Semantic Analysis: Matthew (Full Book) — Greek Destination Language

Methodology and Governing Constraints

This analysis extends, and never contradicts, the baseline Romans Language Package for Greek (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json, 12_ai_translation_requirements.md). Where a term already carries an established rendering in that package (e.g. ευαγγέλιο, χάρη, πίστη, δικαιοσύνη, δικαίωση, σωτηρία, Κύριος, Υιός του Θεού, άγιος/άγιοι, βασιλεία του Θεού, Άγιο Πνεύμα, Ισραήλ, Δαβίδ, σπέρμα Δαβίδ, παραδόσεις, υποκρισία, ζύμη, σπέρμα, κληρονόμος, μη γένοιτο, etc.), it is reused exactly here, with only the additional Matthean contextual notes required.

Matthew shares Modern Greek’s unique zero-translation-gap profile with Romans: this is the same Koine text a Modern Greek reader can access directly, so risk is again driven by (1) patristic/liturgical accretion (θεολογική επιφόρτιση — words absorbed into Orthodox sacramental and mystical theology) and (2) secular bleaching (καθημερινή εξασθένιση — words worn down by everyday modern usage). Matthew introduces several new instances of this pattern not present in Romans/Galatians — most strikingly μακάριος (“blessed”), which in Modern Greek obituary usage means “the late/deceased,” and παρουσία (“coming/parousia”), which in Modern Greek means ordinary classroom “attendance.”

Each entry below records: Original (Koine) · Transliteration · Literal meaning · Semantic range · English variants (as they appear across common English Bible translations/curricula) · Contextual theological meaning in Matthew · Greek rendering & risk tier.

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PART A — CORE PASSAGE: Matthew 5:1–12 (The Beatitudes), Verse-by-Verse

Matthew 5:1

Greek: Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ·

Term: ὄρος (“mountain”)

• Transliteration: óros
• Literal meaning: mountain, hill
• Semantic range: any elevated landform; in biblical usage frequently the site of divine revelation (Sinai)
• English variants: mountain, hillside, mount
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: Jesus ascends “the mountain” to teach, echoing Moses ascending Sinai to receive the Law — Matthew’s “new Moses” typology framing the entire Sermon as authoritative, Torah-fulfilling instruction.
• Greek rendering & risk: όρος — Low. Lexically stable; the typological resonance (new Sinai) should be surfaced in teaching notes since the bare word carries no automatic doctrinal signal.

Term: μαθηταί (“disciples”)

• Transliteration: mathitaí
• Literal meaning: learners, students
• Semantic range: apprentice-followers bound to a teacher’s whole way of life, not merely intellectual pupils
• English variants: disciples, students, followers
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: the primary audience of the Sermon — those already committed to following Jesus, distinguished from “the crowds” who overhear (5:1–2; 7:28).
• Greek rendering & risk: μαθητής/μαθηταί — High. Modern Greek μαθητής is the ordinary, unmarked word for a schoolchild/pupil (“μαθητές γυμνασίου,” “high schoolers”). The word risks flattening total-life apprenticeship into classroom enrollment. Requires contextual reinforcement throughout the Discipleship doctrine, paired with ακολουθέω (“follow”) language.

Matthew 5:2

Greek: καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων·

Term: ἐδίδασκεν (“was teaching”)

• Transliteration: edídasken
• Literal meaning: was teaching, was instructing
• Semantic range: formal, authoritative instruction (root of διδάσκαλος, “teacher,” and διδαχή, “teaching/doctrine”)
• English variants: taught, was teaching, instructed
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: introduces the Sermon as authoritative teaching, later confirmed at 7:28–29 (“he taught them as one having authority”) — directly load-bearing for the “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” doctrine.
• Greek rendering & risk: διδάσκω — Medium. Stable verb, but must retain the weight of authoritative proclamation rather than being read as mere explanation or opinion-sharing.

Matthew 5:3

Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Term: Μακάριοι (“Blessed”)

• Transliteration: makárioi
• Literal meaning: happy, blessed, fortunate
• Semantic range: a state of divine favor and flourishing, pronounced as an objective declaration (not a wish or a feeling)
• English variants: blessed, happy, fortunate
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: the governing word of the entire Sermon’s opening — a solemn pronouncement of God’s favor resting on those the world does not consider fortunate, grounded in kingdom realities rather than circumstance.
• Greek rendering & risk: μακάριος/μακάριοι — CRITICAL. This is the single highest-risk lexical item in the entire Matthew curriculum for Greek. Modern Greek usage has pulled μακάριος in two damaging directions: (1) as the standard word for “the late/deceased” — ο μακαρίτης, η μακαρίτισσα (“my late father,” “the deceased”) is the dominant everyday sense, risking an association with death rather than flourishing life; (2) colloquially, “κάθεται μακάριος” describes someone blissfully oblivious or naively content — a mildly pejorative sense of foolish unconcern, nearly the opposite of Jesus’ weighty pronouncement of divine favor on those who suffer for righteousness. Every occurrence (9 times in 5:3–11) requires the reader to be actively redirected to the declarative, eschatological sense: a state of favor before God, not an idiom about death or oblivious contentment. Mandatory translator note on first occurrence (5:3).

Term: πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (“poor in spirit”)

• Transliteration: ptochoí tō pneúmati
• Literal meaning: poor/destitute in the spirit
• Semantic range: πτωχός = economically destitute, a beggar (contrast πένης, merely poor); τῷ πνεύματι locates the poverty in one’s inner disposition before God — spiritual destitution/humility, not material poverty nor low intelligence
• English variants: poor in spirit, spiritually poor, humble/destitute before God
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: those who recognize their utter spiritual bankruptcy apart from God — the foundational posture of the kingdom, paralleling Isaiah 61:1 and the OT “poor of the LORD” (anawim).
• Greek rendering & risk: πτωχοί τω πνεύματι — High. Modern Greek πτωχός retains its everyday sense of literal material poverty/beggary; without the qualifying phrase’s force being drawn out, readers may either flatten this to social poverty (a proto-liberation-theology misreading) or, in the opposite direction, misread “spirit” as a claim about mental/emotional weakness. Requires an explanatory gloss anchoring it to humble dependence on God.

Term: βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (“kingdom of heaven”)

• Transliteration: basileía tōn ouranṑn
• Literal meaning: kingdom/reign of the heavens
• Semantic range: God’s sovereign reign, both present (inaugurated in Jesus’ ministry) and future (consummated at the end of the age) — Matthew’s preferred phrase (used ~32 times), synonymous in referent with “kingdom of God” (used by Mark/Luke and occasionally by Matthew himself, e.g. 12:28; 19:24; 21:31,43) but distinctively phrased, likely reflecting reverential avoidance of the divine name in a Jewish-Christian idiom
• English variants: kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, God’s reign, heavenly kingdom
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: the central organizing concept of the whole Gospel and specifically of the Sermon (bookending the Beatitudes at 5:3 and 5:10) — God’s present and coming reign, entered by those the Beatitudes describe.
• Greek rendering & risk: βασιλεία των ουρανών — High (elevated from the baseline’s Medium rating for βασιλεία του Θεού because of a distinct, Matthew-specific risk direction). The baseline flags βασιλεία του Θεού for risk of a political/territorial misreading; βασιλεία των ουρανών carries the opposite risk for a Modern Greek reader — “ο ουρανός” (heaven/sky) is popularly identified almost exclusively with the afterlife destination (“θα πάει στον ουρανό,” “he’ll go to heaven [when he dies]”). This risks collapsing Matthew’s present-and-future, inaugurated-but-not-yet-consummated kingdom into a purely post-mortem, future-only destination, missing the doctrine’s present dimension (e.g. 12:28, “the kingdom of God has come upon you”). A mandatory teaching note must state explicitly that this is the same reality as βασιλεία του Θεού (Romans/baseline term) and is not a different, purely future/heavenly-only kingdom.

Matthew 5:4

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.

Term: πενθοῦντες (“those who mourn”)

• Transliteration: penthoúntes
• Literal meaning: mourning, grieving (often of formal lamentation, as for the dead)
• Semantic range: grief over loss, sin, or the brokenness of the world — not merely private sadness
• English variants: mourn, grieve, those who weep
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: godly grief — over one’s own sin and the world’s brokenness — that anticipates God’s comfort, likely echoing Isaiah 61:2’s “comfort those who mourn.”
• Greek rendering & risk: πενθούντες — Low-Medium. Stable, weighty word (also used of funeral mourning, πένθος), which is an asset rather than a liability here — it retains its gravity in Modern Greek.

