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As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him.
Matthew 20:17 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
  • KJV And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
  • BSB As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said,
  • ESV And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
  • NKJV Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,
  • NASB As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the road He said to them,

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

On the way up to Jerusalem, Jesus takes the twelve aside privately. He prepares them for what awaits him in the city.

Overview

Approaching Jerusalem for the final time, Jesus draws his disciples apart to give them his clearest prediction of his coming death and resurrection. This deliberate journey shows Jesus moving knowingly toward the cross, not being overtaken by events. It underscores that his suffering is the purposeful fulfillment of his mission.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Mark 10:32–34They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him.
  • Matt 13:11He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
  • Acts 10:41not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
  • John 12:12On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
  • Luke 18:31–34He took the twelve aside, and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed.
  • Matt 16:13Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
  • John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.
  • Gen 18:17Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 20:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 20:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.