Semantic Analysis — Matthew (Koine Greek), Full Book

Methodology and Scope

This document analyzes every load-bearing theological term in the 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 other chapter receives a chapter-level section covering its load-bearing theological terms with the same analytical fields. Chapters that introduce no new theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated state this explicitly and name the chapters being reused.

Per baseline governance, any term already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json MUST reuse the recorded Ukrainian rendering exactly (e.g. Θεός → Бог, πίστις → віра, δικαιοσύνη → праведність, χάρις → благодать, ἐκκλησία → церква, ἀπόστολος → апостол, διαθήκη → завіт, Ἰησοῦς → Ісус). This document flags each such reuse and adds only the Matthew-specific contextual notes the baseline does not already cover. New terms not present in the baseline are proposed here for inclusion in the extended translation_memory.json.

Fields used for every term:

• Original (Greek)
• Transliteration
• Literal meaning
• Semantic range
• English variants (how English translations render it)
• Contextual theological meaning (in Matthew)
• Destination-language rendering risk (Ukrainian — risk tier, rendering, grounded reason)

---

CORE PASSAGE: Matthew 5:1-12 — The Beatitudes (verse-by-verse)

Matthew 5:1

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”

ὄχλοι (ochloi) — Transliteration: ochloi. Literal meaning: “crowds, multitudes.” Semantic range: masses of common people, sometimes with a connotation of the untaught or the needy, distinct from the inner circle of disciples. English variants: crowds, multitudes, people. Contextual theological meaning: establishes the Sermon’s public setting — the audience is broader than the Twelve; Jesus’ teaching authority (see ch. 7) is exercised before the whole covenant people, not a closed esoteric circle. Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian народ/юрби (natural, no ambiguity); reuse “народи” only for the distinct baseline sense of “nations” (ἔθνη), never for ὄχλοι, to avoid confusing the two Greek terms.

ὄρος (oros) — Transliteration: oros. Literal meaning: “mountain, hill.” Semantic range: a specific unnamed hill in Galilee; also carries deliberate literary resonance with Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai. English variants: mountain, mountainside. Contextual theological meaning: Matthew positions Jesus as a new, greater Moses-figure delivering authoritative teaching from a mountain — directly feeding the doctrine of “The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching.” Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian гора is standard; ensure exposition (not the text itself) supplies the Sinai-typology background, since Ukrainian readers without continuous OT exposure will not automatically supply it (cf. baseline’s repeated caution about readers formed by liturgical excerpts).

μαθηταὶ (mathētai) — Transliteration: mathētai. Literal meaning: “learners, pupils.” Semantic range: in Matthew, ranges from the general crowd of followers to the specific inner circle of the Twelve; always implies committed, ongoing attachment to a teacher, not casual audience. English variants: disciples, students, followers. Contextual theological meaning: central to the doctrine of “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” running through the whole book (4:18-22; 8:18-22; 10; 16:24-26; 28:19). NEW TERM (not in baseline Romans TM). Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Proposed Ukrainian учень (student/pupil) is lexically standard and used in all existing Ukrainian NT translations, but its everyday register (a schoolchild, a pupil) risks flattening the term into mere information-reception rather than Matthew’s sense of costly, total-life allegiance (8:19-22; 10:37-39; 16:24). Exposition must explicitly supply the “committed follower, not merely a student” nuance. Native speaker review recommended; theologian review where discipleship-cost passages are in view.

Matthew 5:2

“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:”

ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) — Transliteration: edidasken. Literal meaning: “was teaching” (imperfect, durative). Semantic range: authoritative instruction, distinct from casual conversation. English variants: taught, began to teach. Contextual theological meaning: introduces the Sermon as teaching with recognized authority (cf. 7:28-29, “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes”). Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian навчав is standard; the doctrinal weight belongs to ἐξουσία (“authority,” treated under ch. 7 below), not to this verb itself.

Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

μακάριοι (makarioi) — Transliteration: makarioi. Literal meaning: “blessed, happy, fortunate” — in Greek moral philosophy, describing a state of flourishing granted by the gods or by right living. Semantic range: ranges from a this-worldly sense of good fortune to (in biblical usage) God’s own pronouncement of favored, blessed status upon someone, irrespective of present circumstances. English variants: blessed, happy, fortunate. Contextual theological meaning: each Beatitude is a divine pronouncement, not a moral suggestion or a self-help formula; Jesus is declaring who already stands in God’s favor under the in-breaking kingdom, based on foundational reversal of worldly status categories. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Proposed Ukrainian блаженні matches the established Ohienko rendering (“Блаженні вбогі духом…”) and is deeply familiar liturgically (it is chanted in the Divine Liturgy of both the OCU/UOC and the UGCC as part of the “Beatitudes” antiphon before the Little Entrance). This liturgical over-familiarity is simultaneously an asset (instant recognition) and a risk: readers may hear it as a beautiful, memorized liturgical formula rather than Jesus’ own startling, counter-cultural pronouncement addressed personally to each hearer. Exposition must restore the force of a personal divine verdict. Human theologian review recommended given the doctrine’s programmatic weight for the whole “Kingdom of Heaven” curriculum unit.

πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati) — Transliteration: ptōchoi tō pneumati. Literal meaning: “poor/destitute in the spirit” (πτωχός = a beggar, one utterly without resources, stronger than πένης “poor but working”). Semantic range: spiritual destitution/dependence on God, not literal material poverty (contrast Luke 6:20’s unqualified “poor”), and not a false humility performed for effect. English variants: poor in spirit, humble in spirit. Contextual theological meaning: the entry requirement for the kingdom is recognized spiritual bankruptcy before God, not achieved merit — an implicit echo of the grace-apart-from-works pattern the baseline flags as Critical for Romans 4 and 11:5-6. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Proposed Ukrainian вбогі духом (Ohienko’s own phrase) is well-established but ambiguous in modern colloquial hearing, where вбогий can carry a pejorative “pathetic/wretched” connotation unrelated to the text’s sense; must be explicitly glossed as spiritual poverty/dependence on God, not literal or figurative inferiority.

βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia tōn ouranōn) — Transliteration: basileia tōn ouranōn. Literal meaning: “kingdom/reign of the heavens.” Semantic range: Matthew’s characteristic circumlocution (avoiding direct use of the divine name, a Jewish scribal convention) for what Mark, Luke, John, and Paul call “the kingdom of God” (βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ) — the two phrases are theologically synonymous in the Gospels, referring to God’s present-and-coming sovereign reign, not a location. English variants: kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, God’s reign. Contextual theological meaning: THE central organizing doctrine of Matthew (used c. 32 times) and this curriculum’s flagship doctrine, “The Kingdom of Heaven.” NEW TERM, closely related to but distinct in wording from the baseline’s existing “kingdom_of_god” entry. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Proposed Ukrainian Царство Небесне, distinct in wording but not in referent from the baseline’s established Царство Боже. This is the single most important terminological decision in this Language Package’s Matthew extension: Ukrainian readers, encountering two different phrases (Небесне vs. Боже) across Romans and Matthew materials in the same curriculum, may conclude these name two different realities — an otherworldly afterlife destination (“heaven,” небо, in ordinary Ukrainian usage meaning the sky/afterlife realm) versus God’s present sovereign rule. This risk is compounded by “небесне” carrying strong exclusively-future/afterlife connotations in ordinary Ukrainian religious speech (rewards “in heaven” after death), which would blunt Matthew’s repeated emphasis that the kingdom is already breaking in (4:17; 12:28) as well as future (25:34). Exposition must state explicitly, at first occurrence, that “Царство Небесне” and “Царство Боже” name the identical reality using Matthew’s own Jewish circumlocution for the divine name, and that the kingdom is both present and future. Human theologian review required for every occurrence in the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount material.

Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

πενθοῦντες (penthountes) — Transliteration: penthountes. Literal meaning: “those mourning, grieving” — the strongest Greek word for grief, elsewhere used for mourning the dead. Semantic range: grief over sin, over the world’s brokenness, over personal loss — Matthew does not narrow the object of mourning. English variants: those who mourn, the sorrowful. Contextual theological meaning: godly grief (not merely stoic endurance) is itself blessed because it is met by God’s own comfort; this reversal-of-values pattern runs through all nine Beatitudes. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian ті, що плачуть / засмучені is unambiguous; the pastoral resonance is significant and positive for a wartime readership carrying acute, current grief (displacement, bereavement) — this should be leaned into rather than treated as a risk to neutralize, following the baseline’s existing pattern for Romans 8’s assurance language.

παρακληθήσονται (paraklēthēsontai) — Transliteration: paraklēthēsontai. Literal meaning: “will be comforted/consoled” (future passive of παρακαλέω). Semantic range: overlaps with but is distinguishable from the baseline’s existing entry for παρακαλέω (“exhort,” glossed as context-sensitive between entreaty and encouragement); here the sense is consolation/comfort, a third sense the baseline’s existing entry does not fully cover. English variants: comforted, consoled. Contextual theological meaning: divine, not merely human, comfort — the passive voice implies God as the unstated agent (“divine passive”), a common Matthean/Jewish convention for reverently avoiding naming God directly, paralleling the οὐρανῶν circumlocution above. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian будуть утішені is standard; note the risk is retaining the baseline’s existing закликати/просити distinction for παρακαλέω without collapsing this new “comfort” sense into either “entreaty” or “encouragement” — this is a third context-sensitive branch for the same root and should be added to translation memory as such.

Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

πραεῖς (praeis) — Transliteration: praeis. Literal meaning: “gentle, mild, meek.” Semantic range: not weakness or passivity, but strength held under control — used of a broken-in horse or a carefully managed temper; a quality Moses is explicitly said to have had (Numbers 12:3, LXX πραΰς) and Jesus claims for himself (Matthew 11:29; 21:5). English variants: meek, gentle, humble. Contextual theological meaning: echoes Psalm 37:11 directly; the meek — those who do not grasp for power or vindicate themselves by force — are guaranteed the ultimate inheritance rather than those who seize it now. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Proposed Ukrainian лагідні (Ohienko’s own rendering) avoids the false-friend risk of смиренні (which leans toward “humbled/submissive,” closer to a different Greek word, ταπεινός) but carries its own risk: лагідний in ordinary Ukrainian can suggest a soft, passive personality trait (mild-mannered) rather than the text’s sense of restrained strength and deliberate non-retaliation, which carries acute, live weight for a wartime readership weighing questions of self-defense, vindication, and forbearance toward wrongdoers. Exposition must clarify this is not a call to passivity in the face of injustice generally, but the specific character of not self-vindicating while trusting God for ultimate justice. Human theologian review recommended given the wartime moral-discourse sensitivity already flagged for “sin” in the baseline.

κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (klēronomēsousin tēn gēn) — Transliteration: klēronomēsousin tēn gēn. Literal meaning: “will inherit the earth/land.” Semantic range: γῆ ranges from “the [promised] land” (Israel) to “the [whole] earth” in an eschatological, new-creation sense; Matthew likely intends the broader eschatological sense given the New Testament’s wider pattern (Romans 4:13, the promise to Abraham’s heirs is “the world”). English variants: inherit the earth, inherit the land. Contextual theological meaning: connects to Abrahamic promise and new-creation hope; ties to the baseline’s existing “Abrahamic Covenant and Promise” doctrine (Galatians 3) and “New Creation” term. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian успадкують землю is standard; ensure “спадщина/успадкування” is not read as a merely legal inheritance-of-property concept divorced from covenant-promise background, echoing the same structural caution the baseline gives for обітниця (promise).

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες (peinōntes kai dipsōntes) — Transliteration: peinōntes kai dipsōntes. Literal meaning: “those hungering and thirsting.” Semantic range: physical bodily deprivation used metaphorically for intense, felt longing — the strongest possible image of urgent need in an agrarian subsistence society. English variants: hunger and thirst. Contextual theological meaning: righteousness (see next entry) is not a mild aspiration but the object of desperate, bodily-intensity longing. Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian голодні і спраглі is vivid and standard, and carries real resonance for a readership with living memory or family memory of famine (the Holodomor) — this resonance should be handled with the same pastoral sensitivity the baseline gives to war-related imagery, not exploited but not suppressed either.

δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) — Transliteration: dikaiosynē. Literal meaning: “righteousness, justice, right standing.” Semantic range: in Matthew this term carries a distinctively ethical-conduct emphasis (righteous living, right practice before God and others, e.g. 5:20; 6:1, 33) alongside the forensic-declarative sense the baseline documents as Critical for Romans (right standing before God received by faith apart from works, Romans 3-4). English variants: righteousness, justice, right living. Contextual theological meaning: this Beatitude and the doctrine “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” (5:20) together require that translators not silently collapse Matthew’s conduct-emphasis into Romans’ forensic-emphasis, or vice versa — Matthew’s δικαιοσύνη is what the justified person does and desires, while Romans’ δικαιοσύνη as documented in the baseline is the status received by faith. Both are true and complementary, but the nuance differs by context and must be taught, not assumed. REUSE of baseline term with an added contextual-nuance note. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical (inherited and extended from baseline). Ukrainian праведність remains the correct rendering (баseline’s existing entry, справедливість remains rejected as a false friend), but this Matthew-specific note must be added to translation memory: distinguish Matthew’s ethical/lived sense from Romans’ forensic/declared sense in exposition, without implying two different righteousnesses. Human theologian review required, consistent with the baseline’s existing Critical tier for this term.

χορτασθήσονται (chortasthēsontai) — Transliteration: chortasthēsontai. Literal meaning: “will be filled/satisfied” (originally of animals fed to fullness with fodder, χόρτος). Semantic range: complete satisfaction, not merely partial relief. English variants: satisfied, filled. Contextual theological meaning: God himself will fully satisfy the longing for righteousness — a promise of eschatological completion. Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian наситяться is standard and unambiguous.

Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

ἐλεήμονες (eleēmones) — Transliteration: eleēmones. Literal meaning: “merciful, compassionate” (from ἔλεος, mercy/compassion shown to those in need or distress). Semantic range: active compassion expressed in concrete acts toward those who cannot repay, not mere emotional sympathy. English variants: merciful, compassionate. Contextual theological meaning: mercy shown becomes the measure/pattern of mercy received (cf. 18:21-35’s unforgiving-servant parable; 25:31-46’s sheep and goats) — a this-life practice with eschatological consequence, not a formula for earning salvation by works (the baseline’s grace-apart-from-works caution applies here too and must be maintained). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian милосердні is standard and shared across all traditions (милосердя is a major devotional and diaconal category, especially visible in wartime humanitarian church ministries — “справи милосердя,” an asset for teaching this Beatitude); care is needed only that “receiving mercy” is not misheard as a merit transaction contradicting the grace doctrine already flagged Critical in the baseline.

ἐλεηθήσονται (eleēthēsontai) — Transliteration: eleēthēsontai. Literal meaning: “will be shown mercy” (divine passive, as in v.4). Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian отримають милість / буде проявлена милість; standard.

Matthew 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (katharoi tē kardia) — Transliteration: katharoi tē kardia. Literal meaning: “clean/pure in the heart.” Semantic range: internal moral and motivational purity, not ritual/ceremonial cleanness (the same distinction Jesus makes explicitly in 15:1-20 and 23:25-26, contrasting inner purity with external ritual washing). English variants: pure in heart, clean of heart. Contextual theological meaning: directly connects to and anticipates the “righteousness exceeding the Pharisees” theme: God evaluates the heart’s motive, not merely external conformity to ritual law. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian чисті серцем is unambiguous lexically; the doctrinal risk is structural, matching the “works_of_the_law” caution already documented in the Galatians extension of the baseline — care is needed that Matthew’s inner/outer distinction is not heard as Jesus disparaging ritual practice as such (a live concern given Orthodox/Greek Catholic obряд-positive piety), but specifically targeting purity-in-appearance-only.