Term: παρακληθήσονται (“shall be comforted”)

• Transliteration: paraklithísontai
• Literal meaning: shall be called-alongside, comforted, consoled
• Semantic range: from παρακαλέω — root shared with the baseline’s “exhort” entry (προτρέπω), where the note observes that παρακαλώ also functions as the everyday “please/you’re welcome.” Here the passive future carries the sense of divine consolation.
• English variants: comforted, consoled, encouraged
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: divine consolation given by God himself (a “divine passive”), reversing the grief of v.4.
• Greek rendering & risk: παρακληθήσονται — Medium. Cross-reference the baseline’s exhort note: ensure the passive-divine sense (God comforts) is not read through the everyday conversational register of παρακαλώ.

Matthew 5:5

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν.

Term: πραεῖς (“the meek”)

• Transliteration: praeís
• Literal meaning: gentle, mild, meek
• Semantic range: strength held under control, not weakness — the same word Jesus applies to himself (11:29, “meek and lowly in heart”) and, in the LXX, to Moses (Numbers 12:3)
• English variants: meek, gentle, humble
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: citing Psalm 37:11 LXX nearly verbatim — the gentle, non-retaliatory posture that trusts God rather than seizing power, which will be vindicated by inheriting the promised land/earth.
• Greek rendering & risk: πραείς — Medium. Modern Greek “πράος” can drift toward “passive/weak,” risking loss of the biblical sense of restrained strength; a brief gloss is advisable.

Term: κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν (“shall inherit the earth”)

• Transliteration: klironomísousi tin gin
• Literal meaning: shall inherit/receive as an allotted portion the land/earth
• Semantic range: shares the κληρο- root with κληρονόμος (“heir,” baseline term, Low risk) — a legal-covenantal inheritance, not a conquest
• English variants: inherit the earth, inherit the land, receive the earth
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: the eschatological reversal — those who renounce violent self-assertion receive the promised inheritance, echoing and universalizing the land-promise to Israel.
• Greek rendering & risk: κληρονομήσουσι την γην — Low-Medium. Word is lexically stable and pairs naturally with the established κληρονόμος vocabulary; ensure “γη” is not narrowed to a merely territorial/political reading.

Matthew 5:6

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.

Term: πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες (“hunger and thirst”)

• Transliteration: peinóntes kai dipsóntes
• Literal meaning: hungering and thirsting
• Semantic range: intense, bodily-rooted longing metaphorically applied to spiritual desire
• English variants: hunger and thirst, long for, crave
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: total, consuming desire for righteousness as one’s defining pursuit.
• Greek rendering & risk: πεινώντες και διψώντες — Low. Everyday, stable verbs; the metaphor transfers naturally.

Term: δικαιοσύνην (“righteousness”)

• Transliteration: dikaiosýnin
• (See baseline entry: δικαιοσύνη, CRITICAL.) Contextual meaning in Matthew: here the object of hungering desire — likely holding together both a right standing before God and the practice of right conduct/justice that Matthew’s Gospel consistently pairs (cf. 5:20, 6:33). Greek rendering & risk: reuse baseline δικαιοσύνη exactly; retain the CRITICAL flag, since a Modern Greek reader defaults first to the civic/legal “justice system” sense (Υπουργείο Δικαιοσύνης) rather than the forensic-and-ethical biblical sense.

Matthew 5:7

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.

Term: ἐλεήμονες / ἐλεηθήσονται (“merciful” / “shall receive mercy”)

• Transliteration: eleímones / eleithísontai
• Literal meaning: merciful, compassionate / shall be shown mercy
• Semantic range: ἔλεος-root, covering compassionate action toward those in need, forgiveness of offenders, and God’s covenant mercy
• English variants: merciful, compassionate, shall be shown mercy/have mercy shown to them
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: mercy extended horizontally to others as the condition (not the cause, but the shape) of receiving God’s mercy — a theme repeated at 9:13; 12:7; 18:33; 23:23.
• Greek rendering & risk: ελεήμονες / ελεηθήσονται — Medium (asset with a caution). The έλεος root is a major liturgical asset: “Κύριε, ελέησον” (“Lord, have mercy”) is repeated constantly throughout the Divine Liturgy, making the word instantly resonant and weighty for a Greek reader. The caution: this liturgical familiarity could narrow ελεήμονες to a ritual petition-formula rather than Matthew’s ethical demand that disciples themselves actively extend mercy to others.

Matthew 5:8

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδί�ᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται.

Term: καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (“pure in heart”)

• Transliteration: katharoí tī kardía
• Literal meaning: clean/pure in the heart
• Semantic range: καθαρός ranges from ritual/ceremonial cleanliness to moral/inward purity; καρδία is the seat of will, thought, and moral disposition, not merely emotion
• English variants: pure in heart, clean of heart, sincere/undivided in devotion
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: undivided, sincere inward devotion to God (contrasted with the external, performative religiosity Jesus critiques throughout, e.g. 6:1–18; 15:8), not ritual purity.
• Greek rendering & risk: καθαροί τη καρδία — High. Modern Greek καθαρός is the ordinary word for physical cleanliness (“καθαρό σπίτι,” a clean house) and also carries ritual-purity connotations from Levitical background; the risk is a reading that treats this as ceremonial cleanliness rather than the moral/relational sincerity Matthew intends. A secondary, positive resonance: Orthodox hesychastic spirituality treats purity of heart as a technical stage en route to the vision of divine light (θεωρία) — a genuine devotional asset, but must not be presented as achievable only through a specific ascetic technique; Matthew presents it as available to all disciples.

Term: τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται (“shall see God”)

• Transliteration: ton Theón ópsontai
• Literal meaning: shall see/behold God
• Semantic range: eschatological beatific vision — direct, unmediated encounter with God, elsewhere reserved for the age to come (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2)
• English variants: shall see God, shall behold God
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: the climactic promise of unmediated fellowship with God, the goal of the pure-hearted life.
• Greek rendering & risk: θα δουν τον Θεόν / όψονται τον Θεόν — Medium. Resonates naturally with Orthodox mystical vocabulary of the vision of God (θεοπτία); ensure the promise is presented as Matthew’s own eschatological hope, not narrowed to a technical hesychast attainment.

Matthew 5:9

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται.

Term: εἰρηνοποιοί (“peacemakers”)

• Transliteration: eirinopoioí
• Literal meaning: peace-makers (compound of εἰρήνη + ποιέω)
• Semantic range: active reconcilers, not merely peaceful/passive people
• English variants: peacemakers, those who make peace
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: active pursuit of reconciliation, consistent with the baseline’s εἰρήνη entry (relational, covenantal peace) rather than the Hesychast inner-stillness sense.
• Greek rendering & risk: ειρηνοποιοί — Medium. Reuse baseline εἰρήνη root; ensure the compound’s active sense (making peace) is not read passively as merely being calm.

Term: υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται (“shall be called sons of God”)

• Transliteration: yioí Theoú klithísontai
• Literal meaning: shall be called sons of God
• Semantic range: κληθήσονται from καλέω, same root-family as the baseline’s κλητός/κλήση (divine calling) terms
• English variants: sons of God, children of God
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: adoptive, plural sonship granted to disciples — must be kept lexically and doctrinally distinct from the unique, singular, eternal Υιός του Θεού applied to Christ alone (baseline: CRITICAL, “not… adoptive… [distinct from] Romans 8 applies to believers”).
• Greek rendering & risk: υιοί Θεού — High. The plural υιοί Θεού must never be confused in translation notes with the baseline’s singular Υιός του Θεού; the underlying Greek words are nearly identical in form, so an explicit distinguishing note is required every time both appear near each other (as in Matthew 5:9 alongside later Christological titles).

Matthew 5:10

Greek: μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Term: δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης (“persecuted for righteousness’ sake”)

• Transliteration: dediogménoi héneken dikaiosýnis
• Literal meaning: having been persecuted (perfect passive participle — an ongoing state) on account of righteousness
• Semantic range: διώκω = to pursue/persecute; the perfect tense signals a settled condition, not a single event
• English variants: persecuted for righteousness, persecuted because of righteousness
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: closes the inclusio begun at v.3 with “kingdom of heaven,” binding present suffering directly to kingdom citizenship — persecution is expected, not anomalous, for disciples.
• Greek rendering & risk: δεδιωγμένοι ένεκεν δικαιοσύνης — Medium. Stable vocabulary; the doctrinal weight rests on δικαιοσύνη (see above, CRITICAL) and on the inclusio with βασιλεία των ουρανών (see above, High).

Matthew 5:11

Greek: μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσιν καὶ εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν καθ᾽ ὑμῶν [ψευδόμενοι] ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ.

Term: ὀνειδίσωσιν (“revile/insult”)

• Transliteration: onidísōsin
• Literal meaning: to reproach, revile, heap insult upon
• Semantic range: public shaming/insult, an honor-shame category
• English variants: revile, insult, mock
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: shifts from third-person description (vv.3–10) to direct second-person address, personalizing the Beatitudes for Matthew’s persecuted audience.
• Greek rendering & risk: ονειδίσωσιν — Low. Stable, dignified vocabulary.

