Semantic Analysis — Matthew 1–28 (English → Dutch)

Scope and Method

This analysis covers the entire Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1 through chapter 28, in the original Koine Greek. The core passage, Matthew 5:1-12 (the Beatitudes), receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Every subsequent chapter is analyzed for load-bearing theological vocabulary using the same field set. Where a chapter introduces no new theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated (in this document or in the baseline Romans Language Package), this is stated explicitly and the chapter is not silently skipped.

Baseline reuse rule: Any term already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json MUST be rendered identically in Matthew. Such terms are marked [BASELINE — reused exactly] below, with the recorded Dutch rendering restated for traceability, not re-derived.

Field set applied to every load-bearing term:

• Original (Greek, with article/case as relevant)
• Transliteration
• Literal meaning
• Semantic range
• English variants (as seen across major English versions)
• Contextual theological meaning (in Matthew)
• Destination-language (Dutch) rendering & risk

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PART A — Core Passage: Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes), Verse by Verse

Matthew 5:1-2 (Setting)

ὄρος (oros) — “mountain/hill”

• Literal meaning: a mountain or hill.
• Semantic range: any elevated landform; in Matthew’s narrative frame, deliberately echoes Moses ascending Sinai.
• English variants: “mountain,” “hillside,” “mount.”
• Contextual theological meaning: Matthew frames Jesus as the new lawgiver/greater Moses delivering authoritative teaching from a mountain — foundational to the doctrine of The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “berg.” Low risk — stable, no competing concept. The Moses-typology must be preserved through surrounding narrative/teaching notes rather than the word itself, which carries no built-in typological signal in Dutch.

μαθηταί (mathētai) — “disciples”

• Transliteration: mathētai (sg. mathētēs)
• Literal meaning: “learners,” from manthanō, “to learn.”
• Semantic range: a committed student/follower who submits to a teacher’s authority and way of life, not a casual attendee.
• English variants: “disciples,” “students,” “followers.”
• Contextual theological meaning: core to Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus — the Beatitudes are addressed primarily to committed followers, not the crowd generally.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “discipelen” (established HSV/Statenvertaling term) preferred over “leerlingen” (school-pupil register) or “volgelingen” (generic follower, loses submission-to-a-master sense). Medium risk: “leerlingen” is increasingly common in modern/NBV-influenced usage and secularizes the term toward classroom vocabulary; “discipelen” should be the fixed curriculum rendering.

Matthew 5:3

μακάριοι (makarioi) — “blessed”

• Transliteration: makarioi (sg. makarios)
• Literal meaning: in a state of divine favor/flourishing; not primarily an emotional state.
• Semantic range: from “fortunate” in classical Greek to, in biblical usage, a pronouncement of objective divine favor/eschatological blessedness independent of present circumstances or feelings.
• English variants: “blessed,” “happy,” “fortunate.”
• Contextual theological meaning: the Beatitudes’ governing declarative word — God’s verdict of favor pronounced over conditions the world would call unfortunate (poverty, grief, persecution). This is the doctrinal core of the passage.
• Dutch rendering & risk: CRITICAL RISK. Two live candidates: (1) “zalig” — the historic Statenvertaling/HSV/Willibrordvertaling rendering, theologically precise (declared divine favor) but now exhibiting the identical secularization pattern the baseline flags for “zonde”: in everyday colloquial Dutch “zalig” has drifted to mean “delicious/wonderful/blissful” (e.g., “dat croissantje was zalig,” “een zalig bad”), risking a reading of the Beatitudes as “how delightful are the poor in spirit” rather than a divine verdict of favor. (2) “gelukkig” (NBV) — modern and natural, but collapses makarios into subjective emotional happiness, which is nearly self-contradictory in v.4 (“happy are those who mourn”), undermining the passage’s entire paradox. Recommendation: retain “zalig” as the primary curriculum rendering (matching established Dutch Bible tradition across Reformed and Catholic lines) but require a translator/teaching note in every occurrence guarding against the colloquial-delight misreading. Flag for mandatory human theologian review at every occurrence, parallel to the baseline’s “zonde” flag.

πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati) — “poor in spirit”

• Transliteration: ptōchoi tō pneumati
• Literal meaning: “beggarly/destitute in spirit” — ptōchos denotes abject poverty (not merely “poor” but reduced to begging), applied metaphorically to the human spirit.
• Semantic range: spiritual destitution/bankruptcy before God; conscious lack of any spiritual merit or resource of one’s own; not literal material poverty (though not divorced from it either, cf. Luke 6:20’s shorter form).
• English variants: “poor in spirit,” “spiritually poor,” “those who know their spiritual poverty” (paraphrase).
• Contextual theological meaning: the entry qualification for the Kingdom of Heaven — a posture of utter dependence on grace, not achievement. Anchors the doctrine of Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees by contrast: not self-sufficient religious performance but acknowledged spiritual need.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “armen van geest” (established HSV/Statenvertaling phrase). Medium-High risk: modern Dutch readers unfamiliar with the idiom may hear only literal economic poverty, or dismiss it as archaic phrasing. Must not be softened to “de nederigen” (the humble), which loses the “destitute/beggarly” force.

βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia tōn ouranōn) — “kingdom of heaven”

• Transliteration: basileia tōn ouranōn
• Literal meaning: “kingdom/reign of the heavens” (plural “heavens” is a Semitic idiom, not multiple heavens).
• Semantic range: God’s sovereign reign, manifest now in Jesus’ ministry and consummated at his return; a periphrastic reverential substitute for “kingdom of God” reflecting Jewish reluctance to speak God’s name directly, used almost exclusively by Matthew (~32x) among the Gospels.
• English variants: “kingdom of heaven,” “kingdom of the heavens,” “heaven’s kingdom.”
• Contextual theological meaning: the master theme of the entire Gospel and the anchor doctrine The Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew himself treats it as synonymous with “kingdom of God” (cf. Matt 19:23-24, where both phrases appear side by side referring to the same reality), so no theological distinction between two different kingdoms may be introduced in translation.
• Dutch rendering & risk: HIGH RISK, new Matthew-specific term. Primary rendering: “Koninkrijk der hemelen” (HSV/Statenvertaling, fixed genitive-plural form still current in modern formal Dutch Bible register — distinct from the archaic pattern rejected in the baseline for “Koninkrijk Gods,” since “der hemelen” remains standard even in the 2010 HSV revision). Alternate: “Koninkrijk van de hemel” (NBV). Doctrinal guardrail: wherever Matthew’s rarer βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ occurs (6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31; 21:43), the baseline’s exact rendering “Koninkrijk van God” must be used, with a teaching note clarifying the two phrases are synonymous in Matthew’s usage — guards against a dispensationalist two-kingdoms misreading that has occasionally surfaced in some Dutch evangelical/free-church circles influenced by English-language dispensationalist teaching.

Matthew 5:4

πενθοῦντες (penthountes) — “those who mourn”

• Transliteration: penthountes (root pentheō)
• Literal meaning: to grieve, lament, mourn (often used of mourning the dead).
• Semantic range: deep grief — over loss, but in this context also plausibly over sin and the brokenness of the world.
• English variants: “those who mourn,” “those who grieve,” “the sorrowful.”
• Contextual theological meaning: paradoxical blessing on grief, promising divine comfort — ties to eschatological reversal central to Kingdom of Heaven teaching.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “treuren”/“de treurenden.” Low risk — stable, unambiguous in Dutch.

παρακληθήσονται (paraklēthēsontai) — “shall be comforted”

• Transliteration: paraklēthēsontai (root parakaleō)
• Literal meaning: “to be called alongside,” i.e., comforted, encouraged, consoled.
• Semantic range: overlaps with the baseline’s exhort (παρακαλέω) entry, which notes this verb’s dual sense of admonition vs. encouragement; here decisively the comfort/consolation sense.
• English variants: “comforted,” “consoled,” “encouraged.”
• Contextual theological meaning: divine consolation as an eschatological promise, not merely present emotional relief.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “getroost worden.” Low-Medium risk. Note the shared Greek root with baseline’s exhort → vermanen (Rom curriculum); in Matthew this passive future form must render as comfort/consolation, not admonition — a context-sensitivity note should travel with this term the same way “roeping”/“geroepen” context-sensitivity is flagged in the baseline.

Matthew 5:5

πραεῖς (praeis) — “meek”

• Transliteration: praeis (sg. praus)
• Literal meaning: gentle, mild strength — power held under control, not weakness.
• Semantic range: used of Moses (Num 12:3 LXX) and of Jesus himself (Matt 11:29, 21:5); the opposite of harshness or self-assertion, but never mere passivity.
• English variants: “meek,” “gentle,” “humble.”
• Contextual theological meaning: Christlike, self-controlled gentleness as a kingdom virtue, contrasted with worldly assertions of power — relevant to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “zachtmoedig.” Low-Medium risk: stable, established theological term, though colloquially can be misheard as simple “softness/weakness” if not glossed as strength-under-control.

κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (klēronomēsousin tēn gēn) — “shall inherit the earth”

• Literal meaning: to receive as an inheritance (klēronomeō) the earth/land (gē).
• Semantic range: echoes Psalm 37’s promise to “the meek” of inheriting “the land” (originally the land of Israel), universalized in Matthew to the whole earth/new creation.
• English variants: “inherit the earth,” “inherit the land.”
• Contextual theological meaning: eschatological inheritance tied to the consummated Kingdom, not present territorial possession — must not be read through a modern land-and-nationhood political lens.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “zullen de aarde beërven.” Medium risk given the Netherlands’ strong Reformed Christian-Zionist stream (already flagged in the baseline under israel); teaching notes should clarify this is new-creation inheritance, not a modern-nation-state land claim.