ὄψονται τὸν Θεόν (opsontai ton Theon) — Transliteration: opsontai ton Theon. Literal meaning: “will see God.” Semantic range: the beatific vision — direct, unmediated encounter with God, elsewhere reserved for the eschatological consummation (Revelation 22:4; 1 Corinthians 13:12, “then face to face”). English variants: will see God, will behold God. Contextual theological meaning: the ultimate reward of the pure heart is not merely a moral outcome but personal, direct communion with God himself. Destination-language rendering risk: Low-Medium. Ukrainian побачать Бога; note this phrase has deep resonance with both Orthodox/Greek Catholic theosis-adjacent devotional language of divine vision/uncreated light (already flagged for “sanctification” and “transfiguration” elsewhere in this analysis) — an asset for cultural rooting, provided the beatific-vision sense is not confused with a claim of ontological transformation of nature (the same fencing already required for “crucified with Christ” in the Galatians extension).

Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

εἰρηνοποιοί (eirēnopoioi) — Transliteration: eirēnopoioi. Literal meaning: “peace-makers” (a compound of εἰρήνη, “peace,” + ποιέω, “to make/do” — a rare word, occurring only here in the NT). Semantic range: those who actively create/establish peace and reconciliation between parties, not merely those who avoid conflict or feel calm. English variants: peacemakers. Contextual theological meaning: builds directly on the baseline’s existing High-risk entry for εἰρήνη/мир (“Peace with God,” Romans 5:1); here the emphasis shifts from receiving peace with God to actively making peace among people, as an expression of already being at peace with God. NEW TERM, extending the baseline’s мир entry. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Proposed Ukrainian миротворці inherits the baseline’s already-Critical caution around мир in full force, and intensifies it: since 2022, “миротворці” (peacekeepers/peacemakers) is a live, contested term in Ukrainian political and military discourse (international peacekeeping forces, ceasefire negotiations, and public suspicion toward voices urging negotiated “peace” perceived as premature capitulation). Jesus’ beatitude — a call to active, interpersonal, relational reconciliation flowing from peace with God — must not be read as, nor allowed to be co-opted as, commentary on the wartime political peace-versus-resistance debate. Human theologian review mandatory for every occurrence of this term in curriculum materials.

υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται (huioi Theou klēthēsontai) — Transliteration: huioi Theou klēthēsontai. Literal meaning: “will be called sons of God.” Semantic range: familial belonging and divine likeness/resemblance (a Semitic idiom: to be “a son of X” means to share/display X’s character) — closely related to but distinct from the baseline’s existing High-risk “adoption” (υἱοθεσία) doctrine. English variants: sons of God, children of God. Contextual theological meaning: connects directly to the baseline’s Adoption doctrine and to “called”/“calling” (already Medium-High risk in the baseline); peacemaking is presented as the family resemblance of those who are God’s children. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian будуть названі синами Божими; reuse baseline’s caution on “usynovlennya”/усиновлення (its acute current emotional weight given wartime child displacement) is not directly triggered by this exact phrase, but the underlying sonship-and-family theme is closely related and should be cross-referenced in exposition rather than treated as an unrelated term.

Matthew 5:10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης (dediōgmenoi heneken dikaiosynēs) — Transliteration: dediōgmenoi heneken dikaiosynēs. Literal meaning: “having been persecuted on account of righteousness” (perfect passive participle, indicating an ongoing state resulting from past action). Semantic range: suffering specifically because of righteous living/allegiance to Jesus, not suffering in general. English variants: persecuted for righteousness’ sake, persecuted because of righteousness. Contextual theological meaning: closes the ring of the Beatitudes back to v.3’s “theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” framing the whole set as one unit; anticipates 10:16-25’s fuller persecution teaching and connects to “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus.” Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian переслідувані за праведність is lexically clear; the doctrinal risk is contextual and acute given contemporary Ukraine: readers under active wartime persecution, displacement, and loss may (rightly) apply this verse to their present suffering, but the text’s specific referent is suffering for righteous/Christlike conduct and allegiance, not suffering in general (including suffering caused by war, aggression, or injustice as such). Exposition must honor the real resonance without collapsing the specific category Jesus names into a general theology of suffering. Human theologian review recommended.