Term: ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ (“on my account”)

• Transliteration: héneken emoú
• Literal meaning: for my sake / because of me
• Semantic range: substitutes “for my sake” for the parallel “for righteousness’ sake” in v.10
• English variants: for my sake, because of me, on my account
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: Jesus places himself in the position previously occupied by “righteousness,” an implicit but weighty Christological claim — suffering for Jesus IS suffering for righteousness.
• Greek rendering & risk: ένεκεν εμού — High (doctrinal weight, not lexical difficulty). Ensure teaching notes surface the Christological identification rather than treating this as an incidental grammatical variation.

Matthew 5:12

Greek: χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.

Term: χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (“rejoice and be glad”)

• Transliteration: chaírete kai agalliásthe
• Literal meaning: rejoice and exult/leap for joy
• Semantic range: χαίρω is ordinary joy; ἀγαλλιάω is a more intense, often worship-related exultation
• English variants: rejoice and be glad, rejoice and exult
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: a startling imperative — respond to persecution not with resignation but with active, worshipful joy, because of the reward and the prophetic company it places disciples in.
• Greek rendering & risk: χαίρετε και αγαλλιάσθε — Low. Both verbs are alive and stable in Modern (and liturgical) Greek.

Term: μισθὸς (“reward”)

• Transliteration: misthós
• Literal meaning: wages, pay, reward
• Semantic range: commercial “wages” language repurposed for divine recompense — not earned merit but a gracious recompense promised by God
• English variants: reward, wages, recompense
• Contextual meaning in Matthew: recurring Matthean theme (6:1–18; 10:41–42; 20:1–16) — must be held together with the baseline’s χάρη (grace) entry so reward-language is not read as contradicting grace/unmerited-favor theology.
• Greek rendering & risk: μισθός — Medium. Modern Greek μισθός is the ordinary word for a salary/wage, risking a transactional, earnings-based misreading if not paired with teaching on grace.

Term: τοὺς προφήτας (“the prophets”)

• Reuse baseline προφήτης (Low risk). Contextual meaning: disciples join the lineage of persecuted OT prophets, reinforcing continuity between the prophetic tradition and Jesus’ followers — directly relevant to the “Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy” doctrine.

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PART B — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY, MATTHEW 1–28

Matthew 1 — Genealogy and Birth

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning (Matthew)	Greek rendering	Risk
Son of David υἱὸς Δαβίδ / yiós Davíd son of David	Messianic royal title rooted in 2 Samuel 7; variants: “son of David,” “descendant of David”	Opens the whole Gospel (1:1) identifying Jesus as the promised royal heir; distinct from the merely genealogical “σπέρμα Δαβίδ” (baseline, seed of David) — this is a title of confession, used again by suppliants throughout the book	Υιός Δαβίδ	Critical — risk of flattening a dynamic Messianic acclamation title into a bare genealogical fact; must be distinguished from, yet linked to, the baseline’s σπέρμα Δαβίδ
virgin παρθένος / parthénos virgin, unmarried young woman	Ranges (outside biblical usage) from “virgin” to “young woman”; variants: “virgin,” “maiden”	Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 LXX to ground the virgin conception doctrinally — Jesus’ unique origin	παρθένος	Critical — lexically stable, but doctrinally load-bearing (virgin birth); must not be softened toward “young woman”
Immanuel Ἐμμανουήλ / Emmanouíl ”God with us” (transliterated Hebrew)	A name-title, not a common noun; variants: “Immanuel,” “God with us”	Identifies the incarnate child’s significance; bookends the Gospel with 28:20 (“I am with you always”)	Εμμανουήλ (retain transliteration, with gloss “Θεός μεθ’ ημών”)	Medium — stable transliteration, but doctrinal weight (incarnation) is high
angel of the Lord ἄγγελος Κυρίου / ángelos Kyríou messenger of the Lord	Standard OT/NT divine messenger; variants: “angel of the Lord,” “the Lord’s angel”	Announces the virgin conception to Joseph	άγγελος Κυρίου	Low
he will save his people from their sins σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν he will save… from their sins	Reuses baseline σωτηρία-root verb σώζω and baseline αμαρτία	States the purpose of the incarnation in explicitly salvific/forensic terms	reuse baseline σωτηρία / αμαρτία roots	Critical (reuse baseline flags)

Matthew 2 — The Magi, Flight to Egypt

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
King of the Jews βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων / vasiléfs tōn Ioudaíōn king of the Jews	A political-sounding title with deep messianic freight; variants: “King of the Jews,” “King of Israel”	The Magi’s question (2:2) and Herod’s fear frame Jesus’ kingship as a real, threatening claim from his birth — bookends with 27:37’s mocking inscription	βασιλεύς των Ιουδαίων	High — must retain the tension between apparent political title and the deeper messianic/divine kingship Matthew intends
worship προσκυνέω / proskynéō to fall down before, do homage, worship	Ranges from formal obeisance to a human superior, to worship due to God alone; variants: “worship,” “bow down,” “pay homage”	The Magi “fall down and worship” (προσεκύνησαν) the child — first of several such acts (14:33; 28:9,17) building toward full recognition of Jesus’ deity	προσκυνώ / προσκύνησαν	Critical — Modern Greek προσκυνώ is also the ordinary verb for venerating icons (προσκύνηση εικόνων), a constant feature of Orthodox devotional life. Orthodox theology itself distinguishes λατρεία (worship due to God alone) from τιμητική προσκύνησις (honorific veneration, e.g. of icons/relics) — a genuine and helpful native theological resource, but the curriculum must make explicit, case by case, that Matthew’s uses of προσκυνέω toward Jesus intend the fullest, λατρεία-level sense owed to God alone, not analogy to icon veneration
fulfilled πληρωθῇ / plirothí to be fulfilled, filled up	From πληρόω “to fill/fulfill” — NOT to be confused with πληρώνω “to pay”; variants: “fulfilled,” “so that it might be fulfilled”	Matthew’s fulfillment-citation formula (used ~10 times across the Gospel, e.g. 1:22; 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9) anchors the entire “Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy” doctrine	πληρωθή / εκπληρωθή	High — the near-homophone/near-cognate πληρώνω (“to pay a bill”) is far more frequent in everyday Modern Greek than πληρόω/πληρωθῇ, risking interference; the formula should be consistently rendered with the fulfillment-specific verb, glossed on first occurrence
Nazarene Ναζωραῖος / Nazōraíos one from Nazareth	Place-derived title, also possibly echoing Hebrew netzer (“branch,” a messianic image, Isaiah 11:1)	Concludes the infancy fulfillment-citations (2:23)	Ναζωραίος	Low

Matthew 3 — John the Baptist

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
repent / repentance μετανοεῖτε / μετάνοια / metanoeíte / metánoia change one’s mind, turn around	Ranges from simple change of opinion to a total reorientation of life toward God; variants: “repent,” “turn,” “change your heart”	John’s and later Jesus’ opening summons (3:2; 4:17); the necessary human response to the kingdom’s nearness	μετάνοια / μετανοώ	High — Μετάνοια is also the technical name of the Orthodox Sacrament of Repentance and Confession (Ιερά Εξομολόγησις), one of the seven Mysteries. Risk of narrowing John’s and Jesus’ call to ongoing, whole-life reorientation into the specific, formal sacramental rite performed before a priest. Note should affirm continuity (the sacrament expresses this reality) while keeping the NT’s broader summons primary
kingdom of heaven βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν see Matthew 5:3 above	—	First occurrence of the phrase in the Gospel (3:2), establishing it before the Sermon	βασιλεία των ουρανών	High (see full treatment above)
baptism βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω / váptisma / vaptízō immersion, dipping	Ranges from John’s preparatory rite of repentance to the full Trinitarian sacrament instituted at 28:19; variants: “baptism,” “baptize”	John’s baptism is one of repentance in anticipation of the Messiah — distinct from, though a forerunner of, Christian baptism (28:19)	βάπτισμα	Medium — must distinguish John’s preparatory rite from the full Trinitarian sacrament without denying continuity; Orthodox sacramental theology is well-equipped to receive this distinction, but the curriculum must state it explicitly
brood of vipers γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν offspring of vipers	A severe idiom of denunciation; variants: “brood of vipers,” “offspring of snakes”	John’s, and later Jesus’ (12:34; 23:33), sharpest denunciation of unrepentant religious leaders	γεννήματα εχιδνών	Low
Spirit and fire πνεῦμα ἅγιον καὶ πυρί Holy Spirit and fire	Baptism “with the Holy Spirit and fire” contrasts John’s water baptism with the Messiah’s coming ministry of purification/judgment	Anticipates both Pentecost and final judgment	reuse baseline Άγιο Πνεύμα + πυρ (fire, Low)	Medium
my beloved Son ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός my beloved son	The Father’s voice at Jesus’ baptism (3:17), reused verbatim at the Transfiguration (17:5)	Direct divine confirmation of Jesus’ unique Sonship	reuse baseline Υιός του Θεού	Critical (reuse)

