ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 9:9-13
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 e As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called f Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus [1] reclined at table in the house, behold, many g tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, h “Why does your teacher eat with g tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn i what this means, j ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For k I came not to call the righteous, l but sinners.”
Translation Notes
- [1] 9:10 Greek he
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Matt. 8:1–9:38 The Authoritative Power of the Messiah: Kingdom Power Demonstrated. Jesus has shown himself as the Messiah in word through his teaching (chs. 5–7) and now shows himself to be the Messiah in deed through the performance of many miracles, demonstrating that the kingdom of God truly has arrived.
Matt. 9:9–38 Unexpected Discipleship, Miracles, and Workers. Jesus reveals his unexpected definition of discipleship (vv. 9–17) and demonstrates extraordinary compassion through his unexpected miracles (vv. 18–34). The underappreciated are called to follow him, while the religious leaders continue to resist him.
Matt. 9:9 Matthew. See Introduction: Author and Title. sitting at the tax booth. The Jews probably considered Matthew a traitor, since collecting taxes entailed cooperation with the Roman occupiers of Palestine. rose and followed him. Matthew had likely witnessed Jesus' public teaching and healings and was now ready to join him.
Matt. 9:10 tax collectors. See notes on v. 9 and 5:46–47. Pharisees would have regarded as sinners anyone who failed to keep God's law as they interpreted it, and the term here seems to reflect a commonly understood meaning by which it included both people guilty of publicly known sin and others who did not keep the strict purity requirements of the Pharisees.
Matt. 9:11 Pharisees. See note on 3:7.
Matt. 9:12 those who are well . . . those who are sick. The Pharisees considered themselves “healthy” before God because of their observance of the law, and thus they were blind to their spiritual sickness. Jesus' point is that only those who realize their need come to him to receive the help they need.
Matt. 9:13 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Jesus' offer of salvation to sinners threatens the Pharisees' way of life, yet it is at the heart of the gospel he came announcing. “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” is a quotation from Hos. 6:6 (see note). “Sacrifice” summarized observance of religious rituals. More important to God was “mercy” (the Septuagint rendering of Hb. hesed, meaning “steadfast love”), which would have led the Pharisees to care for these sinners as Jesus did.