Matthew 5:11-12

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

ὀνειδίσωσιν, διώξωσιν, εἴπωσιν… ψευδόμενοι (oneidisōsin, diōxōsin, eipōsin… pseudomenoi) — Transliteration as above. Literal meaning: “revile/insult,” “persecute,” “say [evil]… lying.” Semantic range: verbal abuse, active persecution, and slander, escalating in intensity. English variants: revile, persecute, falsely accuse/slander. Contextual theological meaning: the persecution named is explicitly tied to allegiance to Jesus (“on my account,” ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ) — Christ-centered suffering specifically, sharpening v.10’s more general “for righteousness.” Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian ганьбитимуть, переслідуватимуть, брехливо говоритимуть is clear; no significant translation ambiguity beyond the same pastoral-versus-doctrinal-precision balance noted at v.10.

χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (chairete kai agalliasthe) — Transliteration: chairete kai agalliasthe. Literal meaning: “rejoice and exult/leap for joy.” Semantic range: ἀγαλλιάω is a stronger, more physically expressive term than χαίρω, connoting exuberant, unrestrained joy. English variants: rejoice and be glad, rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Contextual theological meaning: an imperative response to persecution that only makes sense in light of the kingdom’s reality and the reward promised — not stoic endurance but active joy. Destination-language rendering risk: Low-Medium. Ukrainian радійте і веселіться; the pastoral force (commanding joy in the midst of real suffering) should be preserved with warmth, per this Language Package’s general tone requirement for hope-affirming language in a wartime context, without implying suffering itself is denied or trivialized.

μισθὸς (misthos) — Transliteration: misthos. Literal meaning: “wage, pay, reward” (an everyday commercial term for wages earned for labor). Semantic range: in this context, an eschatological gift graciously given, not literally earned wages — the commercial metaphor is used loosely, as elsewhere in Jesus’ teaching (20:1-16), and must not be read as contradicting the grace-apart-from-works doctrine. English variants: reward, recompense. Contextual theological meaning: the reward is “in heaven” (ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς) — future, secure, and of a different order than worldly compensation. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium-High. Ukrainian нагорода is standard; the risk is the same works-versus-grace boundary the baseline already fences around благодать and зарахована праведність — exposition should clarify this is the gracious outcome of a life transformed by the kingdom, not a merit wage that could be independently earned or bargained for.

προφῆται (prophētai) — REUSE of baseline term. Ukrainian пророки, Low risk, per baseline entry. Contextual note: connects the disciples’ coming persecution to the whole prophetic tradition, reinforcing continuity between the Old and New Testaments (see “Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy” doctrine, treated further at Matthew 1-2 below).

---

CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY: Matthew 1-28

Matthew 1 — Genealogy and Birth

Χριστός (Christos) — REUSE of baseline term (Месія/Христос). Transliteration: Christos. Literal meaning: “Anointed One.” Contextual theological meaning: Matthew opens with “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (1:1), immediately anchoring Jesus’ identity in two covenant lines. Destination-language rendering risk: High (inherited from baseline “messiah” entry). Note for Matthew: unlike Romans, where Христос functions mostly as an established second name, Matthew’s opening genealogy is itself an argument for messianic identity through lineage — this argumentative, evidentiary use should be surfaced in exposition, not assumed as background.

υἱὸς Δαυίδ (huios Dauid) — Transliteration: huios Dauid. Literal meaning: “son of David.” Semantic range: both literal descent and the specific messianic title rooted in the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7). English variants: Son of David, David’s son. Contextual theological meaning: the curriculum’s flagship Christological doctrine “Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David”; recurs throughout Matthew (9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15; 22:42-45). NEW TERM, extending the baseline’s existing “David” and “seed_of_david” entries. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Proposed Ukrainian Син Давидів, following the baseline’s established grammatical pattern for “seed_of_david” (з насіння Давидового). Risk: requires explicit Davidic-covenant background (2 Samuel 7’s eternal-throne promise) for readers whose primary Scripture exposure is liturgical excerpts, exactly the gap the baseline already flags for “davidic_covenant.” Native speaker review recommended; theologian review where the title functions as a direct messianic confession (e.g. 21:9’s “Hosanna to the Son of David”).

