Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Matthew (German)
Given Matthew’s length (28 chapters), this glossary lists the book’s highest-priority new terms;
see 07_semantic_analysis.md for the full per-section discussion and additional lower-risk
vocabulary.
| # | English term | Greek | First occurrence(s) | German rendering | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | blessed | μακάριος | 5:3-11 | selig | NEW | Guard against the narrower Catholic “Seligsprechung” (beatification) association. |
| 2 | kingdom of heaven | βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν | 5:3 | Reich der Himmel | NEW | Matthew’s own distinctive phrase; keep distinct from Reich Gottes throughout. |
| 3 | Immanuel, God with us | Ἐμμανουήλ | 1:23 | Immanuel, das ist verdolmetscht: Gott mit uns | NEW | Foundational incarnation passage. |
| 4 | repent / repentance | μετανοέω / μετάνοια | 3:2 | Buße / Tut Buße | NEW | Confessional history (Reformation dispute over Buße’s sacramental implications) flagged for theologian review. |
| 5 | ”You have heard… but I say to you" | "Ἠκούσατε… ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν” | 5:21-48 | Ihr habt gehört… Ich aber sage euch | NEW | Intensifies, does not abolish, the Law (5:17). |
| 6 | the Lord’s Prayer | (whole prayer) | 6:9-13 | Vater unser im Himmel… | NEW | Must match the standard German ecumenical liturgical text essentially verbatim. |
| 7 | your sins are forgiven | ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι | 9:2 | Dir sind deine Sünden vergeben | NEW | Direct claim to divine authority; ties to deity_of_christ. |
| 8 | not peace but a sword | οὐκ… εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν | 10:34 | nicht Frieden… sondern das Schwert | NEW | Describes social/familial division, not literal violence; guard against misreading. |
| 9 | blasphemy against the Spirit | βλασφημία εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα | 12:31-32 | Lästerung wider den Geist | NEW | Pastorally sensitive; requires careful framing to avoid unwarranted scrupulous fear. |
| 10 | You are the Christ, the Son of the living God | Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος | 16:16 | Du bist Christus, des lebendigen Gottes Sohn | NEW | Matthew’s central confessional climax. |
| 11 | transfigured | μετεμορφώθη | 17:2 | verklärt | NEW | Foundational deity_of_christ passage. |
| 12 | Son of Man… ransom for many | ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου… λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν | 20:28 | der Menschensohn… Lösegeld für viele | NEW | Concrete commercial-legal atonement metaphor. |
| 13 | love the Lord your God… your neighbor as yourself | ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου… τὸν πλησίον | 22:37-39 | Du sollst den Herrn, deinen Gott, lieben… deinen Nächsten | TM-derived | Must match Romans 13:9 and Galatians 5:14 exactly. |
| 14 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees | Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι | 23:13ff | Wehe euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer | NEW | Critical German-specific historical-sensitivity requirement; see 07 for full discussion. |
| 15 | as you did it to one of the least of these | ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων | 25:40 | was ihr getan habt einem von diesen meinen geringsten Brüdern | NEW | Foundational for German diakonia/Caritas social-ethics tradition. |
| 16 | this is my body / this is my blood of the covenant | Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου / τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης | 26:26-28 | Das ist mein Leib / mein Blut des Bundes | NEW | Confessionally contested (Realpräsenz/memorialism/transubstantiation); flagged, not adjudicated. |
| 17 | his blood be on us and on our children | Τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν | 27:25 | Sein Blut komme über uns und unsere Kinder | NEW | Highest-sensitivity verse in this Gospel; mandatory theologian-authored anti-antisemitism framing required for every use. |
| 18 | the Great Commission / baptismal formula | πορευθέντες… βαπτίζοντες… εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος | 28:19 | Gehet hin… Taufet sie auf den Namen des Vaters und des Sohnes und des Heiligen Geistes | NEW | Foundational Trinitarian baptismal formula; must match liturgical usage exactly. |
Coverage confirmation
18 highest-priority glossary entries span the full 28-chapter sweep: chapters 1-2 (rows 3),
3-4 (row 4), 5-7 (rows 1, 2, 5, 6), 9 (row 7), 10 (row 8), 12 (row 9), 16 (rows 10-11), 20 (row
12), 22 (row 13), 23 (row 14), 25 (row 15), 26-27 (rows 16-17), 28 (row 18). Additional
chapter-specific vocabulary of lower risk tier is documented in 07_semantic_analysis.md.
Critical Risk Terms
Righteousness
Approved rendering: Gerechtigkeit
Transliteration: Gerechtigkeit
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Values
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Note the broader sense in Matthew 5:6, 10 (right-relatedness/right-living generally) alongside the narrower forensic sense central to the Pauline epistles.
Blessed
Approved rendering: selig
Transliteration: selig
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Values
Original: μακάριος
Category: Kingdom Ethics
NEW. Guard against the narrower Catholic Seligsprechung association. Matthew 5:3-11.
Kingdom Of Heaven
Approved rendering: Reich der Himmel
Transliteration: Reich der Himmel
Doctrine: The Beatitudes and Kingdom Values
Original: βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν
Category: Kingdom Ethics
NEW. Matthew’s distinctive phrase; kept distinct from Reich Gottes. Matthew 5:3 and throughout.