Matthew 5:6

δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) — “righteousness” [BASELINE — reused exactly: “gerechtigheid”]

• Literal meaning/semantic range as per baseline: right standing before God, received through faith.
• English variants: “righteousness,” “justice,” “right living.”
• Contextual theological meaning (Matthew-specific nuance): In Romans, “gerechtigheid” is predominantly the forensic, imputed status of justification. In Matthew, δικαιοσύνη operates across a wider semantic range spanning (a) hungering for right standing/vindication before God (5:6, close to the Romans sense) and (b) practical, lived ethical righteousness/conduct exceeding merely external legal compliance (5:20; 6:33) — the substance of the Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees doctrine.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “gerechtigheid” must be retained per baseline, but High risk of doctrinal flattening: teaching material must distinguish, per occurrence, whether Matthew intends the forensic/received sense or the practical/conduct sense, so v.6’s “hunger and thirst for righteousness” is not read as merely craving to be a better rule-keeper (a Pharisaic misreading the passage itself is guarding against) nor 5:20’s “exceeding righteousness” read as bare imputation apart from transformed living.

πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες (peinōntes kai dipsōntes) — “hunger and thirst”

• Literal meaning: to hunger (peinaō) and thirst (dipsaō), i.e., to have urgent, bodily-level need.
• Semantic range: intense, consuming desire, using the most basic human survival needs as a metaphor.
• English variants: “hunger and thirst,” “long earnestly for,” “crave.”
• Contextual theological meaning: total, all-consuming desire for right standing with God — not casual religious interest.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “hongeren en dorsten.” Low risk, vivid and stable in Dutch.

Matthew 5:7

ἐλεήμονες (eleēmones) — “the merciful”

• Transliteration: eleēmones (sg. eleēmōn); related noun eleos, “mercy.”
• Literal meaning: showing compassionate mercy in action toward those in need or fault.
• Semantic range: active compassion extended especially to the undeserving — overlaps significantly with, but is distinct from, grace (χάρις/genade): mercy withholds deserved judgment/relieves suffering, whereas grace bestows undeserved favor/gift.
• English variants: “merciful,” “compassionate,” “those who show mercy.”
• Contextual theological meaning: recurs as a major Matthean theme (“I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” 9:13; 12:7, quoting Hosea 6:6) and is central to the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21-35) — mercy received from God must produce mercy shown to others.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “barmhartig”/“barmhartigheid.” Medium risk: distinct from and must not be confused with genade (baseline: grace) — “barmhartigheid” specifically implies compassion toward suffering/fault, not the strictly-forensic unearned-favor sense the baseline’s grace entry protects. New term for the curriculum; recommend adding to translation memory as its own entry to prevent drift toward “genade” in Matthew’s frequent “mercy, not sacrifice” refrains.

Matthew 5:8

καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (katharoi tē kardia) — “pure in heart”

• Literal meaning: clean/pure (katharos) in the inner person/seat of will and emotion (kardia, “heart”).
• Semantic range: moral and motivational integrity — undivided, unmixed devotion, not ritual cleanliness.
• English variants: “pure in heart,” “pure-hearted,” “clean of heart.”
• Contextual theological meaning: inward integrity as the condition for beholding God — anticipates 6:1-18’s critique of outward religious performance and the doctrine of Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “rein van hart.” Low-Medium risk. Note: the baseline rejected “rein” as an alternative for holy (loses the set-apart sense) — here that concern does not apply, since the passage’s focus is specifically inward moral purity/singleness of motive, not consecration-unto-God as such. Should not be confused with ritual purity categories (Lev.-style cleanness), which is not in view.

τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται (ton theon opsontai) — “shall see God” [BASELINE — “θεός” reused exactly as “God”]

• Contextual theological meaning: the beatific vision, ultimate eschatological communion with God — the strongest of the Beatitudes’ promised rewards.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “zullen God zien.” Low-Medium risk on the verb itself; the promise’s magnitude (unmediated communion with God) should be preserved in surrounding teaching notes rather than softened to a merely figurative “spiritual insight.”

Matthew 5:9

εἰρηνοποιοί (eirēnopoioi) — “peacemakers”

• Transliteration: eirēnopoioi, compound of eirēnē (peace) + poieō (to make/do).
• Literal meaning: “peace-doers/makers” — active reconciling agents, not passive peace-keepers/conflict-avoiders.
• Semantic range: draws on εἰρήνη (peace) — reuse baseline peace → vrede — but the compound adds active agency: those who make peace, not merely enjoy or tolerate its absence of conflict.
• English variants: “peacemakers,” “those who make peace.”
• Contextual theological meaning: reflects the character of God the reconciler and anticipates the doctrine of Discipleship: kingdom citizens actively pursue reconciliation, echoing Christ’s own peacemaking work (cf. baseline’s Romans peace with God doctrine, extended here to interpersonal peacemaking).
• Dutch rendering & risk: “vredestichters.” Low risk, stable and active-sounding compound in Dutch, correctly conveys agency rather than passivity.

υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται (huioi theou klēthēsontai) — “shall be called sons of God”

• Literal meaning: “sons of God” (huioi theou) “will be called” (klēthēsontai, future passive of kaleō, the same root as baseline’s called/calling).
• Semantic range: familial adoption-language, standing alongside son_of_god (baseline, applied uniquely to Christ) and adoption (baseline: aanneming tot kinderen) applied here to believers corporately.
• English variants: “sons of God,” “children of God.”
• Contextual theological meaning: Critical distinction required: this is believers’ derivative, adoptive sonship (plural, granted), categorically different from Christ’s unique eternal Sonship (Zoon van God, baseline, singular, essential/eternal). Confusing the two collapses the doctrine of the Sonship of Christ.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “kinderen van God genoemd worden” or “zonen van God genoemd worden.” High risk: must never be rendered with the fixed baseline phrase “Zoon van God” (reserved exclusively for Christ); recommend “kinderen van God” to keep the distinction visually unmistakable in Dutch, paralleling the same forced-distinction concern already present in the baseline’s Adoption doctrine entry.

Matthew 5:10

δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης (dediōgmenoi heneken dikaiosynēs) — “persecuted for righteousness’ sake”

• Literal meaning: having been persecuted/pursued (diōkō) on account of (heneken) righteousness (dikaiosynē, baseline reused).
• Semantic range: suffering specifically because of faithful covenant living, not suffering in general or self-inflicted hardship.
• English variants: “persecuted for righteousness’ sake,” “persecuted because they do what is right.”
• Contextual theological meaning: ties Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees directly to Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus — righteous living provokes hostility from the world, a repeated Matthean theme (10:16-23; 24:9).
• Dutch rendering & risk: “vervolgd om de gerechtigheid.” Medium risk: must retain “om de gerechtigheid” (for righteousness’ sake) as the specific cause of persecution, not generalize to “vervolgd worden” (persecuted, full stop), which would blur the passage’s specific claim.

Matthew 5:11-12

ὀνειδίσωσιν … διώξωσιν … εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν … ψευδόμενοι (oneidisōsin…diōxōsin…eipōsin pan ponēron…pseudomenoi) — “revile… persecute… say all kinds of evil against you falsely”

• Literal meaning: to insult/reproach (oneidizō), pursue with hostility (diōkō), speak every kind of evil (pan ponēron) falsely (pseudomenoi, “lying”).
• Semantic range: verbal, social, and physical hostility directed specifically at Christ’s followers (“for my sake,” ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ), distinguishing legitimate suffering-for-Christ from suffering for other/self-inflicted causes.
• English variants: “revile,” “insult,” “persecute,” “falsely accuse.”
• Contextual theological meaning: this final beatitude escalates and personalizes the pattern — “for my sake” ties suffering explicitly to allegiance to Jesus himself, the heart of Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “beledigen… vervolgen… vals van alles kwaad van u spreken.” Low-Medium risk; must preserve “vals/valselijk” (falsely) to keep the promise limited to unjust suffering, and “om Mij” (for my sake/on my account) to keep the Christ-centered focus explicit rather than generalized moral suffering.

μισθὸς … ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (misthos… en tois ouranois) — “reward… in heaven”

• Transliteration: misthos, “wages, pay, reward”
• Literal meaning: originally a commercial term for wages earned for labor.
• Semantic range: ranges from strict commercial “wage owed for work” to, in NT usage, a gracious eschatological reward that God freely grants, not a payment he is obligated to render.
• English variants: “reward,” “wages,” “recompense.”
• Contextual theological meaning: High-risk tension point with the doctrine of Grace (Critical, per baseline): if “misthos” is rendered with a term that reads as strictly earned wages, it risks contradicting justification by grace apart from works (baseline’s Critical Grace doctrine, rooted in the Canons of Dort’s rejection of Remonstrant/Arminian merit-theology). Scripture consistently distinguishes reward for faithful discipleship (a matter of sanctification and gracious commendation) from justification/salvation (received by grace alone, never earned).
• Dutch rendering & risk: “loon.” High risk, new term requiring a standing translator note: “loon” is the ordinary Dutch word for a paid wage/salary (cf. “minimumloon,” minimum wage), making a strict wage-earned reading unusually easy for Dutch readers to default to. Every occurrence in the Matthew curriculum (5:12; 5:46; 6:1-6, 16-18; 10:41-42; 20:8) requires a note clarifying this is a gracious reward for faithful discipleship, not a wage that establishes a claim on God, to avoid contradicting the baseline’s Grace doctrine.

ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας (ediōxan tous prophētas) — “they persecuted the prophets” [BASELINE — “prophet” reused exactly: “profeet”]

• Contextual theological meaning: places the disciples’ suffering within Israel’s whole prophetic history, connecting Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy to present discipleship — Jesus’ followers stand in continuity with the persecuted prophetic line.
• Dutch rendering & risk: “de profeten.” Low risk; the historical-continuity point should be reinforced by teaching notes given generally low OT narrative literacy among the secularized Dutch audience (per the baseline’s standing note on this issue).