Matthew 4 — Temptation, Call of the First Disciples

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
temptation πειρασμός / peirasmós test, trial, temptation	Ranges from a neutral “test” to a temptation to sin; variants: “temptation,” “test,” “trial”	The forty-day wilderness temptation establishes Jesus as the obedient counter-Adam/counter-Israel, resisting testing where Israel failed	πειρασμός	High — same word used in the Lord’s Prayer (6:13, “lead us not into πειρασμόν”); consistency across occurrences matters
devil / Satan διάβολος / Σατανᾶς / diávolos / Satanás slanderer / adversary	Personal, malevolent spiritual adversary; variants: “the devil,” “Satan,” “the tempter”	Direct personal antagonist testing Jesus with Scripture-quoting temptations (4:1–11)	διάβολος / Σατανάς	Medium-High — ensure a personal being, not an abstract principle of evil, comparable to baseline’s caution against impersonal forces
it is written γέγραπται / gégraptai it has been written / stands written	A citation formula introducing Scripture as settled, authoritative truth	Jesus’ threefold response to temptation, modeling Scripture as the final authority — directly relevant to “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching”	γέγραπται	Low
gospel of the kingdom εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας good news of the kingdom	Combines baseline ευαγγέλιο with βασιλεία των ουρανών	Summarizes Jesus’ Galilean preaching ministry (4:23; also 9:35; 24:14)	ευαγγέλιο της βασιλείας	High (compound of two High/Critical baseline-and-Matthean terms)
fishers of men ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων fishers of men	A vocational metaphor repurposed for mission	The call of the first disciples (4:19), foundational for the Discipleship doctrine	αλιείς ανθρώπων	Low

Matthew 5 — The Sermon on the Mount (vv.1–12 treated above as Core Passage; remainder of chapter below)

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
salt and light ἅλας / φῶς salt / light	Metaphors of preserving/flavoring influence and visible witness	Disciples’ identity and function in the world (5:13–16)	αλάτι / φως	Low-Medium
the Law and the Prophets ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται the Law and the Prophets	Shorthand for the whole OT; reuse baseline νόμος, προφήτης	Jesus claims to fulfill, not abolish, the OT (5:17) — the interpretive key for the “Fulfillment of Prophecy” doctrine and for the antitheses that follow	reuse νόμος / προφήτης	High (reuse — baseline νόμος is High)
righteousness exceeding [the Pharisees] περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν [πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων] your righteousness abounds/exceeds	Combines baseline δικαιοσύνη with περισσεύω “to overflow/exceed”	The named curriculum doctrine “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” (5:20) — righteousness that is internal and complete, not merely external legal compliance	δικαιοσύνη περισσεύουσα	Critical — must not be read as demanding more meticulous rule-keeping (a “more Pharisaic than the Pharisees” misreading); Jesus intends a qualitatively different, heart-level righteousness, consistent with baseline δικαιοσύνη’s forensic-and-transformative sense
but I say to you ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν but I say to you	Jesus’ repeated formula in the antitheses (5:21–48), asserting an authority alongside or beyond the Law’s own giver	Directly load-bearing for “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching”	εγώ δε λέγω υμίν	High
perfect τέλειος / téleios complete, whole, mature	Ranges from moral/relational completeness to modern colloquial “excellent/awesome”; variants: “perfect,” “complete,” “mature"	"Be perfect (τέλειοι), as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48) — wholehearted, undivided love, not sinless flawlessness	τέλειος	High — Modern Greek τέλειο! is common slang for “awesome/cool,” risking trivialization; also risks conflation with the Orthodox technical category of τελείωσις (spiritual perfection/maturation as a lifelong process, related to theosis) rather than Matthew’s this-worldly call to undivided, God-like love

Matthew 6 — The Lord’s Prayer, Treasures, Anxiety

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
Our Father Πάτερ ἡμῶν Our Father	Reuse baseline Πατέρας/Πατήρ	Opens the Lord’s Prayer (6:9), the model prayer	reuse Πατέρας (liturgical Πάτερ ημών)	Critical (reuse)
hallowed be your name ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου let your name be sanctified	Shares the ἁγι- root with baseline άγιος/αγιασμός	Opens the prayer’s God-ward petitions	αγιασθήτω το όνομά σου	High (reuse root)
your kingdom come ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου let your kingdom come	Reuse βασιλεία των ουρανών/του Θεού	Central petition of the prayer, directly tied to the Kingdom doctrine	reuse βασιλεία	High (reuse)
daily bread τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον our bread for today/for the coming day	A rare, disputed compound (ἐπιούσιος); variants: “daily bread,” “bread for today,” “bread for tomorrow”	Petition for daily provision, trust in God’s provision	άρτος επιούσιος	Medium — rare word requiring a brief gloss; well-known liturgically (“τον άρτον ημών τον επιούσιον”) which is an asset
forgive us our debts ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν forgive us our debts	ὀφείλημα = a debt owed; sin figured as a debt	Links forgiveness received to forgiveness extended (6:12,14–15)	οφειλήματα	Medium
lead us not into temptation… deliver us from evil μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν… ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ do not bring us into testing… rescue us from the evil one	Reuse πειρασμός (ch.4); πονηρός ranges from “evil” (abstract) to “the evil one” (Satan, personal)	Closing petitions of the prayer	πειρασμόν / του πονηρού	High — must clarify whether “the evil one” (personal, preferred reading) or “evil” (abstract) is intended; liturgical form is well-known and should be followed
treasure in heaven θησαυρὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ treasure in heaven	Contrasts earthly, corruptible treasure with heavenly, secure treasure	Right ordering of desire (6:19–21)	θησαυρός εν ουρανοίς	Medium
seek first the kingdom ζητεῖτε πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν seek first the kingdom	Reuse βασιλεία	Programmatic priority statement (6:33)	reuse βασιλεία	High (reuse)
mammon μαμωνᾶς / mamōnás wealth, riches (Aramaic loanword)	Personified wealth as a rival master; variants: “money,” “mammon,” “wealth"	"You cannot serve God and mammon” (6:24)	μαμωνάς (retain transliteration)	Medium

Matthew 7 — Judging, the Narrow Gate, True and False Disciples

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
judge not μὴ κρίνετε do not judge	κρίνω ranges from “discern/evaluate” to “condemn”	Warns against a censorious, hypocritical posture (7:1–5), not against all moral discernment	μη κρίνετε	Medium — must not be flattened into a blanket ban on moral judgment, which would contradict 7:6,15–20
narrow gate στενὴ πύλη / στενή ή πύλη narrow gate	Two ways/two gates contrast (7:13–14)	The costly, minority path of discipleship — connects to the “Discipleship and Cost” doctrine	στενή πύλη	Medium
false prophets ψευδοπροφῆται / pseudoprofítai false prophets	Compound parallel in structure to the baseline’s ψευδάδελφοι (“false brothers,” Low)	Warns of wolves in sheep’s clothing (7:15), tested by fruit	ψευδοπροφήτες	High — reuse the baseline’s structural pattern (transparent compound), but flag High because the doctrinal stakes (discernment of false teaching) are greater than the baseline’s false_brothers entry
Lord, Lord Κύριε, Κύριε Lord, Lord	Reuse baseline Κύριος	Empty confession without obedience is insufficient (7:21–23) — directly ties Lordship to the obedience-of-faith theme	reuse Κύριος	Critical (reuse)
authority ἐξουσία / exousía authority, right, power to act	Ranges from delegated permission to inherent, self-evident authority; variants: “authority,” “power"	"He taught them as one having authority (ἐξουσίαν), and not as their scribes” (7:28–29) — the capstone statement of the “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” doctrine	εξουσία	High — Modern Greek εξουσία is a stable, common word (governmental “οι αρχές”/authorities), but the doctrinal point — Jesus’ authority is inherent and unmediated, unlike the scribes’ derived, citation-based authority — must be actively drawn out, not assumed