παρθένος (parthenos) — Transliteration: parthenos. Literal meaning: “virgin.” Semantic range: a young unmarried woman who has not had sexual relations; in Matthew 1:23 (quoting Isaiah 7:14 LXX) the term is decisive for the doctrine of the virgin conception. English variants: virgin. Contextual theological meaning: sign-value — a miraculous, divinely-initiated conception fulfilling prophecy, establishing Jesus’ unique origin from the very first chapter. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Ukrainian діва is lexically unambiguous, but the doctrinal environment surrounding it in Ukraine is exceptionally dense: both the Orthodox and Greek Catholic traditions venerate Mary as Приснодіва (Ever-Virgin) and Богородиця/Богоматір (Theotokos, Mother of God) with an elaborated Marian dogmatic and devotional apparatus (perpetual virginity, intercessory role — cf. baseline’s заступництво caution) that goes well beyond what Matthew 1:23 itself asserts. This curriculum’s Protestant-evangelical frame affirms the virgin conception as a historical, prophecy-fulfilling miracle establishing Christ’s unique origin, without necessarily affirming perpetual virginity or Marian intercession as separate doctrines. Translators must state Matthew’s own claim precisely without either flattening Mary’s significance (a real risk of under-teaching for readers formed by Marian-devotional traditions) or silently importing the fuller dogmatic framework the text does not itself state. Human theologian review mandatory for every occurrence in Matthew 1 material.

Ἐμμανουήλ (Emmanouēl) — Transliteration: Emmanouēl. Literal meaning: “God with us” (Hebrew עִמָּנוּ אֵל). Semantic range: a proper name functioning as a theological title. English variants: Emmanuel, Immanuel. Contextual theological meaning: Matthew supplies his own gloss (“which means, God with us,” 1:23) — direct textual support for the doctrine of the Incarnation, already Medium risk in the baseline, here made explicit and unmissable. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian Еммануїл, with the built-in gloss “Бог з нами” retained exactly as Matthew’s own text supplies it — this self-glossing feature should be preserved rather than assumed already known.

ὄναρ (onar) / ἄγγελος Κυρίου (angelos Kyriou) — “dream” / “angel of the Lord.” Standard terms, Low risk; Ukrainian сон, ангел Господній. No significant translation risk; narrative-mechanical vocabulary.

ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν (hina plērōthē to rhēthen) — Transliteration: hina plērōthē to rhēthen. Literal meaning: “so that what was spoken might be fulfilled.” Semantic range: Matthew’s signature fulfillment-citation formula, recurring at least twelve times across the Gospel (1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9, and variants). English variants: “that it might be fulfilled,” “this was to fulfill,” “in fulfillment of.” Contextual theological meaning: the doctrine of “Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy,” structurally load-bearing across the entire book, not confined to any one chapter. REUSE of the baseline’s existing “fulfillment_of_prophecy” doctrine entry (Medium risk in Romans), but the far higher frequency and structural centrality in Matthew justifies elevating attentiveness here even though the underlying risk tier is unchanged. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium, per baseline. Ukrainian щоб сповнилося сказане [пророком] should be rendered identically at every occurrence per the “Theological Consistency Rules” already established in the baseline’s AI requirements document, given its function as a recurring structural marker readers should learn to recognize.