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PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Study, Matthew 1–28

Chapter 1 — Genealogy and Birth of Jesus

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning in Matthew	Dutch rendering & risk
Christ Χριστός Christos ”Anointed One”	Title/name; overlaps with baseline messiah (Messias) but functions as a personal name/title throughout Matthew’s running text ”Christ,” “Messiah,” “the Anointed”	1:1, “Jesus Christ” — establishes Jesus’ full messianic identity from the outset; anchors Jesus as the Promised Messiah	”Christus” (new term, distinct from baseline’s “Messias”). Low-Medium risk: established Dutch Bible tradition renders Χριστός as “Christus” in running text/names (Statenvertaling, HSV, NBV, Willibrordvertaling all agree), reserving “Messias” chiefly for passages that gloss the Hebrew term explicitly (e.g., John 1:41). Both point to the same doctrinal reality; must not be treated as competing renderings.
Son of David υἱὸς Δαυίδ huios Dauid ”son/descendant of David”	Royal-messianic title claiming Davidic covenant fulfillment, distinct in form from baseline’s seed_of_david (nakomeling van David, used of physical descent in Rom 1:3) “Son of David”	1:1 opens the genealogy asserting Jesus’ legal/royal Davidic descent; the title recurs as a direct messianic address throughout Matthew (9:27; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9,15; 22:42)	CRITICAL/HIGH RISK, new term: “Zoon van David.” Must be distinguished from the baseline’s descriptive “nakomeling van David” (mere descent) — “Zoon van David” functions as a messianic title/confession, addressed to Jesus in worship-like acclamation (21:9, “Hosanna to the Son of David”), and must retain that confessional force, not be flattened to a bare genealogical note.
Immanuel Ἐμμανουήλ Emmanouēl ”God with us” (Hebrew)	Prophetic sign-name (Isa 7:14) applied to Jesus ”Immanuel,” “Emmanuel”	1:23 — direct assertion of the Deity of Christ/Incarnation; bookends the Gospel with 28:20’s “I am with you always"	"Immanuël.” Low translation risk (stable transliteration across all Dutch Bible traditions) but Critical doctrinal weight — the “God with us” gloss must always accompany the name in teaching material.
virgin παρθένος parthenos ”virgin, unmarried young woman”	In LXX/NT usage here, a woman who has not had sexual relations; disputed in historical-critical scholarship regarding the underlying Hebrew almah ”virgin,” “young woman” (contested)	1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14 — foundational to the Virgin Birth and thus to the Incarnation doctrine	CRITICAL RISK: “maagd.” Stable, established rendering across Dutch traditions, but Dutch university theology faculties (per the baseline’s parallel note on Scripture’s inspiration) have a strong historical-critical tradition that questions the virgin reading; translation itself must not hedge, but teaching material should anticipate the challenge.
Holy Spirit Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον Pneuma Hagion —	— —	1:18, 20 — the Spirit’s role in the virginal conception, foundational to both Incarnation and Sonship of Christ	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “Heilige Geest.”]
Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous ”YHWH saves” (from Hebrew Yeshua)	Proper name ”Jesus”	1:21, “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” — the name itself is a summary of the Gospel	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “Jezus.”] Teaching note: the name’s meaning (“the LORD saves”) is not recoverable from the Dutch form alone and should be glossed.
David Δαυίδ Dauid —	— —	Genealogical anchor for Davidic Covenant/Messianic Promise	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “David.”]

Chapter 2 — The Magi, Flight to Egypt

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
magi/wise men μάγοι magoi astrologer-priests, originally of Persian/Babylonian origin	Non-Jewish Gentile figures with astrological expertise ”wise men,” “magi,” “astrologers”	Gentile recognition of the Messianic King anticipates the Gospel’s universal scope (cf. Great Commission)	“wijzen (uit het Oosten).” Low risk, stable and traditional in Dutch nativity vocabulary (cf. “de Drie Wijzen” in Dutch Christmas custom, though the text does not specify the number three).
King of the Jews βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων basileus tōn Ioudaiōn —	Royal-messianic title, later repeated mockingly at the crucifixion (27:37) “King of the Jews”	Frames Jesus’ kingship from birth to death — ties Kingdom of Heaven to Jesus as the Promised Messiah	”Koning van de Joden.” Medium risk: given 20th-century history and contemporary sensitivity around Jewish-Christian relations in the Netherlands (a theme the baseline already flags for israel), teaching notes must clarify this is a title of messianic kingship, not a modern ethnic-political claim, and must avoid supersessionist framing.
fulfilled (prophecy formula) πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν plērōthē to rhēthen ”that it might be fulfilled, what was spoken”	Matthew’s recurring formula introducing OT fulfillment citations (also 1:22; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9) “that it might be fulfilled,” “this took place to fulfill”	Structural backbone of Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy throughout Matthew	”opdat vervuld zou worden wat gesproken was.” Medium-High risk: given low OT narrative literacy among secular Dutch readers (per baseline’s standing note), each occurrence needs a cross-reference gloss identifying the specific OT text, or the doctrinal force of the formula is lost entirely.

Chapter 3 — John the Baptist, Baptism of Jesus

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
repent/repentance μετανοεῖτε / μετάνοια metanoeite / metanoia ”change of mind,” turning	A reorientation of the whole person toward God, not mere emotional regret ”repent,” “turn back,” “change your ways”	3:2 — John’s preparatory message for the coming Kingdom; recurs at 4:17 as the summary of Jesus’ own preaching	”bekeren”/“bekering.” High risk: colloquial Dutch “berouw hebben” (to feel remorse) captures only the emotional component and must be avoided as the primary rendering; “bekering” is the established theological term but is also used generically of any ideological/political conversion, requiring context to keep the God-ward reorientation sense clear — parallel risk pattern to baseline’s calling/roeping homonym-flattening note.
baptism/baptize βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω baptisma / baptizō ritual washing/immersion	From secular “dipping/immersing” to the specific NT rite of repentance-and-identification ”baptism,” “baptize”	3:6,11,13-16 — John’s baptism of repentance and Jesus’ own baptism, inaugurating his public ministry and prefiguring 28:19’s commission	”doop”/“dopen.” High risk, Dutch-specific: baptismal practice is a genuine, ongoing ecclesial fault line in the Netherlands — paedobaptist Reformed churches (infant baptism as covenant sign) vs. credobaptist evangelical/Doopsgezinde (Mennonite, historically Dutch-originated) and Baptist churches (believer’s baptism only). The term itself is stable and shared, but curriculum material discussing baptism (here and at 28:19) must be routed for human theologian review to avoid implicitly favoring one Dutch ecclesial tradition’s practice over another.
voice from heaven / “my beloved Son” Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός Houtos estin ho huios mou ho agapētos ”This is my Son, the beloved”	Direct divine testimony to Sonship ”This is my beloved Son,” “my Son, whom I love”	3:17 — Trinitarian theophany at the baptism, directly affirming the Sonship of Christ and Deity of Christ	Reuses [BASELINE — Zoon van God concept, though rendered here relationally as “Mijn geliefde Zoon”]. Critical risk: must retain the unique, unqualified force of “the beloved” (ho agapētos, with definite article — the one, uniquely beloved), not a generic term of affection.

Chapter 4 — Temptation, Call of the First Disciples

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
tempted/temptation πειρασθῆναι / πειρασμός peirasthēnai / peirasmos to test, try	Ranges from neutral “testing” to “temptation to sin”; here, the devil’s testing of Jesus ”tempted,” “tested,” “put to the test”	4:1 — the wilderness testing establishes Jesus’ sinless obedience, foundational to his qualification as sinless sacrifice/exemplar	”verzocht/verzoeking.” Medium risk: “verzoeking” is the standard Dutch theological term (cf. Lord’s Prayer, “leid ons niet in verzoeking”) but modern Dutch increasingly prefers “verleiding,” which leans toward “seduction/enticement” and can lose the “put to the test” sense central here.
devil διάβολος diabolos ”slanderer, accuser”	The personal, malevolent adversary; not an impersonal principle of evil ”devil,” “the tempter,” “Satan” (used interchangeably in this chapter)	Establishes a real personal antagonist opposing the Kingdom of Heaven	”duivel.” Low risk; stable personal-adversary concept across Dutch traditions, with no rival folk-concept requiring disambiguation.
it is written γέγραπται gegraptai ”it stands written”	Formula citing Scripture as settled, binding authority ”it is written,” “Scripture says”	4:4,6,7,10 — Jesus resists temptation by appeal to Scripture’s authority, modeling the doctrine of The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching as itself grounded in Scripture’s authority	”er staat geschreven.” Low-Medium risk; standard formula, but should be reinforced with cross-references given low OT literacy.
fishers of men ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων halieis anthrōpōn ”fishermen of men”	Metaphor: from catching fish to “catching”/gathering people for the Kingdom ”fishers of men,” “I will make you fish for people”	4:19 — the first discipleship call, tying Discipleship to mission (baseline: zending)	“vissers van mensen.” Low risk, vivid and stable metaphor in Dutch.