Immanuel
Approved rendering: Immanuel, das ist verdolmetscht: Gott mit uns
Transliteration: Immanuel, das ist verdolmetscht: Gott mit uns
Doctrine: The Virgin Birth and Incarnation
Original: Ἐμμανουήλ
Category: Christology
NEW. Matthew 1:23.
Antitheses Formula
Approved rendering: Ihr habt gehört, dass zu den Alten gesagt ist… Ich aber sage euch
Transliteration: Ihr habt gehört, dass zu den Alten gesagt ist… Ich aber sage euch
Doctrine: Fulfillment Not Abolition of the Law
Original: Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη… ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν
Category: Law and Grace
NEW. Matthew 5:21-48.
Lords Prayer
Approved rendering: Vater unser im Himmel! Geheiligt werde dein Name…
Transliteration: Vater unser im Himmel! Geheiligt werde dein Name…
Doctrine: The Lord’s Prayer
Original: (whole prayer, 6:9-13)
Category: Prayer
NEW. Must match standard German ecumenical liturgical text verbatim. Matthew 6:9-13.
Authority To Forgive Sins
Approved rendering: Dir sind deine Sünden vergeben
Transliteration: Dir sind deine Sünden vergeben
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority to Forgive Sins
Original: ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι
Category: Christology
NEW. Matthew 9:2.
Blasphemy Against The Spirit
Approved rendering: Lästerung wider den Geist
Transliteration: Lästerung wider den Geist
Doctrine: Blasphemy Against the Spirit
Original: βλασφημία εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα
Category: Holy Spirit
NEW. Matthew 12:31-32.
Peters Confession
Approved rendering: Du bist Christus, des lebendigen Gottes Sohn
Transliteration: Du bist Christus, des lebendigen Gottes Sohn
Doctrine: Peter’s Confession and the Founding of the Church
Original: Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος
Category: Christology
NEW. Matthew 16:16.
Son Of Man Ransom
Approved rendering: der Menschensohn… Lösegeld für viele
Transliteration: der Menschensohn… Lösegeld für viele
Doctrine: The Son of Man as Servant and Ransom
Original: ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου… λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν
Category: Salvation
NEW. Concrete commercial-legal atonement metaphor. Matthew 20:28.
Woes Against Pharisees
Approved rendering: Wehe euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler
Transliteration: Wehe euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler
Doctrine: Woes Against the Scribes and Pharisees
Original: Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί
Category: Conflict Narrative
NEW. Mandatory historical-sensitivity framing required. Matthew 23:13ff.
Least Of These
Approved rendering: was ihr getan habt einem von diesen meinen geringsten Brüdern, das habt ihr mir getan
Transliteration: was ihr getan habt einem von diesen meinen geringsten Brüdern, das habt ihr mir getan
Doctrine: The Olivet Discourse and Final Judgment
Original: ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε
Category: Ethics
NEW. Foundational for German diakonia/Caritas tradition. Matthew 25:40.
Words Of Institution
Approved rendering: Das ist mein Leib… das ist mein Blut des Bundes
Transliteration: Das ist mein Leib… das ist mein Blut des Bundes
Doctrine: The Words of Institution / Last Supper
Original: Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου… τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης
Category: Sacraments
NEW. Confessionally contested; flagged, not adjudicated. Matthew 26:26-28.
His Blood Be On Us
Approved rendering: Sein Blut komme über uns und unsere Kinder
Transliteration: Sein Blut komme über uns und unsere Kinder
Doctrine: The Crowd’s Cry and Its Historical Weaponization
Original: Τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν
Category: Passion Narrative
NEW. Highest-sensitivity term in this package; mandatory theologian-authored anti-antisemitism framing required for every use. Matthew 27:25.
Great Commission
Approved rendering: Gehet hin und machet zu Jüngern alle Völker: Taufet sie auf den Namen des Vaters und des Sohnes und des Heiligen Geistes
Transliteration: Gehet hin und machet zu Jüngern alle Völker: Taufet sie auf den Namen des Vaters und des Sohnes und des Heiligen Geistes
Doctrine: The Resurrection and Great Commission
Original: πορευθέντες… βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
Category: Mission
NEW. Must match established German baptismal-liturgy usage exactly. Matthew 28:19.
High Risk Terms
Church
Approved rendering: Gemeinde
Transliteration: Gemeinde
Doctrine: Peter’s Confession and the Founding of the Church
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Matthew 16:18; 18:17.
Law
Approved rendering: Gesetz
Transliteration: Gesetz
Doctrine: Fulfillment Not Abolition of the Law
Inherited from Romans/Galatians packages, unchanged. Matthew 5:17-18.
Repentance
Approved rendering: Buße
Transliteration: Buße
Doctrine: Repentance
Original: μετάνοια
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Confessional history flagged. Matthew 3:2, 8.
Not Peace But A Sword
Approved rendering: Ich bin nicht gekommen, Frieden zu bringen, sondern das Schwert
Transliteration: Ich bin nicht gekommen, Frieden zu bringen, sondern das Schwert
Doctrine: The Cost and Nature of Discipleship
Original: οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν
Category: Discipleship
NEW. Describes social/familial division, not literal violence. Matthew 10:34.
Transfigured
Approved rendering: verklärt
Transliteration: verklärt
Doctrine: The Transfiguration
Original: μετεμορφώθη
Category: Christology
NEW. Matthew 17:2.
Medium Risk Terms
Resurrection
Approved rendering: Auferstehung
Transliteration: Auferstehung
Doctrine: The Resurrection and Great Commission
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Matthew 28:6.
Referenced passages