Matthew 8 — Healing Miracles, Faith, Following Jesus

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
faith πίστις see baseline entry	—	The centurion’s and others’ trust in Jesus’ authority/word alone (8:8–10,13); Jesus marvels at Gentile faith	reuse baseline πίστη	High (reuse)
Son of Man υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου / yiós tou anthrópou son of the man / a human being	Ranges from a generic Semitic idiom for “a human” to the specific apocalyptic figure of Daniel 7:13–14 who receives everlasting dominion from God — Jesus’ favorite self-designation (used ~30 times in Matthew)	First occurrence at 8:20; combines humility (homelessness, “nowhere to lay his head”) with implicit divine authority; recurs through the Passion predictions and the Olivet Discourse’s “coming of the Son of Man”	Υιός του ανθρώπου	Critical — the surface Greek (and English) reads as a statement about mere humanity (“άνθρωπος” = “man/human,” an entirely ordinary word), risking total loss of the Daniel 7 apocalyptic-authority background unless a note anchors it there on first occurrence and at each major theological turn (16:27–28; 24:30; 26:64)
demons δαιμόνια / daimónia demons, evil spirits	Personal malevolent spirits, distinct from the philosophical Greek δαίμων (a neutral or even benevolent spirit/genius in classical usage)	Jesus casts out demons with a word, displaying authority over the spiritual realm (8:16,28–34)	δαιμόνια	Medium — flag the gap between the NT’s uniformly malevolent δαιμόνιον and the more neutral connotations the root can carry in classical/philosophical Greek, to avoid any softening
follow me ἀκολούθει μοι / akoloúthei moi follow me	ἀκολουθέω — total, ongoing allegiance to a specific person, not casual accompaniment	Repeated call/cost of discipleship, including 8:19–22’s severe demands	ακολούθει μοι	High — central discipleship-cost vocabulary; keep paired with μαθητής (see ch.5 note on secular bleaching)

Matthew 9 — Authority to Forgive Sins, Calling of Matthew, New Wine

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
authority to forgive sins ἐξουσίαν … ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας authority to forgive sins	Combines εξουσία (ch.7) with baseline αμαρτία and ἀφίημι (“to release/forgive”)	Jesus claims a divine prerogative (forgiving sins) as Son of Man on earth (9:6) — directly ties Christology to salvation	εξουσία να αφιέναι αμαρτίες	Critical — this is an implicit deity-claim (only God forgives sins, per the scribes’ own objection in the parallel Mark/Luke accounts); must not be flattened into a merely priestly or pronouncement-based sense
tax collectors and sinners τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοί tax collectors and sinners	A fixed social category of the despised and religiously marginal	Jesus’ table fellowship with social outcasts (9:10–13), quoting Hosea 6:6 (“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”)	τελώνες και αμαρτωλοί	Medium
new wine, old wineskins οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς new wine into old wineskins	Agricultural/domestic idiom for incompatible old and new orders	Jesus’ ministry inaugurates something categorically new, not a patch on the old system (9:16–17)	νέος οίνος / παλαιά ασκία	Low
harvest / laborers θερισμός / ἐργάται harvest / workers	Reuse the baseline’s σπείρω/θερίζω root (sow_and_reap)	“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (9:37–38) — mission urgency, leading into ch.10’s sending of the Twelve	reuse θερισμός root	Medium (reuse)

Matthew 10 — The Sending of the Twelve

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
the twelve apostles οἱ δώδεκα ἀπόστολοι the twelve apostles	Reuse baseline απόστολος	Formal commissioning of the Twelve, prefiguring the Great Commission	reuse απόστολος	Low (reuse)
kingdom of heaven is at hand ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν the kingdom of heaven has drawn near	ἐγγίζω = to draw near, be imminent	The Twelve’s message duplicates John’s and Jesus’ own (3:2; 4:17)	reuse βασιλεία των ουρανών	High (reuse)
sheep among wolves πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων sheep in the midst of wolves	Vulnerability amid real danger	Frames the cost/danger of the mission (10:16)	πρόβατα ανάμεσα σε λύκους	Low
confess / deny ὁμολογήσει / ἀρνήσηται acknowledge/confess / deny, disown	ὁμολογέω is the same verb family behind Romans 10:9’s confession of Jesus as Lord (baseline High-risk doctrine)	Public confession of Jesus determines eschatological outcome (10:32–33), paralleling and anticipating Peter’s later denial (26:69–75)	ομολογώ / αρνούμαι	High — cross-reference the baseline’s lordship_of_christ doctrine; confession here is the same category of act as Romans 10:9
not peace but a sword οὐκ … εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν not peace but a sword	Provocative overturning of expectation; μάχαιρα = sword/dagger	Discipleship brings division, even within families (10:34–36) — must not contradict the baseline’s εἰρήνη (peace with God) doctrine, which concerns reconciliation with God, not the absence of relational conflict in this age	μάχαιρα	Medium
lose life to find it ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ … εὑρήσει αὐτήν he who finds his life will lose it; he who loses his life … will find it	ψυχή ranges widely from “soul” to “life” (the whole self)	Paradox of self-denial as the path to true life (10:39), repeated at 16:25	ψυχή (απολέσει/ευρήσει)	High

Matthew 11 — John the Baptist’s Question; Jesus’ Invitation

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
the one who is to come ὁ ἐρχόμενος / ho erchómenos the coming one	Fixed messianic-expectation title (cf. 3:11; Psalm 118:26)	John’s disciples ask whether Jesus is this figure (11:3); Jesus answers with fulfillment-evidence (11:4–6)	ο ερχόμενος	High
my yoke is easy ὁ ζυγός μου χρηστός my yoke is good/kind	ζυγός = yoke, a common rabbinic metaphor for the discipline of Torah-observance; χρηστός = good, kind, useful	Jesus offers his own “yoke” (discipleship to him) as restful compared to the burden of Pharisaic legal observance (11:28–30)	ζυγός	Medium
rest ἀνάπαυσις / anápausis rest, repose	Ranges from ordinary physical rest to the deep soul-rest Jesus offers	The invitation “Come to me… and I will give you rest” (11:28–29)	ανάπαυσις	Medium — note possible (but not necessary) resonance with the Hesychast tradition’s pursuit of inner stillness (ἡσυχία, cf. baseline εἰρήνη note); Matthew’s sense is relational rest found in Christ himself, not a contemplative technique

Matthew 12 — Sabbath Controversies; the Unforgivable Sin

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
Lord of the Sabbath κύριος τοῦ σαββάτου lord of the Sabbath	Reuse baseline Κύριος	Jesus claims sovereign authority even over the Sabbath institution (12:8)	reuse Κύριος	Critical (reuse)
Beelzebul Βεελζεβούλ / Veelzevoúl (transliterated proper name, “lord of the flies/dwelling”)	A name for the prince of demons	The accusation against Jesus that he casts out demons by demonic power (12:24)	Βεελζεβούλ (retain transliteration)	Low
blasphemy against the Spirit βλασφημία κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος blasphemy against the Spirit	Reuse baseline Άγιο Πνεύμα + βλασφημία	The one unforgivable sin (12:31–32) — deliberate, hardened rejection of the Spirit’s testimony to Christ	βλασφημία κατά του Αγίου Πνεύματος	Critical — must be carefully scoped (a settled, hardened rejection, not momentary doubt or an isolated sinful thought) to avoid inducing false despair in sensitive readers; human theologian review required
sign of Jonah σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ the sign of Jonah	Typological reference to Jonah’s three days in the fish	Points forward to Jesus’ three days in the tomb (12:39–40) — ties Fulfillment of Prophecy to the Resurrection doctrine	σημείον Ιωνά	Medium
doing the will of my Father ὅστις … ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου whoever does the will of my Father	θέλημα = will, purpose	Redefines true family/kinship around obedience to God rather than blood relation (12:46–50)	θέλημα του Πατρός	Medium

Matthew 13 — Parables of the Kingdom

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
parable παραβολή / paravolí a placing-alongside, comparison	A short illustrative story teaching a spiritual truth, both revealing and concealing	Jesus’ primary teaching form for kingdom truths in this chapter (seven parables)	παραβολή	Low-Medium
mysteries of the kingdom τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας the mysteries of the kingdom	μυστήριον ranges from “secret truth disclosed to insiders” (Pauline usage) to, in Modern Greek, the technical name for the Church’s Sacraments (τα Ιερά Μυστήρια)	Hidden kingdom truths disclosed to disciples but veiled from outsiders through parables (13:11)	μυστήρια της βασιλείας	CRITICAL — the single most severe sacramental-collision risk in the Matthew curriculum. Modern Greek μυστήριο overwhelmingly means either (a) a Sacrament (Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Marriage, Ordination, Unction) or (b) a “mystery” in the popular whodunit sense. Without a mandatory explanatory note, 13:11 risks being read as “the Sacraments of the kingdom” or as a detective-story puzzle, entirely displacing Jesus’ actual meaning: previously hidden, now-revealed truths about God’s kingdom program
sower and seed ὁ σπείρων / σπόρος the one sowing / seed	Reuse baseline σπέρμα root (note: distinct sense from the Abrahamic/Christological “seed” of Galatians 3, here an agricultural teaching image)	The parable of the sower (13:1–23), foundational for understanding varied responses to the gospel	reuse σπέρμα/σπόρος	Medium
leaven ζύμη / zými leaven, yeast	Reuse baseline ζύμη — note valence shift: in Galatians the baseline entry treats leaven as a negative image of corrupting influence; here (13:33) it is a positive image of the kingdom’s pervasive, hidden growth	The parable of the leaven, paired with the mustard seed, illustrating the kingdom’s unassuming but total transformative growth	reuse ζύμη	Medium — flag the valence reversal explicitly so translators do not import Galatians’ negative connotation into Matthew 13:33
hidden treasure / pearl θησαυρὸς κεκρυμμένος / μαργαρίτης hidden treasure / pearl	Images of supreme, costly value	The kingdom’s worth is such that one gladly sacrifices everything else for it (13:44–46)	θησαυρός / μαργαρίτης	Low

Matthew 14 — Feeding the Five Thousand, Walking on Water

No new theological vocabulary of major weight beyond reused terms: πίστις/ολιγοπιστία (“little faith,” 14:31, reusing baseline πίστη with the ὀλιγο- “little” prefix — Medium risk, since “little faith” must not be read as faith’s absence but as faith under strain), and the disciples’ confession “Truly you are the Son of God” (14:33, reusing baseline Υιός του Θεού, Critical). Also reuses baseline προσκυνώ (14:33, “worshiped him” — see ch.2 note). John the Baptist’s martyrdom (14:1–12) reuses established narrative vocabulary with no new load-bearing theological terms requiring separate glossary treatment.