Chapter 5 (remainder, vv. 13-48) — Salt, Light, the Law Fulfilled, the Antitheses

(vv. 1-12 treated above in Part A)

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
salt of the earth τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς to halas tēs gēs ”the salt of the earth”	Metaphor for preserving/flavoring influence ”salt of the earth”	5:13 — disciples’ preserving, distinctive presence in the world; ties to Discipleship	”het zout van de aarde” (idiom already fully naturalized in Dutch, including secular usage — “hij is het zout der aarde”). Low risk, though secular usage may drain the specifically kingdom-oriented sense; teaching notes should restore the biblical referent.
light of the world τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου to phōs tou kosmou ”the light of the world”	Visibility/witness metaphor, applied to Jesus himself at John 8:12 and derivatively to disciples here ”light of the world”	5:14 — public, visible righteousness as testimony; connects to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”het licht van de wereld.” Low risk, stable.
fulfil (the Law) πληρῶσαι plērōsai ”to fill up, complete, bring to full expression”	Not abolition but complete realization/embodiment of the Law’s intent ”fulfill,” “complete”	5:17 — Jesus’ programmatic statement on his relationship to the Law, directly framing Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy and Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”vervullen.” High risk: must not be rendered with a term implying abolition/replacement (“afschaffen”) nor mere legal compliance; “vervullen” (already embedded in the baseline’s fulfillment-of-prophecy doctrine vocabulary) correctly conveys bringing-to-completion, but requires teaching notes distinguishing this from both antinomian dismissal of the Law and Pharisaic legalism — the passage’s own stated concern.
Law and the Prophets ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται ho nomos kai hoi prophētai —	Shorthand for the entire OT Scriptures ”the Law and the Prophets”	5:17; 7:12; 11:13; 22:40	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “wet” + “profeten”] rendered together as “de Wet en de Profeten.”
You have heard… but I say to you (antitheses) Ἠκούσατε … ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν Ēkousate…egō de legō hymin ”You heard it said… but I say to you”	Jesus’ recurring rhetorical structure contrasting received legal interpretation with his own authoritative teaching ”You have heard… but I tell you”	5:21-48 (six antitheses: murder/anger, adultery/lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, enemy-love) — direct enactment of The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching: Jesus speaks with an authority equal to or exceeding Moses, not merely as an interpreter	CRITICAL/HIGH RISK, new term. “Jullie hebben gehoord… maar Ik zeg u.” Must render “ἐγὼ δὲ” (but I) with clear emphatic force in Dutch (“maar Ik”) — this first-person authoritative claim, not the content of each antithesis alone, is the doctrinal center requiring theologian review, since it implicitly claims an authority co-equal with or transcending Torah itself.
perfect τέλειος teleios ”complete, mature, whole”	Moral/relational wholeness and completeness, not sinless perfectionism in an anxious, performance sense ”perfect,” “complete,” “mature”	5:48, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” — sets the ultimate standard for Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”volmaakt.” Medium-High risk: modern Dutch “volmaakt” leans toward flawless/faultless performance, risking a works-anxiety misreading in tension with the baseline’s Critical Grace doctrine; teaching notes must clarify this is relational wholeness/maturity modeled on God’s own consistent, undivided love (per the chapter’s immediate context of loving enemies as God does), not sinless moral perfectionism achieved by self-effort.

Chapter 6 — The Lord’s Prayer, Treasure, Anxiety

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
Our Father Πάτερ ἡμῶν Pater hēmōn —	— “Our Father”	6:9 — reuses [BASELINE — Father: Vader]; establishes corporate, filial address to God, foundational to Discipleship	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “Vader.”] Rendered “Onze Vader,” the fixed, universally recognized Dutch title of the prayer across all Dutch Christian traditions (Catholic and Protestant alike) — Low risk due to strong existing shared liturgical familiarity.
hallowed be your name ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου hagiasthētō to onoma sou ”let your name be sanctified/treated as holy”	Related to baseline’s holy → heilig ”hallowed be your name”	Sets God’s holiness as the prayer’s first concern, anticipating holy doctrine	”Uw Naam worde geheiligd.” Low risk; fixed, well-known liturgical Dutch wording.
your kingdom come ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου elthetō hē basileia sou —	Reuses kingdom_of_heaven/kingdom_of_god vocabulary ”your kingdom come”	Prayer for the consummation of the Kingdom of Heaven	”Uw Koninkrijk kome.” Low risk, fixed liturgical form.
daily bread τὸν ἄρτον … τὸν ἐπιούσιον ton arton…ton epiousion ”bread for today/for the coming day” (rare, disputed Greek word)	Dependence on God’s daily provision ”daily bread,” “bread for today”	Models trust/dependence, connecting to poor in spirit	”het dagelijks brood.” Low risk, fixed liturgical form.
forgive us our debts ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα aphes hēmin ta opheilēmata ”release/forgive our debts”	Sin figured as a debt owed ”forgive us our debts/trespasses/sins”	Ties forgiveness received to forgiveness extended (6:14-15) — anticipates ch.18’s unforgiving servant parable and Church and Church Discipline	”vergeef ons onze schulden.” Medium risk: modern secular Dutch “schuld” carries strong financial-debt connotations that can either helpfully preserve the debt-metaphor or, without teaching context, reduce sin-forgiveness to a merely financial transaction image.
mammon μαμωνᾷ mamōna Aramaic loanword for wealth/riches, personified	Money/possessions treated as a rival master/god ”mammon,” “money,” “wealth”	6:24 — “You cannot serve God and mammon,” direct challenge to divided allegiance, relevant to Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus	”Mammon” (retain as transliterated proper-noun-like term, per established Dutch Bible tradition across Statenvertaling/HSV/NBV). Low-Medium risk; the personification (money as a rival “god”) should be reinforced in teaching notes since untransliterated it might otherwise be flattened to plain “geld” (money), losing the idol/rival-master force.
do not be anxious μὴ μεριμνᾶτε mē merimnate ”do not be worried/consumed with care”	Anxious, consuming care about provision, contrasted with trusting dependence on the Father ”do not worry,” “do not be anxious”	6:25-34 — grounds practical discipleship in trust in providence, echoing the baseline’s providence doctrine (Rom 8:28)	“maak u geen zorgen.” Low-Medium risk, natural and stable in Dutch.
seek first the kingdom ζητεῖτε … τὴν βασιλείαν zēteite…tēn basileian —	— “seek first the kingdom”	6:33 uses βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, the rarer Matthean phrase	Reuses [BASELINE — Koninkrijk van God] exactly, per the note in ch.5 above distinguishing it from “Koninkrijk der hemelen.”

Chapter 7 — Judging Others, the Narrow Gate, Wise and Foolish Builders

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
narrow gate στενῆς πύλης stenēs pylēs ”narrow gate/door”	The difficult, less-traveled way of discipleship contrasted with the “wide gate” of easy popular religion ”narrow gate,” “small door”	7:13-14 — cost and exclusivity of true discipleship, ties to Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus and Judgment and the End of the Age	”nauwe poort.” Low risk, stable image.
false prophets / wolves in sheep’s clothing ψευδοπροφῆται … λύκοι … προβάτων pseudoprophētai…lykoi…probatōn —	Deceptive religious teachers whose true nature contradicts their appearance ”false prophets,” “wolves in sheep’s clothing”	7:15 — warns the church against deception, relevant to Church and Church Discipline	”valse profeten… wolven in schaapskleren.” Low-Medium risk, fully naturalized idiom in Dutch.
Lord, Lord Κύριε, κύριε Kyrie, kyrie —	Reuses [BASELINE — lord/Heer] “Lord, Lord”	7:21-23 — warns that verbal confession of Jesus’ Lordship without obedience (“doing the will of my Father”) is insufficient for entry into the Kingdom; directly relevant to both Lordship of Christ and Judgment and the End of the Age	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “Heer.”] Rendered “Heer, Heer” — High risk teaching point: this passage must be read alongside Romans 10:9’s confession (per the baseline’s Critical Lordship flag) to clarify that genuine confession of Jesus as Heer necessarily produces obedience, not as a contradiction of grace-alone salvation but as its fruit.
authority ἐξουσία exousia ”authority, right, power to act”	Delegated or inherent right/power to command, distinct from mere dynamis (raw power/ability) “authority,” “power”	7:28-29 — the crowds are astonished because Jesus “taught as one having authority, and not as their scribes”; the Gospel’s first explicit statement of The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching	HIGH RISK, new term: “gezag.” Must be distinguished from kracht van God (baseline’s power_of_god, more about capability/might) — “gezag” specifically conveys the right/authority to command, matching exousia’s legal-relational sense; recurs critically at 9:6 (authority to forgive sins), 21:23-27 (by what authority), and 28:18 (“all authority has been given to me”).

Chapter 8 — Healing Miracles, the Centurion’s Faith

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
faith πίστις pistis —	— —	8:10, “I have not found such great faith” — the centurion’s trust in Jesus’ authoritative word models genuine faith apart from ethnic/religious insider status	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “geloof.”] Teaching note: reinforces the baseline’s Medium-risk flag that “geloof” must specify trust in Christ specifically, since this passage’s force depends on the object of the centurion’s trust being Jesus’ authoritative word, not generic religious sentiment.
Son of Man υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου huios tou anthrōpou ”son of the man” (Semitic idiom for “a/the human one”)	From a generic self-reference (“a person like myself”) to, drawing on Daniel 7:13-14, a specific eschatological title for the one who receives everlasting dominion and glory from God — Jesus’ own preferred self-designation throughout Matthew (used ~30x) “Son of Man,” “the Human One”	8:20, “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” — first occurrence in Matthew’s narrative; recurs at 9:6 (authority to forgive), 16:27-28 (coming in glory), 24:27-44 (eschatological coming), 26:64 (trial testimony)	CRITICAL/HIGH RISK, new term. Two candidates: “Zoon des mensen” (Statenvertaling/HSV, established Reformed-devotional register) or “Mensenzoon” (single compound word, NBV, modern natural Dutch). Both risk being misheard as merely “a human being,” losing the Daniel 7 eschatological-authority freight entirely — the opposite error from Son-of-God confusion, here risking under-reading Jesus’ divine authority rather than over-reading it. Recommendation: primary curriculum rendering “Mensenzoon” for reading-level accessibility, with “Zoon des mensen” flagged as the Reformed-familiar liturgical alternative; every occurrence requires a note anchoring the term to Daniel 7, not literal humanity alone.

