translation from the Greek
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Jesus teaches to speak first, alone, with the one who wronged youConflict and Reconciliation

With the Greek beneath

16

Quotation · Deuteronomy 19:15

Go to Deuteronomy 19:15

Jesus uses without a formula the rule of Deuteronomy 19:15 about two or three witnesses.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν σταθῇ πᾶν ῥῆμα

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֺן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת בְּכָל חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 19:15 in the Septuagint numbering): Οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ μάρτυς εἷς μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν ἂν ἁμάρτῃ· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων στήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 4 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Matthew 18:16, word by word

listenἀκούσῃakousēi

listen

To pay attention and obey.

Where else “akousēi” appears
takeπαράλαβεparalabe

take along

To take someone along, into one's care or company.

Where else “paralabe” appears
oneἕναhena

one

The quantity one, or a single one within a group.

Where else “hena” appears
twoδύοdyo

two

Two.

Where else “dyo” appears
the mouthστόματοςstomatos

mouth

The part of the face through which one eats and speaks; also what one says.

Where else “stomatos” appears
witnessesμαρτύρωνmartyrōn

witness

Someone who tells what they saw or heard.

Where else “martyrōn” appears
threeτριῶνtriōn

three

Three.

Where else “triōn” appears
wordῥῆμαrhēma

word

What comes out of someone's mouth: a saying, a sentence, a message.

Where else “rhēma” appears
may be establishedσταθῇstathēi

set

To place someone somewhere, or fix something.

Where else “stathēi” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Forgiving a brother

Luke 17:3-4

A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.

See them side by side

Matthew 18:15-22

15And if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” 21Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.

Luke 17:3-4

3Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he changes his mind, forgive him. 4And if seven times a day he sins against you and seven times turns back to you, saying, ‘I change my mind,’ you will forgive him.”

Quotation · Deuteronomy 19:15

Jesus uses without a formula the rule of Deuteronomy 19:15 about two or three witnesses.

See them side by side

Matthew 18:16

16But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

Deuteronomy 19:15

15A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he commits; on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three witnesses a matter shall stand.

The context

15And if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

16 · This verse (above)

17And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector.

Read all of Matthew 18

To study Matthew 18 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What did Jesus put in the middle of the disciples when they asked who is greatest (vv. 1–3)?

  2. 2. What it means

    Why does Jesus tell the parable of the slave who was forgiven a huge debt (vv. 23–35)?

  3. 3. How I live it

    Peter asked how many times to forgive (v. 21). Whom do you find hard to forgive, and what small first step can you take?

How to use it