Matthew 15 — Tradition and Defilement; the Canaanite Woman

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
tradition παράδοσις / parádosis that which is handed down	Reuse baseline παραδόσεις entry exactly (Medium — a maximally positive word in Greek culture)	Jesus critiques “the tradition of the elders” when it nullifies God’s actual commandment (15:1–9) — the risk-scoping note from the baseline (Galatians) applies identically: critique is of tradition displacing revealed command, not tradition as such	reuse παραδόσεις	Medium (reuse)
defiled / clean-unclean κοινοῖ / κοινόν vs. καθαρός/ἀκάθαρτος common/profane vs. pure/impure	Ritual-purity vocabulary reapplied by Jesus to moral/heart categories	”It is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth” (15:11,18–20) — relocates defilement from ritual to moral/internal source	καθαρός / ακάθαρτος (κοινόν rendered with gloss)	Medium
great faith [of the Canaanite woman] ἡ πίστις σου your faith [is great]	Reuse baseline πίστη	A Gentile woman’s persistent faith is commended (15:28), anticipating the Great Commission’s Gentile inclusion	reuse πίστη	High (reuse)

Matthew 16 — Peter’s Confession; the Church; the Cost of Discipleship

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος You are the Christ, the Son of the living God	Combines baseline Χριστός/Μεσσίας and Υιός του Θεού	Peter’s climactic confession (16:16), the theological center of the whole Gospel’s Christology	reuse Χριστός + Υιός του Θεού	Critical (reuse; central doctrinal peak)
rock / church wordplay Πέτρος … πέτρα … ἐκκλησία / Pétros … pétra … ekklisía Peter (rock/stone) … rock … assembly	A deliberate wordplay in Greek: Πέτρος (Peter’s name) and πέτρα (rock) are cognate; ἐκκλησία reuses the baseline term	”You are Πέτρος, and on this πέτρα I will build my ἐκκλησία” (16:18) — foundational text for the “Church and Church Discipline” doctrine, historically the center of major inter-tradition disputes (papal primacy claims Orthodoxy rejects)	Πέτρος / πέτρα / εκκλησία	Critical — the wordplay is transparent and native to Greek (a genuine asset, unavailable to most languages), but the doctrinal application (what exactly the “rock” refers to — Peter personally, his confession, or apostolic testimony generally) must be handled without assuming any one denominational reading; Orthodox tradition reads this communally/apostolically rather than as unique papal primacy — the curriculum should present Matthew’s own point (Christ’s authority to build his church on apostolic confession) without adjudicating later ecclesiological disputes
keys of the kingdom αἱ κλεῖδες τῆς βασιλείας the keys of the kingdom	A stewardship/authority image (cf. Isaiah 22:22)	Given to Peter (16:19) as representative of authoritative gospel-proclamation/access, paired with binding-and-loosing	κλείδες της βασιλείας	High — same denominational-sensitivity caution as the rock/church entry above
bind and loose δήσῃς / λύσῃς you shall bind / you shall loose	δέω/λύω are common Modern Greek verbs (tie/untie), but here carry a technical rabbinic sense: authoritative rulings on what is permitted/forbidden, later also applied to forgiveness/discipline (18:18)	Authoritative, Spirit-guided decision-making entrusted to the apostolic community	δένω / λύω (with mandatory gloss)	High — lexically transparent but the rabbinic technical sense is invisible without a note; do not let the ordinary “tie/untie” sense stand alone
take up his cross / deny himself ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ / ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν take up his cross / deny himself	σταυρός = the Roman execution instrument, a shockingly concrete image of shameful death, not a metaphor for minor hardship; ἀπαρνέομαι = to disown/renounce	The definitive statement of the cost of discipleship (16:24–26) — directly load-bearing for the “Discipleship and Cost” doctrine	σταυρός / απαρνούμαι εαυτόν	Critical — must retain the concrete, shameful, and fatal connotation of a first-century cross rather than being softened into a generic metaphor for “a burden to bear” or a personal inconvenience; connects forward to Jesus’ own crucifixion in ch.27
Son of Man coming in his glory ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ the Son of Man is coming in his glory	Combines Υιός του ανθρώπου (ch.8) with baseline δόξα	Anticipates the Olivet Discourse (ch.24) and final judgment (ch.25)	reuse Υιός του ανθρώπου + δόξα	Critical (reuse)

Matthew 17 — The Transfiguration

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
transfiguration μετεμορφώθη / metemorfóthi he was transformed/transfigured	Same root (μορφή, “form”) used in Romans 12:2’s “μεταμορφούσθε” (theosis-adjacent transformation language) and in Paul’s own theology of believers’ transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18)	Jesus’ pre-existing divine glory is momentarily unveiled to Peter, James, and John (17:2) — a revelatory event confirming Peter’s confession (16:16) and anticipating the resurrection	μεταμόρφωσις / μετεμορφώθη	High — a major cultural and liturgical asset (Μεταμόρφωσις του Σωτήρος, August 6, is a major feast of the Church, and Mount Tabor is a significant pilgrimage site), but the curriculum must distinguish this unique, once-for-all unveiling of Christ’s own eternal glory from the ongoing, participatory transformation of believers (theosis) that shares the same root vocabulary elsewhere in the NT — conflating the two would blur a Christological uniqueness claim with a general sanctification process
this is my beloved Son οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός this is my beloved son	Verbatim repetition of the baptism voice (3:17)	Divine confirmation, again, of unique Sonship	reuse Υιός του Θεού	Critical (reuse)
the Son of Man must suffer δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παθεῖν it is necessary for the Son of Man to suffer	δεῖ = “it is (divinely) necessary” — a technical term of theological/narrative necessity throughout the Gospel’s Passion predictions (16:21; 17:12; 26:54)	Frames Jesus’ suffering as within, not despite, God’s sovereign plan	δεί παθείν	Medium — the force of δεῖ (necessity rooted in God’s plan, not mere inevitability) should be drawn out explicitly

Matthew 18 — Church Discipline and Forgiveness

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
little ones οἱ μικροί / mikroí the little ones	Vulnerable, humble believers (not necessarily children literally, though the chapter opens with a child as the model)	Warning against causing “little ones” to stumble (18:6,10,14) frames the whole church-discipline discourse pastorally	μικροί	Medium
cause to stumble σκανδαλίσῃ / skandalísi to cause to stumble, trip up	Root of English “scandal”; a cause of moral/spiritual downfall	Severe warnings against causing others’ spiritual harm (18:6–9)	σκανδαλίζω	Medium-High
if your brother sins against you ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ [εἰς σὲ] ὁ ἀδελφός σου if your brother sins [against you]	Reuse baseline αμαρτία	Opens the church discipline procedure (18:15–17) — the central text for the “Church and Church Discipline” doctrine	reuse αμαρτία + αδελφός (Low)	High
two or three witnesses / gathered δύο ἢ τρεῖς μάρτυρες / συνηγμένοι two or three witnesses / gathered together	Draws on Deuteronomic legal procedure (Deut 19:15)	Establishes due process for church discipline and communal prayer (18:16,20)	δύο ή τρεις μάρτυρες / συνηγμένοι	Medium
treat as a Gentile and a tax collector ἔστω σοι ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector	Reuse baseline έθνη root (here ἐθνικός, “Gentile person”)	The final stage of unrepentant church discipline — exclusion from the covenant community, not merely social awkwardness	reuse έθνη root	High (reuse)
seventy times seven ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά seventy times seven	Hyperbolic idiom for limitless forgiveness	The parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21–35) grounds church discipline’s ultimate goal in forgiveness, not punishment	εβδομηκοντάκις επτά	Medium