Chapter 9 — Forgiveness of Sins, Call of Matthew, Mercy not Sacrifice

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
sins forgiven ἀφέωνται … αἱ ἁμαρτίαι apheōntai…hai hamartiai ”have been released/forgiven, the sins”	Reuses [BASELINE — sin: zonde] “your sins are forgiven”	9:2-6 — Jesus claims and demonstrates divine authority to forgive sins, directly tied to exousia (authority, ch.7) and to the Authority of Jesus’ Teaching and implicitly Deity of Christ (only God forgives sin)	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “zonde.”] High risk per baseline’s own note: “zonde” has drifted colloquially to “a pity/waste”; this passage’s force (Jesus claiming divine prerogative) depends on “zonde” retaining full moral-transgression weight, not the diluted colloquial sense.
mercy, not sacrifice ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν eleos thelō kai ou thysian ”mercy I desire, and not sacrifice” (quoting Hosea 6:6)	Reuses ch.5’s eleēmones/barmhartig root ”I desire mercy, not sacrifice”	9:13; 12:7 — programmatic critique of externalized religious performance disconnected from compassion, central to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”barmhartigheid, geen offer.” Medium risk; must retain the Hosea quotation’s force as a direct challenge to ritual-performance religion, a live concern for both Reformed and Catholic liturgical traditions in the Netherlands.
harvest / laborers ὁ … θερισμὸς … ἐργάτας ho therismos…ergatas ”the harvest… workers”	Metaphor for the urgency and scope of gospel proclamation ”the harvest is plentiful… laborers”	9:37-38 — grounds the mission doctrine (baseline: zending) and anticipates ch.10’s sending discourse	[BASELINE-adjacent — reuses “zending” doctrine vocabulary.] “de oogst… arbeiders.” Low risk.

Chapter 10 — The Sending of the Twelve

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
apostles (the Twelve) οἱ δώδεκα ἀπόστολοι hoi dōdeka apostoloi —	Reuses [BASELINE — apostle: apostel] “the twelve apostles”	10:1-4 — formal commissioning of the Twelve, foundational to The Church (later formalized in ch.16, 18)	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “apostel(en).“]
worthy ἄξιος axios ”of equal weight/value, deserving”	Fittingness/appropriateness in receiving or being received, not merit earning salvation ”worthy,” “deserving”	10:10-13,37-38 — the worker/messenger is “worthy” of support; those unwilling to take up the cross are “not worthy” of Jesus	”waardig.” Medium risk of merit-confusion parallel to ch.5’s “loon” (reward) concern; teaching notes should clarify this concerns fittingness for the calling of discipleship, not earning salvation.
take up the cross ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ aras ton stauron autou ”having taken up his cross”	From a literal Roman execution instrument to a metaphor for total self-denying allegiance to Jesus, even unto death ”take up his cross,” “bear his cross”	10:38 (and 16:24) — the definitive statement of Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus	HIGH RISK, new term: “zijn kruis op zich nemen.” Must retain the full weight of costly, potentially life-threatening self-denial — in a highly secularized, comfort-oriented Dutch culture, this phrase risks being domesticated into a vague metaphor for “putting up with life’s minor difficulties” (“dat is mijn kruisje te dragen,” an existing Dutch idiom for a minor chronic annoyance!). This existing idiomatic drift is a genuine, Dutch-specific flattening risk requiring a standing translator note.
not peace but a sword οὐκ … εἰρήνην … μάχαιραν ouk…eirēnēn…machairan —	Contrasts [BASELINE — peace: vrede] with conflict caused by allegiance to Christ ”not peace, but a sword”	10:34 — discipleship may fracture family/social bonds; qualifies but does not contradict the baseline’s Peace with God doctrine (that peace is with God, not necessarily social harmony)	“geen vrede, maar een zwaard.” Medium risk: must be distinguished clearly from the baseline’s Low-risk Peace with God doctrine so the two are not read as contradictory — different referents (peace with God vs. social/familial peace).

Chapter 11 — John the Baptist’s Question; Come to Me

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
the one to come ὁ ἐρχόμενος ho erchomenos ”the coming one”	Messianic-expectation title ”he who is to come,” “the Coming One”	11:3 — John’s question tests Jesus as the Promised Messiah	”Hij die komen zou”/“de Komende.” Low-Medium risk, needs OT messianic-expectation context supplied.
yoke ζυγός zygos a wooden crossbar for draft animals	Metaphor for the burden of instruction/obligation — rabbinic idiom for “the yoke of the Torah" "yoke,” “burden of teaching”	11:29-30, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” — contrasts Jesus’ authoritative teaching with the burdensome legal interpretation of the Pharisees, central to Authority of Jesus’ Teaching and Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”juk.” Low-Medium risk, stable agricultural metaphor still recognizable in Dutch, though rural referent is less familiar to urban secular readers and may need brief unpacking.

Chapter 12 — Sabbath Controversies, the Unforgivable Sin

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
Lord of the Sabbath κύριος … τοῦ σαββάτου kyrios…tou sabbatou —	Reuses [BASELINE — lord: Heer] “Lord of the Sabbath”	12:8 — direct claim to authority over the Law itself, a Deity of Christ/Authority of Jesus’ Teaching claim	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “Heer.”] “Heer van de sabbat.” High risk (per baseline’s Lordship flag): must retain the exclusive, supreme-authority force, not read as merely “an expert on Sabbath law.”
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit βλασφημία … εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα blasphēmia…eis to Pneuma ”slander/blasphemy against the Spirit”	The one unforgivable sin — willful, hardened rejection attributing the Spirit’s work to evil ”blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” “the unforgivable sin”	12:31-32 — a uniquely severe warning; must not be applied pastorally to ordinary doubt or momentary unbelief, a genuine pastoral-care risk	CRITICAL RISK, new term: “de zonde tegen de Heilige Geest” / “godslastering tegen de Heilige Geest.” Requires human theologian review for every occurrence and accompanying pastoral guidance, given real risk of misapplication causing undue spiritual anxiety — a concern directly connected to the baseline’s note on the Dutch Reformed “bevindelijke” (experiential) tradition’s tendency toward introspective anxiety about assurance.
sign of Jonah τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ to sēmeion Iōna —	Typological sign pointing to the resurrection (baseline: opstanding) “the sign of Jonah”	12:39-40 — explicit OT typology for the resurrection, tying Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy to the Resurrection of Christ	”het teken van Jona.” Low risk, though requires OT narrative context (Jonah story) given low biblical literacy.

Chapter 13 — Parables of the Kingdom

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
parable παραβολή parabolē ”a placing beside” — comparison, illustrative story	A teaching form that both reveals and conceals, depending on the hearer’s disposition ”parable,” “story,” “illustration”	13:3-52 (seven kingdom parables: sower, weeds, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl, net) — Matthew’s primary vehicle for Kingdom of Heaven teaching	”gelijkenis.” Low risk, fully established Dutch Bible term.
mysteries of the kingdom τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας ta mystēria tēs basileias ”the mysteries/secrets of the kingdom”	Not “mystery” in the sense of unknowable puzzle, but previously hidden truth now disclosed to those given insight ”the secrets of the kingdom,” “mysteries of the kingdom”	13:11 — the Kingdom’s nature is disclosed selectively, according to the hearer’s response, a theme feeding into Judgment and the End of the Age	”de geheimenissen van het Koninkrijk.” Medium risk: “mysterie/geheim” in modern Dutch tends toward “puzzle/enigma” or even esoteric/occult connotations; must be glossed as “previously hidden, now revealed truth,” not an unsolvable riddle.
weeds/tares and wheat ζιζάνια / σῖτον zizania / siton —	Eschatological separation of genuine and false kingdom members at the final judgment ”weeds and wheat,” “tares and wheat”	13:24-30, 36-43 — anticipates Judgment and the End of the Age, paralleling ch.25’s sheep and goats	”onkruid en tarwe.” Low risk, stable agricultural imagery still broadly intelligible in Dutch.

Chapter 14 — Feeding of the 5,000, Walking on Water

No new theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated. Chapter 14 reuses Son of Man, faith (ch.8/11), and introduces the confessional exclamation “Truly you are the Son of God” (14:33), reusing [BASELINE — Zoon van God] exactly — reinforcing the Deity of Christ/Sonship of Christ doctrines already anchored at 3:17 and 16:16.

oligopistos (ὀλιγόπιστε) — “you of little faith” (14:31) is a minor variant worth noting: compound of oligos (little) + pistis (faith, baseline reused). Low-Medium risk: “kleingelovige.” Stable compound already naturalized in Dutch devotional vocabulary; low risk of misreading.

Chapter 15 — Tradition of the Elders, the Canaanite Woman

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
tradition of the elders ἡ παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων hē paradosis tōn presbyterōn ”the handed-down teaching of the elders”	Oral legal tradition supplementing/sometimes superseding written Torah in Pharisaic practice ”tradition of the elders,” “human tradition”	15:1-9 — Jesus contrasts human religious tradition with “the commandment of God,” central to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”overlevering van de oudsten.” Medium risk: in a Dutch context with both a strong liturgical-traditional Catholic minority and Reformed traditions with their own confessional traditions (Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort, Belgic Confession), this passage requires careful framing so it critiques elevating human tradition above God’s Word, not tradition or confessional formulations as such — a sensitivity not present to the same degree in less confessionally-structured target cultures.
Pharisees Φαρισαῖοι Pharisaioi —	Proper noun for a specific 1st-century Jewish religious-legal movement ”Pharisees”	Recurring antagonists throughout Matthew; central to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”Farizeeën.” Medium risk: Dutch, like English, has absorbed “farizeeër” into secular idiom meaning simply “hypocrite,” which can flatten the historical specificity of the group and encourage an easy, self-congratulatory reading (“at least I’m not like them”) that the text itself warns against (cf. Luke 18’s Pharisee/tax-collector parable logic, echoed in Matthew’s own concerns).

