KJV: Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
YLT: Then come to him do the disciples of John, saying, 'Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?'
Darby: Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples fast not?
ASV: Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
προσέρχονται | come |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural Root: προσέρχομαι Sense: to come to, approach. |
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αὐτῷ | to Him |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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μαθηταὶ | disciples |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: μαθητής Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple. |
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Ἰωάννου | of John |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: Ἰωάννης Sense: John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ. |
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λέγοντες | saying |
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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Διὰ | Because of |
Parse: Preposition Root: διά Sense: through. |
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τί | why |
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: τίς Sense: who, which, what. |
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Φαρισαῖοι | Pharisees |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: Φαρισαῖος Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. |
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νηστεύομεν | do fast |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural Root: νηστεύω Sense: to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days. |
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‹πολλά› | many times |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: πολύς Sense: many, much, large. |
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δὲ | however |
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc. |
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μαθηταί | disciples |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: μαθητής Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple. |
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σου | of You |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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νηστεύουσιν | fast |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: νηστεύω Sense: to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 9:14
One is surprised to find disciples of the Baptist in the role of critics of Christ along with the Pharisees. But John was languishing in prison and they perhaps were blaming Jesus for doing nothing about it. At any rate John would not have gone to Levi‘s feast on one of the Jewish fast-days. “The strict asceticism of the Baptist (Matthew 11:18) and of the Pharisaic rabbis (Luke 18:12) was imitated by their disciples” (McNeile). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 9:14
The periphrastic imperfect, so common in Mark‘s vivid description. Probably Levi‘s feast happened on one of the weekly fast-days (second and fifth days of the week for the stricter Jews). So there was a clash of standpoints. The disciples of John sided with the Pharisees in the Jewish ceremonial ritualistic observances. John was still a prisoner in Machaerus. John was more of an ascetic than Jesus (Matthew 18:1.; Luke 7:33-35), but neither one pleased all the popular critics. These learners (ματηται mathētai) or disciples of John had missed the spirit of their leader when they here lined up with the Pharisees against Jesus. But there was no real congeniality between the formalism of the Pharisees and the asceticism of John the Baptist. The Pharisees hated John who had denounced them as broods of vipers. Here the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees (οι ματηται Ιωανου και οι ματηται των Παρισαιων hoi mathētai Iōanou kai hoi mathētai tōn Pharisaiōn) join in criticizing Jesus and his disciples. Later we shall see Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, who bitterly detested each other, making com- mon cause against Jesus Christ. So today we find various hostile groups combining against our Lord and Saviour. See notes on Matthew 9:14-17 for comments. Matthew has here followed Mark closely. [source]
Only in Luke.But thine (οι δε σοι hoi de soi). Sharp contrast between the conduct of the disciples of Jesus and those of John and the Pharisees who here appear together as critics of Christ and his disciples (Mark 2:18; Matthew 9:14), though Luke does not bring that out sharply. It is probable that Levi had his reception for Jesus on one of the Jewish fast days and, if so, this would give special edge to their criticism. [source]
Sharp contrast between the conduct of the disciples of Jesus and those of John and the Pharisees who here appear together as critics of Christ and his disciples (Mark 2:18; Matthew 9:14), though Luke does not bring that out sharply. It is probable that Levi had his reception for Jesus on one of the Jewish fast days and, if so, this would give special edge to their criticism. [source]