Matthew 19 — Marriage, Children, the Rich Young Man

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
what God has joined together ὃ … ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν what God has yoked together	Marriage as a divine, not merely social/legal, joining	Grounds Jesus’ teaching on marriage’s permanence (19:4–6)	ό,τι συνέζευξεν ο Θεός	Medium
eternal life ζωὴ αἰώνιος / zoí aiónios life without end, life of the age [to come]	Not mere unending duration but participation in the life of God’s coming age; variants: “eternal life,” “everlasting life”	The rich young man’s question (19:16) and Jesus’ answer redirect from law-keeping to wholehearted discipleship	ζωή αιώνιος	Critical — must not be flattened to “a very long life,” and (given Orthodox theosis vocabulary) should be understood as participatory, relational life with God, without collapsing the concept’s clear beginning-point (received now by faith, 19:29) into an exclusively future, gradually-attained state
with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν, παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά with men this is impossible, but with God all is possible	Reuse baseline δύναμη Θεού root	Salvation is God’s sovereign work, not human achievement (19:26) — directly relevant to grace and salvation doctrines	reuse δύναμη Θεού root	High (reuse)

Matthew 20 — The Laborers in the Vineyard; the Ransom Saying

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
laborers in the vineyard ἐργάται τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος workers of the vineyard	An economic parable illustrating God’s generosity	Challenges merit-based expectations of reward — an implicit grace-doctrine parable (20:1–16), consistent with baseline χάρη	εργάτες του αμπελώνος	Medium
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many διακονῆσαι, καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν to serve, and to give his life [as] a ransom instead of/on behalf of many	λύτρον = ransom price (the amount paid to free a slave or captive); ἀντί = “in place of/instead of,” a substitutionary preposition; shares the root of baseline redeem (λυτρώνω/απολύτρωση)	Jesus’ own summary statement of the purpose of his death (20:28) — the clearest single atonement statement in Matthew, load-bearing for the whole Gospel’s soteriology	λύτρον (paired with λυτρώνω/απολύτρωση family)	Critical — must preserve the substitutionary, many-for-one sacrificial sense (a price paid to free others) rather than a vague “help” or “service”; consistent with the baseline’s Critical-rated redeem entry

Matthew 21 — Triumphal Entry; Temple Cleansing; Parable of the Tenants

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
Hosanna Ὡσαννά / Osanná (transliterated Hebrew, “save now!”/an acclamation)	A shout of messianic acclamation, drawn from Psalm 118:25–26	The crowds’ welcome of Jesus as the coming Davidic king (21:9)	Ωσαννά (retain transliteration)	Medium
Son of David [triumphal entry] υἱὸς Δαβίδ see Matthew 1	—	Repeated messianic acclamation at the climactic entry to Jerusalem	reuse Υιός Δαβίδ	Critical (reuse)
cleansing of the temple ἐξέβαλεν πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας he drove out all who bought and sold	Prophetic, authoritative act (echoing Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11)	Demonstrates Jesus’ authority over the temple itself (21:12–13) — ties Authority doctrine to Christology	καθαρισμός του ναού	Medium
the stone the builders rejected λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες the stone which the builders rejected	Direct citation of Psalm 118:22 LXX — a Greek reader can access the Septuagint’s own wording	Jesus applies this to his own rejection-yet-vindication in the Parable of the Tenants (21:42–44)	ο λίθος τον οποίο απεδοκίμασαν οι οικοδόμοι	Medium-High
a nation producing its fruits ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς a nation producing its fruits	Reuse baseline έθνη and καρπός roots	The kingdom is given to a fruit-bearing people (21:43), reframing covenant membership around responsiveness to Jesus rather than ethnicity	reuse έθνη / καρπός	High (reuse)

Matthew 22 — Wedding Feast; Tribute to Caesar; the Greatest Commandment

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
tribute to Caesar Καίσαρι / Kaísari Caesar	Named political authority	”Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (22:21) — a foundational government/authority text	Καίσαρ	Low
the greatest commandment: love ἀγαπήσεις … ἀγάπη / agapíseis / agápi you shall love / love	Greek’s distinct vocabulary for love (ἀγάπη — self-giving, willed love; contrasted lexically, if not always in NT usage, with ἔρως — desiring love, and φιλία — affectionate friendship) is a genuine native asset; variants: “love,” “charity”	The double love-command (love God, love neighbor, 22:37–39) as the summary of the whole Law — directly relevant to “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” (love as the internal fulfillment the Pharisees’ external observance lacked)	αγάπη / αγαπώ	Medium — Modern Greek retains the ἀγάπη/ἔρωτας/φιλία distinction as a live cultural asset, but everyday αγαπώ is used broadly for any strong liking (“αγαπώ το ποδόσφαιρο,” “I love football”), risking dilution of the commandment’s total, self-giving weight; contextual reinforcement needed
resurrection [debate with the Sadducees] ἀνάστασις see baseline entry	—	Jesus defends bodily resurrection against Sadducean denial (22:23–33)	reuse baseline ανάσταση	Critical (reuse)
Son of David / Lord [Psalm 110] υἱὸς Δαβίδ / Κύριος son of David / Lord	Combines the Davidic and Kyrios titles, following Psalm 110’s own wordplay (“David calls him Lord”)	Jesus presses the Pharisees toward recognizing his divine, not merely human-Davidic, identity (22:41–46)	reuse Υιός Δαβίδ + Κύριος	Critical (reuse)

Matthew 23 — Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
woe οὐαί / ouaí woe! (an exclamation of lament/judgment)	A prophetic pronouncement of coming judgment	Sevenfold “woes” against religious hypocrisy (23:13–36)	ουαί	Medium
hypocrites ὑποκριταί see baseline entry (Low)	—	Repeated indictment of external religiosity without internal righteousness (23:13,15,23,25,27,29) — the negative counterpart to “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees”	reuse baseline υποκρισία/υποκριτής	Low (reuse), doctrinally High in context
shutting the kingdom of heaven κλείετε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν you shut the kingdom of heaven	Reuse βασιλεία των ουρανών	Religious leaders actively obstruct others’ entrance to the kingdom (23:13)	reuse βασιλεία των ουρανών	High (reuse)
the greatest among you shall be your servant ὁ δὲ μείζων ὑμῶν ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος the greatest among you shall be your servant	διάκονος — same word later specialized as “deacon” in church usage (cf. baseline’s note on servant_of_sin, where διάκονος’s modern ordained-office sense is flagged)	Redefines greatness as service (23:11–12), anticipating 20:26–28	διάκονος (with note distinguishing generic servant-sense from the later ordained office)	Medium (reuse of baseline caution)

Matthew 24 — The Olivet Discourse (Signs of the End)

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
abomination of desolation τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως the abomination of desolation	A fixed apocalyptic technical term drawn from Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11	A specific sign preceding the “great tribulation” (24:15)	το βδέλυγμα της ερημώσεως	Critical — a technical, historically-anchored apocalyptic term; must not be paraphrased loosely, and its referent(s) (historical and/or eschatological) require careful, non-speculative framing; human theologian review required
great tribulation θλῖψις μεγάλη / thlípsis megáli great affliction/pressure	θλίψις ranges from ordinary hardship to intense eschatological distress	The unprecedented distress preceding the Son of Man’s coming (24:21)	μεγάλη θλίψις	Medium-High
the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου the arrival/presence of the Son of Man	παρουσία ranges from a formal, often royal, “arrival/visitation” in Koine usage to, in Modern Greek, the utterly mundane word for “attendance” (school/class attendance, “θα κάνω παρουσία”)	The technical NT term for Christ’s glorious Second Coming (24:3,27,37,39), combined with Υιός του ανθρώπου	παρουσία	CRITICAL — a devastating secular-bleaching risk unique to Greek among most languages in this pipeline: a Modern Greek reader’s overwhelmingly dominant, first association with παρουσία is classroom attendance-taking, not cosmic Second Coming. Every occurrence must be actively anchored to its eschatological, glorious sense (e.g. via the fuller phrase “η ένδοξη Δευτέρα Παρουσία,” “the glorious Second Coming,” which IS the Church’s own established liturgical phrase and should be preferred as an anchoring gloss)
the end of the age ἡ συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος the completion/consummation of the age	συντέλεια = completion, consummation; αἰών = age, era	Frames the disciples’ question (24:3) and the whole discourse’s scope	συντέλεια του αιώνος	High
no one knows the day or the hour οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι … εἰ μὴ ὁ πατὴρ μόνος no one knows, not even the angels … but the Father alone	A deliberate limitation on speculative date-setting	Directly guards against date-setting/prediction schemes (24:36)	ουδείς γνωρίζει την ημέρα ή την ώρα	Medium
be watchful / be ready γρηγορεῖτε keep watch, be alert	The imperative response to eschatological uncertainty	Concludes the discourse’s practical exhortation (24:42–44), leading into ch.25’s parables	γρηγορείτε	Medium
gospel preached to all nations κηρυχθήσεται τοῦτο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον … ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν this gospel will be preached in the whole world to all nations	Reuse baseline ευαγγέλιο + έθνη	Ties world evangelization to the timing of the end (24:14), anticipating the Great Commission	reuse ευαγγέλιο / έθνη	High (reuse)