Chapter 16 — Peter’s Confession, the Church, the Keys of the Kingdom

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος Sy ei ho Christos, ho huios tou Theou tou zōntos —	Combines ch.1’s Christus and baseline’s Zoon van God ”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”	16:16 — Peter’s confession is the Gospel’s christological center of gravity, the full convergence of Jesus as the Promised Messiah, Sonship of Christ, and Deity of Christ	Reuses [BASELINE — Zoon van God] exactly and ch.1’s new Christus term; render “U bent de Christus, de Zoon van de levende God.” Critical risk: this confession must be rendered with maximal doctrinal clarity — no softening, hedging, or generic-teacher framing permitted.
church ἐκκλησία ekklēsia ”assembly, called-out gathering”	Reuses [BASELINE — church: gemeente] “church,” “assembly”	16:18, “on this rock I will build my ekklēsia” — the term’s first occurrence in Matthew, foundational to The Church and Church Discipline	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “gemeente.”] High risk per baseline’s own note: “gemeente” (Reformed-tradition preferred, local gathered congregation sense) vs. “kerk” (institution/building/Catholic universal-institution sense) — this founding verse is doctrinally load-bearing precisely because it establishes what Jesus is building, so the Reformed-preferred “gemeente” rendering is retained per baseline, but flagged for theologian review given the passage’s foundational, programmatic role (rather than incidental usage as in Romans).
the rock πέτρα petra ”bedrock, large rock formation” (distinct from Peter’s own name, Πέτρος/Petros, “a stone”)	Wordplay between Peter’s name and the foundation of the church — historically disputed whether “this rock” refers to Peter personally, his confession, or Christ himself ”this rock,” “on this rock”	16:18 — a genuine, centuries-old interpretive fault line between Catholic tradition (Petrine papal primacy/apostolic succession) and Reformed/Protestant tradition (the rock is Peter’s confession of Christ, or Christ himself)	CRITICAL RISK, new term: “deze rots” / wordplay “Petrus… rots.” The Dutch wordplay (Petrus/rots) does not carry the same Greek Petros/petra pun as cleanly, and translation choices here are historically the single most contested point between Catholic and Protestant readings of Matthew — directly parallel to, and arguably sharper than, the baseline’s Catholic-south/Reformed-north saints fault line. Mandatory human theologian review.
keys of the kingdom τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας tas kleidas tēs basileias ”the keys of the kingdom”	Delegated authority to open/close access, declare/withhold ”the keys of the kingdom”	16:19 — directly addressed in the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 31 (“de sleutels van het Koninkrijk der hemelen”), making this one of the most confessionally load-bearing phrases in all of Dutch Reformed catechesis, on the same order of magnitude as justification (HC LD 23, already Critical in the baseline)	CRITICAL RISK, new term: “de sleutels van het Koninkrijk der hemelen.” Catholic tradition (Petrine/papal authority, sacramental absolution) vs. Reformed tradition (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 83-85: the keys are the preaching of the gospel and church discipline, exercised by the whole church through its officers, not a personal papal prerogative) diverge sharply on this exact phrase. Mandatory human theologian review for every occurrence (here and 18:18).
bind and loose δήσῃς … λύσῃς dēsēs…lysēs ”bind… loose/release”	Rabbinic-legal terminology for authoritative declaration (forbidding/permitting) or, in church-discipline context, formal exclusion/restoration ”bind and loose,” “forbid and permit”	16:19; 18:18 — the church’s (not an individual’s) delegated authority to exercise discipline and gospel proclamation, central to The Church and Church Discipline	CRITICAL RISK, new term: “binden en ontbinden” (or “losmaken”). Same Catholic/Reformed fault line as “keys of the kingdom” above; must be routed together for theologian review.
take up his cross and follow me ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι aras ton stauron autou kai akoloutheitō moi —	Reuses ch.10’s take up the cross ”take up his cross and follow me”	16:24 — restates Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus with added “deny himself” (ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν)	Reuses new term from ch.10; High risk, same Dutch-idiom-domestication concern noted there (“kruisje te dragen”).

Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
transfigured μετεμορφώθη metemorphōthē ”was transformed in form/appearance”	A temporary visible manifestation of Christ’s inherent divine glory ”was transfigured,” “was transformed”	17:2 — momentary unveiling of Christ’s Deity of Christ/glory (baseline: heerlijkheid) before select witnesses	”werd van gedaante veranderd” / “de verheerlijking op de berg” (as the event’s traditional name). Low-Medium risk; stable, though “gedaanteverandering” alone (the neutral Dutch loan for “metamorphosis,” used e.g. of insects) must be avoided as it strips the theological glory-disclosure sense; the traditional compound “verheerlijking” (glorification) is preferred, tying it to the baseline’s glory → heerlijkheid entry.
listen to him αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε autou akouete —	Divine command reinforcing The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching ”listen to him”	17:5 — the second heavenly voice (cf. 3:17), directly commanding submission to Christ’s authoritative teaching	”luister naar Hem.” Low risk, but doctrinally significant — should be cross-referenced with the ch.7 exousia/gezag entry.

Chapter 18 — Church Discipline, the Unforgiving Servant

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
little ones τῶν μικρῶν tōn mikrōn ”the little/small ones”	Vulnerable, humble believers (not necessarily literal children after 18:1-6’s framing device), whose faith must not be despised or led into sin ”little ones,” “these little ones”	18:6,10,14 — grounds Church and Church Discipline in pastoral care for the vulnerable, prior to any disciplinary process	”kleinen.” Medium risk; must not be limited to literal children in teaching material, since the referent broadens to any humble/vulnerable believer.
stumbling block σκάνδαλον skandalon ”a trap-trigger, cause of stumbling”	Anything that causes another to sin or fall away from faith ”stumbling block,” “occasion to sin,” “cause to stumble”	18:6-9 — severe warnings against causing others’ spiritual downfall	”struikelblok.” Medium risk, fully naturalized Dutch idiom (also secular, “dat is een struikelblok”), requiring the specifically spiritual-downfall sense to be reinforced.
tell it to the church εἰπὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ eipe tē ekklēsia —	Reuses [BASELINE — church: gemeente] “tell it to the church”	18:15-17 — the definitive NT procedural text for Church and Church Discipline: private confrontation, then witnesses, then the assembled community, then exclusion for the unrepentant	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “gemeente.”] High risk: this is the single most procedurally load-bearing occurrence of “gemeente” in the entire curriculum, historically echoed in the Dutch Reformed church order tradition’s own articles on “tucht” (discipline), stemming from the same 1618-19 Synod of Dordrecht that produced the Canons of Dort (already Critical in the baseline for election) — giving this passage unusually deep institutional roots in Dutch church history. Mandatory theologian review.
church discipline (interpretive doctrine, not a single Greek term) — —	The church’s corporate, procedural exercise of accountability and, where necessary, exclusion and restoration ”church discipline”	18:15-20	CRITICAL/HIGH RISK, new doctrinal-category term: “de gemeentelijke tucht” (or “kerkelijke tucht”). Must be framed as restorative (aimed at repentance and restoration, cf. 18:21ff immediately following) rather than punitive, and must avoid conflating Reformed “tucht” procedure with Catholic sacramental excommunication/absolution categories, which carry different theological mechanics.
seventy times seven / unlimited forgiveness ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά hebdomēkontakis hepta ”seventy times seven”	Hyperbolic idiom for limitless forgiveness ”seventy times seven,” “seventy-seven times”	18:21-22 — grounds forgiveness (not merely discipline) as the church’s basic posture, immediately following the discipline procedure	”zeventig maal zeven maal.” Low risk, though the numerical idiom’s force (limitlessness, not a literal count of 490) needs a brief gloss for readers unfamiliar with this rhetorical convention.

Chapter 19 — Divorce, Children and the Kingdom, the Rich Young Man

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
let the children come ἄφετε τὰ παιδία aphete ta paidia —	Reuses kingdom_of_heaven vocabulary ”let the little children come to me”	19:14 — “of such is the kingdom of heaven,” a further Kingdom-entry qualification alongside poor in spirit	Reuses [NEW TERM — Koninkrijk der hemelen]. Low-Medium risk.
with God all things are possible παρὰ … θεῷ πάντα δυνατά para…theō panta dynata —	Reuses [BASELINE — God, and power_of_god vocabulary] “with God all things are possible”	19:26 — answers the rich young man episode’s implicit works/merit question, reinforcing Grace (baseline Critical doctrine): salvation is God’s sovereign work, not human achievement	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “God”]; render “bij God zijn alle dingen mogelijk.” High risk teaching point given adjacency to the rich young man’s failed self-effort — must reinforce, not undercut, the baseline’s Critical Grace doctrine.

Chapter 20 — Workers in the Vineyard, the Ransom, Serving Not Being Served

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
workers in the vineyard (parable) (narrative, no single key term) — —	Equal wages (loon, ch.5) paid regardless of hours worked, illustrating grace vs. merit ”the workers in the vineyard,” “the laborers in the vineyard”	20:1-16 — Matthew’s clearest parabolic illustration of the tension already flagged at 5:12 between loon (reward/wages) and Grace: the parable itself resolves the tension in grace’s favor (“is it not lawful for me to do what I choose with what is my own?”)	Reuses ch.5’s loon term; this parable should be the primary anchor teaching passage explaining that “loon” language in Matthew is gracious commendation, not earned wage — recommend explicit cross-reference in curriculum materials.
ransom λύτρον lytron ”the price paid to redeem/release a slave or captive”	Substitutionary payment securing release; strongly commercial/legal background (manumission of slaves, ransom of captives) “ransom,” “redemption price”	20:28, “the Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many” — one of Matthew’s clearest atonement statements, foundational to substitutionary understanding of Christ’s death	CRITICAL RISK, new term: “losprijs.” Established Reformed Dutch dogmatic rendering (preserves substitutionary-payment sense, avoiding a vaguer “offer” or “prijs” that could lose the manumission/release background). This term sits alongside the baseline’s Critical imputed_righteousness and justification entries as core substitutionary-atonement vocabulary; mandatory theologian review.
to serve, not to be served διακονῆσαι … διακονηθῆναι diakonēsai…diakonēthēnai ”to serve… to be served”	Servant-leadership model, root of diakonos (deacon) “to serve, not to be served”	20:28 — grounds Discipleship in cruciform servanthood, modeled on Christ himself	”dienen… gediend worden.” Low-Medium risk; note the etymological connection to “diaken” (deacon) in Dutch church-office vocabulary, worth surfacing in teaching material.

