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10 The[a] disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 11 He[b] said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth,[c] and some who were made eunuchs[d] by others,[e] and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:10 tc ‡ Some significant witnesses, along with the majority of later mss (P25 C D L N W Z Γ Δ 078 ƒ1, 13 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat sy samss bo), read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after μαθηταί (mathētai, “disciples”), but this looks to be a clarifying reading. Other early and significant witnesses lack the pronoun (P71vid א B Θ e ff1 g1 sams mae; SBL), the reading adopted here. NA28 includes the pronoun in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.
  2. Matthew 19:11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  3. Matthew 19:12 tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).
  4. Matthew 19:12 tn The verb εὐνουχίζω occurs twice in this verse, translated the first time as “made eunuchs” and the second time as “became eunuchs.” The term literally refers to castration. The second occurrence of the word in this verse is most likely figurative, though, referring to those who willingly maintain a life of celibacy for the furtherance of the kingdom (see W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, Matthew [ICC], 3:23).
  5. Matthew 19:12 tn Grk “people.”