Matthew 25 — Parables of Readiness; the Sheep and the Goats

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
ten virgins δέκα παρθένοι ten virgins	Reuse παρθένος (ch.1)	Parable of readiness for the bridegroom’s return (25:1–13)	reuse παρθένος	Medium (reuse)
talents τάλαντα / tálanta talents (a large unit of monetary weight)	A parallel secular-bleaching risk to English: Modern Greek “τάλαντο” also commonly means a natural gift/aptitude (“έχει τάλαντο στη μουσική,” “he has a talent for music”)	Parable of stewardship and accountability (25:14–30)	τάλαντα	Medium — the same drift as English “talent” occurs natively in Modern Greek too; note the parable’s original monetary sense while acknowledging the (harmless, actually helpful) natural-gift resonance for stewardship teaching
the least of these my brothers τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων the least of these my brothers	Identifies Jesus with the vulnerable/marginalized	The criterion of final judgment in the sheep-and-goats parable (25:31–46)	οι ελάχιστοι αδελφοί μου	High
eternal punishment / eternal life κόλασιν αἰώνιον / ζωὴν αἰώνιον eternal punishment / eternal life	κόλασις in Modern Greek is the common word for “hell,” also used colloquially/hyperbolically for any miserable situation (“κόλαση” = “it’s hell here,” of e.g. bad traffic)	The closing verse of the discourse (25:46), pairing final judgment outcomes symmetrically	κόλαση αιώνια / ζωή αιώνια	Critical — the colloquial hyperbolic use of κόλαση for ordinary misery risks trivializing the gravity of final judgment; must be anchored to its full eschatological weight every occurrence

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

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
this is my body / this is my blood of the covenant τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου / τοῦτο … τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης this is my body / this is my blood of the covenant	Reuse baseline διαθήκη; σῶμα/αίμα are ordinary words for body/blood elevated to sacramental significance	The institution of the Last Supper (26:26–28) — words repeated verbatim at every celebration of the Divine Liturgy, making this simultaneously the single greatest liturgical asset and the single greatest risk of collapsing Matthew’s own narrative-historical meaning into exclusively sacramental theology	τούτο είναι το σώμα μου / το αίμα μου της διαθήκης	Critical — must preserve both dimensions without collapsing either: (1) the historical, once-for-all institution narrative Matthew records, and (2) its inseparable connection to the Church’s ongoing sacramental practice; also reuse baseline διαθήκη’s caution against the “last will and testament” secular reading, which is specifically activated here since this is literally a death-context declaration
Gethsemane / not my will but yours Γεθσημανῆ / οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾽ ὡς σύ Gethsemane / not as I will but as you [will]	θέλημα root (reuse ch.6, ch.12)	Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will in anguish (26:36–46)	Γεθσημανή / θέλημα	Medium
betrayed / handed over παρεδίδου / paredídou he was handing over/betraying	παραδίδωμι ranges from neutral “hand over” to treacherous “betray”	Judas’s betrayal (26:14–16,46–50)	παραδίδωμι	Medium
blasphemy [at the Sanhedrin trial] βλασφημία see ch.12	—	The high priest’s charge against Jesus for claiming divine identity (26:65)	reuse βλασφημία	High (reuse)
deny ἀρνήσομαι / arnísomai I will deny	Reuse ch.10’s ὁμολογήσει/ἀρνήσηται pairing	Peter’s threefold denial (26:69–75), the tragic counter-example to ch.10’s confession teaching	reuse αρνούμαι	High (reuse)
seated at the right hand [of Power] καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως seated at the right hand of Power	Combines enthronement imagery (Psalm 110:1) with baseline δύναμη Θεού	Jesus’ own testimony before the Sanhedrin to his coming exaltation (26:64)	καθήμενος εκ δεξιών	Medium-High

Matthew 27 — The Crucifixion

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
crucify ἐσταύρωσαν / estávrosan they crucified	σταυρόω, the verb form of σταυρός (ch.16)	The historical, physical execution of Jesus (27:35)	σταυρώνω	Critical — must retain full historical/physical concreteness; connects directly to ch.16’s cross-bearing discipleship teaching and the baseline’s crucified_with_christ entry (note the perfect-tense theological application there is distinct from this narrative aorist describing the historical event itself)
Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani Ἠλί ἠλί, λεμὰ σαβαχθανί ”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (transliterated Aramaic, itself quoting Psalm 22:1)	A cry of dereliction preserved untranslated in the Greek text itself, exactly as with baseline’s Αββά note	The depth of Jesus’ suffering, including apparent abandonment, quoting Scripture even in his agony — ties Fulfillment of Prophecy to the crucifixion itself	Ηλί, Ηλί, λεμά σαβαχθανί (retain transliteration, with translation gloss)	Critical — retain the transliteration exactly as Matthew himself preserved it (untranslated even for his own Greek-speaking audience), paired with the translation gloss, per the baseline’s own precedent for Αββά
King of the Jews [inscription] βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων see ch.2	—	The mocking inscription (27:37) ironically states the deepest truth of the Gospel	reuse βασιλεύς των Ιουδαίων	High (reuse)
the veil of the temple was torn τὸ καταπέτασμα … ἐσχίσθη the curtain … was torn	καταπέτασμα = the temple’s inner veil separating the Holy of Holies	A dramatic sign accompanying Jesus’ death (27:51), signaling new, direct access to God	καταπέτασμα	Medium
truly this was the Son of God ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος truly this was [the] Son of God	Reuse baseline Υιός του Θεού	The Roman centurion’s confession (27:54) — a Gentile recognizing what Israel’s leaders denied	reuse Υιός του Θεού	Critical (reuse)

Matthew 28 — The Resurrection and the Great Commission

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Greek rendering	Risk
he has risen ἠγέρθη / ēgérthē he was raised/has risen	Reuse baseline ανάσταση verb-family	”He is not here, for he has risen” (28:6) — the climactic fulfillment of every prior resurrection prediction	reuse baseline ανάσταση	Critical (reuse)
worshiped him προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ they worshiped him	Reuse προσκυνέω (ch.2, ch.14)	The women’s and disciples’ response to the risen Christ (28:9,17) — full, climactic recognition of his deity	reuse προσκυνώ	Critical (reuse)
make disciples of all nations μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη make disciples of all nations	μαθητεύω (distinct verb from the noun μαθητής, ch.5) = to make a disciple of, to enroll as a committed follower; reuse baseline έθνη	The Great Commission’s central verb and object (28:19) — the whole Gospel’s missional climax and the doctrine’s core text	μαθητεύσατε	Critical — the imperative verb-form deserves the same secular-bleaching caution as its noun μαθητής (ch.5, “student/pupil”); “make disciples” must not be reduced to “enroll students” or “teach a course,” but conveys total-life, apprenticeship-shaped formation
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 baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit	Reuse baseline Πατέρας, Υιός του Θεού, Άγιο Πνεύμα; the Trinitarian baptismal formula	Establishes Christian baptism (distinct from John’s, ch.3) and states the Trinity explicitly (28:19)	βαπτίζοντας … εις το όνομα του Πατρός και του Υιού και του Αγίου Πνεύματος	High — doctrinally Critical (the Trinity) but with unusually low ambiguity risk: this exact formula is used verbatim at every Orthodox baptism, making it a major liturgical asset rather than a translation problem; ensure exact consistency with established liturgical wording
teaching them to obey διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν teaching them to keep/observe	τηρέω = to keep, guard, observe carefully	Discipleship includes ongoing obedience-formation, not merely initial conversion (28:20) — connects to baseline’s obedience_of_faith doctrine	διδάσκοντας να τηρούν	Medium (reuse baseline concept)
I am with you always ἐγὼ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας I am with you all the days	Deliberately echoes Immanuel (“God with us,” 1:23), bookending the entire Gospel	Christ’s abiding presence with the church until the consummation (28:20)	εγώ μεθ’ υμών ειμι πάσας τας ημέρας	High — the Immanuel inclusio should be actively taught, not left implicit, since the Greek reader has direct access to both bookend texts in identical vocabulary

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Summary Note on Coverage

Every chapter of Matthew (1–28) has been reviewed. Chapter 14 is explicitly noted above as introducing minimal new vocabulary (reusing established faith, Sonship, and worship terms). All other chapters contribute load-bearing terms captured above or reuse baseline Romans/Galatians terminology exactly as recorded. See analysis/08_core_glossary.md for the consolidated glossary table spanning every chapter.