Chapter 21 — Triumphal Entry, Cleansing the Temple, the Rejected Stone

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
Hosanna to the Son of David Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ Hōsanna tō huiō Dauid ”Save now! [to] the Son of David”	Hebrew/Aramaic liturgical acclamation, originally a plea for deliverance (Ps 118), here a messianic acclamation ”Hosanna to the Son of David”	21:9,15 — public messianic acclamation, direct fulfillment of Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David, and of Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy (Zech 9:9, cited at 21:5)	“Hosanna, Zoon van David!” (“Hosanna” retained as an established transliteration across all Dutch traditions.) Reuses ch.1’s Zoon van David term. Low-Medium risk on “Hosanna” itself (stable, well-known); High risk on ensuring “Zoon van David” retains its full messianic-confession force here, at the narrative’s climactic public moment.
house of prayer οἶκος προσευχῆς oikos proseuchēs —	Reuses baseline intercession/prayer vocabulary conceptually ”house of prayer”	21:13 — the temple-cleansing episode critiques corrupted worship, relevant to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”huis van gebed.” Low risk, stable.
the stone the builders rejected / cornerstone λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν … κεφαλὴν γωνίας lithon hon apedokimasan…kephalēn gōnias ”the stone which the builders rejected… became head of the corner”	Quoting Psalm 118:22, applied messianically to Jesus’ rejection and vindication ”the stone the builders rejected… the cornerstone”	21:42 — ties Jesus’ rejection by the religious leaders directly to Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy and anticipates his death and resurrection	CRITICAL/HIGH RISK, new term: “de steen die de bouwers verwierpen… de hoeksteen.” Directly Christological (applied to Christ himself elsewhere in the NT, e.g. 1 Peter 2, Ephesians 2), requiring theologian review to ensure the rejection-vindication pattern (death then resurrection/exaltation) is preserved and not read as a merely moral lesson about being underestimated.
kingdom taken away and given to another nation/people ἀρθήσεται … ἡ βασιλεία … καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει arthēsetai…hē basileia…kai dothēsetai ethnei —	Reuses kingdom_of_heaven/God vocabulary; ἔθνει here = “a people/nation" "the kingdom… will be taken from you and given to a people/nation producing its fruits”	21:43 — directly engages Unity of Jews and Gentiles-adjacent territory (already Critical/High in the baseline curriculum), requiring the same historically-aware, non-supersessionist handling the baseline mandates for israel and unity_of_jews_and_gentiles	CRITICAL RISK — same routing as baseline’s Unity of Jews and Gentiles doctrine. Render “volk” (a people/nation), not “heidenen” (Gentiles, baseline reused elsewhere) — a different word-choice risk from the Great Commission’s “nations” (ch.28, below), but requiring the same theologian-level care to avoid a triumphalist or ethnically-loaded misreading, especially given the Netherlands’ own WWII history (flagged already in the baseline).

Chapter 22 — The Wedding Feast, Render to Caesar, the Greatest Commandment

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
wedding feast (parable) γάμος gamos ”wedding, marriage feast”	Eschatological banquet imagery for the consummated Kingdom, with invited-but-unworthy guests replaced by others ”the wedding feast,” “the marriage feast”	22:1-14 — further Kingdom of Heaven/Judgment teaching; the closing “many are called, but few are chosen” reuses [BASELINE — called/geroepen and election/verkiezing] in immediate proximity, requiring careful, non-contradictory handling of both terms together	Reuses [BASELINE — geroepen, verkiezing] exactly. Critical/High risk: this is the sharpest juxtaposition in the whole Gospel of the baseline’s two Critical-tier terms “geroepen” (called) and “verkiezing” (election); mandatory theologian review to ensure Dutch Reformed election theology (per the Canons of Dort, already flagged Critical in the baseline) is neither contradicted nor flattened by this parable’s apparent universal invitation/particular selection tension.
render to Caesar ἀπόδοτε … Καίσαρι apodote…Kaisari —	— “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”	22:15-22 — establishes a distinction between civil and divine allegiance, relevant background to Judgment and the End of the Age and Christian civic responsibility	”Geef aan de keizer wat des keizers is.” Low risk, well-known idiom fully naturalized in Dutch (also used secularly).
the greatest commandment: love God and neighbor ἀγαπήσεις … τὸν πλησίον σου agapēseis…ton plēsion sou ”you shall love… your neighbor”	Agapaō, self-giving, willed love, distinguished from mere affection or sentiment ”love the Lord your God… love your neighbor as yourself”	22:37-40 — Jesus summarizes the Law and the Prophets (baseline reused) under the single rubric of love, directly relevant to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”liefde”/“liefhebben.” Medium-High risk: Dutch “liefde” spans romantic, familial, and general affection senses without a separate word for agapē (unlike, e.g., some target languages with lexical distinctions); teaching notes must specify this is willed, covenantal, self-giving love, not romantic or sentimental feeling.

Chapter 23 — Woes to the Pharisees and Scribes

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
hypocrites ὑποκριταί hypokritai ”stage actors, pretenders”	Someone whose outward religious performance masks inward reality ”hypocrites,” “pretenders”	23:13-29 (the sevenfold “woes”) — climactic indictment of externalized religion, the sharpest statement of Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	”huichelaars.” Medium risk: fully naturalized secular Dutch word (also used of ordinary social hypocrisy, e.g. political hypocrisy), which can drain the passage’s specifically religious-performance charge if not anchored back to the immediate temple/legal-teaching context.
woe οὐαί ouai Interjection of lament/doom	Prophetic pronouncement of coming judgment, not merely an expression of pity ”woe,” “how terrible for…“	23:13-29 — structural refrain tying this chapter to OT prophetic judgment-oracles, relevant to Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy and Judgment and the End of the Age	”wee.” Low-Medium risk; the interjection is preserved in Dutch Bible tradition but is archaic outside biblical/liturgical register, requiring brief contextual framing for secular readers.

Chapter 24 — The Olivet Discourse: Signs of the End

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
end of the age συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος synteleia tou aiōnos ”the completion/consummation of the age”	The definitive close of the present era, distinct from “the end of the world” in a cosmos-destroying sense ”the end of the age,” “the close of the age”	24:3 (and 28:20) — frames Judgment and the End of the Age as the consummation of God’s redemptive plan, not mere cosmic annihilation	”de voleinding van de wereld” (HSV) / “het einde van deze wereld” (more modern). Medium-High risk: “einde van de wereld” in colloquial Dutch (as in English) evokes secular apocalyptic/disaster-movie associations (“het einde van de wereld”) that can crowd out the text’s more specific sense of a purposeful redemptive consummation; recommend “de voleinding van de wereld/de tijd” as the curriculum’s primary rendering, with a clarifying note.
abomination of desolation τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs ”the desolating abomination”	A technical apocalyptic term (from Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) for a specific, extreme act of sacrilege ”the abomination of desolation,” “the desolating sacrilege”	24:15 — direct citation formula tying Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy to eschatological events	”de verwoestende gruwel” (following HSV’s “de verwoesting aanrichtende gruwel,” slightly compressed). Medium-High risk: no competing cultural concept in Dutch, but the term’s identity (historical, near-future, or far-future referent) is genuinely disputed among interpreters (preterist/futurist readings); translation should remain textually neutral, flagging interpretive options for teaching material rather than resolving them in the translation itself.
coming of the Son of Man (parousia) ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου hē parousia tou huiou tou anthrōpou ”the arrival/presence of the Son of Man”	Technical term for Christ’s visible, glorious return ”the coming of the Son of Man,” “the Second Coming”	24:27,37,39 — the central event of Judgment and the End of the Age	”de wederkomst” (established Dutch theological term for the Second Coming) / “de komst van de Mensenzoon.” High risk given the topic’s broad eschatological interpretive diversity across Dutch traditions (amillennial Reformed mainstream vs. dispensationalist-influenced evangelical minority streams); reuses ch.8’s Mensenzoon term.
no one knows the day or hour οὐδεὶς οἶδεν … τὴν ἡμέραν οὐδὲ τὴν ὥραν oudeis oiden…tēn hēmeran oude tēn hōran —	— “no one knows the day or the hour”	24:36 — deliberately curbs date-setting speculation, a needed corrective to occasional popular end-times speculation also present in some Dutch evangelical circles	”niemand weet de dag en het uur.” Low risk on the wording; High-value teaching note curbing speculative date-setting.

Chapter 25 — Ten Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
talents (parable) τάλαντα talanta a large unit of monetary weight (silver/gold)	Entrusted resources/responsibilities, metaphor for gifts and opportunities given by the master before his return ”talents”	25:14-30 — readiness and faithful stewardship while awaiting the parousia, connecting Judgment to Discipleship	CAUTION, false-friend risk: “talenten.” The Dutch loanword “talent(en)” today overwhelmingly means natural ability/skill (as in English “talented”), a false-friend drift from the parable’s original sense of an entrusted sum of money/responsibility. Medium-High risk: teaching material must clarify the parable is about faithful stewardship of entrusted resources generally (which may include, but is not limited to, natural gifts), not narrowly about “having talent.” This risk should be flagged for native speaker review at minimum.
sheep and goats / least of these τὰ πρόβατα … τὰ ἐρίφια … τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων ta probata…ta eriphia…tōn adelphōn mou tōn elachistōn ”the sheep… the goats… the least of my brothers”	Final judgment separating genuine from false disciples based on concrete compassion shown to the vulnerable, understood as service to Christ himself ”the sheep and the goats,” “the least of these”	25:31-46 — the Gospel’s climactic judgment scene, defining eternal destiny by whether professed faith produced tangible compassion, echoing Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees’ concern with authentic (not merely professed) obedience	”de schapen en de bokken” / “de geringsten van deze Mijn broeders.” Medium-High risk.
eternal punishment / eternal life κόλασιν αἰώνιον … ζωὴν αἰώνιον kolasin aiōnion…zōēn aiōnion ”eternal/age-long punishment… eternal/age-long life”	The two-fold, permanent, final outcomes of judgment ”eternal punishment… eternal life”	25:46 — the Gospel’s starkest statement of final, irreversible judgment, central to Judgment and the End of the Age	CRITICAL RISK: “eeuwige straf… eeuwig leven.” Contemporary mainline Dutch Protestant (PKN) theology includes a real and growing universalist/annihilationist-sympathetic minority stream questioning the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious punishment; the translation itself must render the parallel construction (same adjective aiōnios modifying both punishment and life) without softening, since the verse’s own grammar argues that if “eternal life” is unending, so is “eternal punishment” by the same word. Mandatory theologian review.

Chapter 26 — The Last Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
this is my body / this is my blood of the covenant τοῦτο … τὸ σῶμά μου … τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης touto…to sōma mou…to haima mou tēs diathēkēs —	Reuses [BASELINE — covenant: verbond]; institutes the Lord’s Supper ”this is my body… this is my blood of the covenant”	26:26-28 — institution of the Lord’s Supper, directly engaging centuries of Reformation-era Eucharistic controversy (transubstantiation vs. real spiritual presence vs. memorialism), a dispute with deep and specifically Dutch history (the 16th-century Beeldenstorm/iconoclasm was partly fueled by exactly this controversy)	CRITICAL RISK: “dit is Mijn lichaam… dit is Mijn bloed van het verbond.” Translation must remain textually faithful without importing any single tradition’s sacramental theology (Catholic transubstantiation, Reformed spiritual presence, or Zwinglian memorialism) into the wording itself — a live, historically fraught fault line specifically in Dutch church history. Mandatory theologian review; doctrinal explanation belongs in teaching notes, not in the translation choice itself.
new covenant (implied; some MSS include καινῆς, “new”) kainēs diathēkēs ”new covenant”	Reuses [BASELINE — covenant: verbond] “new covenant,” “covenant”	26:28 — ties directly to the baseline’s already-High-risk covenant doctrine, now specifically in its New Covenant, blood-sealed form	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “verbond.”] “het nieuwe verbond.” High risk per baseline covenant note, now intensified by direct connection to atonement/Eucharist.
betrayed / handed over παρέδωκεν / παραδίδωμι paradidōmi ”to hand over, deliver up”	Ranges from neutral “hand over” to treacherous “betray”; the same verb is used elsewhere of the Father “handing over/giving up” the Son (cf. Rom 8:32, baseline curriculum) “betrayed,” “handed over,” “delivered up”	26:15-16,21-25,45-46 — Judas’s betrayal; the same underlying verb-family connects to the deeper theological theme (present but not the emphasis in this specific narrative) of the Father’s own “handing over” of the Son for atonement	”verraden” (for Judas’s act) / “overleveren” (broader “hand over” sense). Medium risk: teaching material may note the verbal overlap with the Father’s “handing over” the Son (as in the baseline Romans curriculum) without collapsing the distinct moral valence — Judas’s betrayal is culpable sin; the Father’s giving-up of the Son is the highest act of Grace.
blasphemy (at trial) βλασφημίαν blasphēmian —	Reuses ch.12’s godslastering ”blasphemy”	26:65 — the Sanhedrin condemns Jesus for blasphemy precisely because he claims to be Son of God — the trial’s central irony (true testimony treated as blasphemous crime)	[Reuses ch.12 new term — “godslastering.”] High risk: teaching notes should highlight the irony that Jesus is condemned for truthfully claiming what the Gospel affirms as true.

Chapter 27 — Crucifixion and Death

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
Truly this was the Son of God Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος Alēthōs Theou huios ēn houtos —	Reuses [BASELINE — Zoon van God] “truly this was the Son of God”	27:54 — the Roman centurion’s Gentile confession at the cross bookends Peter’s confession (16:16) and anticipates the Great Commission’s universal scope	[BASELINE — reused exactly: “Zoon van God.”] “Werkelijk, deze was Gods Zoon” or “de Zoon van God.” Critical risk per baseline: must retain full, unqualified force even (especially) coming from a Gentile military officer at the crucifixion’s climax.
torn veil τὸ καταπέτασμα … ἐσχίσθη to katapetasma…eschisthē ”the veil… was torn”	The temple curtain separating the Holy of Holies, torn at the moment of Jesus’ death ”the curtain of the temple was torn in two”	27:51 — symbolizes opened access to God through Christ’s death, theologically resonant with the baseline’s peace with God/justification doctrines	”het voorhangsel… werd in tweeën gescheurd.” Medium risk; the symbolic significance (access to God opened) requires teaching-note explanation, as the Dutch term itself carries no built-in theological signal.

Chapter 28 — The Resurrection and the Great Commission

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Dutch rendering & risk
all authority has been given to me ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία edothē moi pasa exousia —	Reuses ch.7’s gezag (exousia) “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”	28:18 — climactic universal claim, resolving the whole Gospel’s Authority of Jesus’ Teaching theme into cosmic, unrestricted authority, grounding the commission that follows	Reuses [NEW TERM from ch.7 — “gezag”]: “Mij is alle gezag gegeven in de hemel en op de aarde.” Critical/High risk: this authority-claim is the direct warrant for the Great Commission and must retain full, unqualified (“all… in heaven and on earth”) force.
go therefore and make disciples of all nations πορευθέντες … μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη poreuthentes…mathēteusate panta ta ethnē ”having gone, disciple all the nations”	Mathēteuō: verb form of disciple (mathētēs, ch.5), “to make a disciple of”; ἔθνη here = “nations/peoples” (all people-groups), not “Gentiles” as opposed to Jews ”make disciples of all nations,” “go and make disciples”	28:19 — the Great Commission, the Gospel’s climactic missionary mandate	CRITICAL/HIGH RISK, new term: “maak alle volken tot Mijn discipelen.” Two distinct risk points: (1) the verb mathēteusate must be rendered as an active verb (“maak… tot discipelen”), not merely “preach to” or “teach,” to preserve the full discipleship-formation mandate, not proclamation alone; (2) ἔθνη here must be rendered “volken” (peoples/nations), NOT “heidenen” (baseline’s Gentiles rendering) — using “heidenen” here would wrongly imply the commission targets only non-Jews and would import the term’s pejorative secular connotation (already flagged in the baseline) into the Gospel’s universal, all-inclusive missionary mandate.
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou Patros kai tou Huiou kai tou Hagiou Pneumatos ”baptizing them into the name (singular) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”	Trinitarian baptismal formula; note the grammatically singular “name” (ὄνομα, not plural “names”) covering all three Persons ”baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”	28:19 — one of the New Testament’s clearest explicit Trinitarian formulas, foundational to the doctrine of the Trinity underlying every other Christological doctrine in this curriculum	CRITICAL RISK. Reuses [BASELINE — Vader, Zoon van God (here simply “de Zoon”), Heilige Geest] exactly: “in de Naam van de Vader, de Zoon en de Heilige Geest.” Grammatical precision required: “Naam” must remain singular in Dutch (not “namen,” plural) to preserve the one-name/three-Persons Trinitarian structure — a subtle but doctrinally Critical grammatical point. Also intersects with the ch.3 baptism note on the Netherlands’ paedobaptist/credobaptist ecclesial divide; mandatory theologian review.
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν didaskontes autous tērein panta hosa eneteilamēn hymin ”teaching them to keep/observe all that I commanded you”	Completes the discipleship-formation mandate with ongoing obedience-teaching, reuses obedience_of_faith conceptual territory (baseline, Rom 1:5) though not the identical Greek phrase ”teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”	28:20a — closes the loop on The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching: the commission is to transmit obedience to Christ’s own commands, not a generic ethic	”en hun te leren dat zij zich houden aan alles wat Ik u geboden heb.” High risk of the same works/grace tension flagged at 5:12 and 20:1-16 — teaching notes must clarify this obedience flows from discipleship to the risen, authoritative Christ, echoing but not identical to Romans’ gehoorzaamheid van het geloof (obedience of faith, baseline High risk).
I am with you always, to the end of the age ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος egō meth’ hymōn eimi pasas tas hēmeras heōs tēs synteleias tou aiōnos —	Reuses ch.1’s Immanuel (“God with us”) and ch.24’s end of the age (synteleia tou aiōnos) “I am with you always, to the very end of the age”	28:20b — the Gospel’s closing promise deliberately echoes 1:23’s Immanuel, forming a literary and theological inclusio around the entire book: God-with-us at the beginning, Christ-with-us to the end	”Ik ben met u al de dagen, tot de voleinding van de wereld.” Medium-High risk primarily in ensuring the deliberate literary echo with 1:23 is preserved/noted in teaching material — a structural, book-spanning theological point that a verse-by-verse translation approach alone will not surface without an explicit cross-reference.

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Summary of New (non-baseline) Terms Introduced by This Curriculum

The following terms are new to the Matthew curriculum and are not present in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json. They must be added to translation memory (Step in the Phase 1 pipeline following this analysis) with the risk tiers and renderings established above:

kingdom_of_heaven, son_of_david, blessed, poor_in_spirit, merciful/mercy, perfect, repent/repentance, baptism/baptize, disciple, make_disciples, son_of_man, christ (title), keys_of_the_kingdom, binding_and_loosing, church_discipline, stumbling_block, ransom, great_commission, nations (volken, distinct from heidenen), hypocrites, abomination_of_desolation, parousia/second_coming (wederkomst), eternal_punishment/eternal_life, betray/hand_over, blasphemy, veil, virgin, immanuel, authority (gezag/exousia), yoke, narrow_gate, take_up_cross, worthy, little_ones, reward (loon), cornerstone, talents (false-friend caution), end_of_the_age, love (agapē), Pharisees, tradition_of_elders.

All terms already present in the baseline (gospel, grace, faith, righteousness, justification, salvation, apostle, called, calling, holy, saints, sanctification, adoption, resurrection, lord, son_of_god, incarnation, peace, spiritual_gifts, thanksgiving, fellowship, church, kingdom_of_god, law, sin, gentiles, glory, obedience_of_faith, power_of_god, messiah, prophet, prophecy, covenant, election, intercession, providence, mission, david, israel, jesus, god, holy_spirit, father, abba, exhort, seed_of_david, imputed_righteousness) are confirmed present in Matthew and are reused with their exact baseline renderings throughout this analysis.