Matthew 2 — The Magi, Flight to Egypt, Return

μάγοι (magoi) — Transliteration: magoi. Literal meaning: “magi” — originally a Persian priestly/astrological caste; by NT times, a general term for foreign court astrologers/sages. Semantic range: NOT the biblical category of forbidden divination/sorcery (μαγεία, condemned elsewhere, e.g. Acts 8:9-24; 13:6-11) but a specific historical group of Gentile scholars who correctly read a genuine sign from God. English variants: wise men, magi, astrologers. Contextual theological meaning: their worship of the infant Jesus is Matthew’s first, programmatic sign of Gentile inclusion in the kingdom, anticipating the Great Commission’s “all nations.” NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. The traditional Church Slavonic/Orthodox liturgical rendering волхви carries a live, grounded risk in Ukrainian: волхви were the actual pre-Christian pagan priest-diviners of Kyivan Rus’, and the same post-Soviet folk-psychic culture (ворожбити, екстрасенси) already flagged as a risk for “spiritual gifts” and “prophet” in the baseline could color волхви with residual occult/pagan-magic associations rather than Matthew’s sense of Gentile sages rightly reading a God-given sign. Recommended: мудреці зі Сходу (“wise men from the East”) as the primary expository rendering, with волхви acceptable only in direct Scripture-citation register matching the Ohienko text, accompanied by explicit clarification that these were not practitioners of forbidden divination. Native speaker review required.

βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων (basileus tōn Ioudaiōn) — “King of the Jews.” Standard; Ukrainian Царь Юдейський. Low-Medium risk; note the term recurs at the crucifixion (27:11, 29, 37) forming a deliberate narrative bracket — flag for cross-reference consistency, not doctrinal risk per se.

Ναζωραῖος (Nazōraios) — “Nazarene.” Proper-name-derived title; Low risk. Ukrainian Назарянин.

Matthew 3 — John the Baptist

μετάνοια (metanoia) — Transliteration: metanoia. Literal meaning: “a change of mind,” from μετά (“after/change”) + νοῦς (“mind”). Semantic range: a fundamental reorientation of the whole person — mind, will, and direction of life — toward God, not mere remorse or regret (contrast the weaker μεταμέλομαι). English variants: repentance, turning. Contextual theological meaning: the necessary human response preparing for the in-breaking kingdom (3:2, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”), echoed by Jesus himself (4:17). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian покаяння is the standard, deeply established term across all three living Ukrainian traditions, but this very universality is the risk: in Orthodox and Greek Catholic sacramental theology, покаяння names specifically the Sacrament of Confession/Penance (Таїнство покаяння), a discrete ritual act performed before a priest. John’s and Jesus’ call to μετάνοια in Matthew is a comprehensive, ongoing reorientation of life, not (or not only) a single sacramental transaction. This must be explicitly distinguished in exposition, following the same discipline the baseline already requires for освячення’s collision with the ritual blessing of Easter baskets. Human theologian review recommended.

βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω (baptisma / baptizō) — Transliteration: baptisma / baptizō. Literal meaning: “immersion, dipping” / “to immerse, dip.” Semantic range: John’s baptism of repentance (3:6, 11) is a preparatory, once-only rite distinct from, though anticipatory of, later Christian baptism instituted in the Great Commission (28:19). English variants: baptism, baptize. Contextual theological meaning: connects directly to “μετάνοια” above and to the Trinitarian baptismal formula at 28:19. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian хрещення/хрестити is the standard, uncontested term across all traditions but carries heavy sacramental freight (infant baptism and sacramental regeneration in Orthodox/Greek Catholic practice versus believer’s baptism in Protestant/Evangelical practice) that this curriculum must navigate carefully. John’s baptism (preparatory, repentance-signifying) and the Great Commission’s baptism (incorporation into the triune name) should be distinguished in exposition without either passage’s meaning being flattened into the other. Human theologian review recommended for both occurrences (ch. 3 and ch. 28).

Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον καὶ πυρί (Pneuma Hagion kai pyri) — “Holy Spirit and fire” (3:11). REUSE of baseline “holy_spirit” term (Святий Дух, Critical risk per baseline). New contextual pairing with “fire” (πῦρ) introduces a judgment-nuance (cf. 3:12’s winnowing/burning imagery) not present in the baseline’s Romans-focused treatment. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium addition to the existing Critical baseline entry — ensure Дух remains capitalized and explicitly glossed per the baseline’s existing rule (never bare/lowercase дух), and that “fire” here is not confused with any folk-devotional fire imagery unrelated to the judgment/purification sense intended.

Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός (Houtos estin ho Huios mou ho agapētos) — “This is my beloved Son” (3:17). REUSE of baseline “son_of_god” term (Син Божий, Critical risk). Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, per baseline; this is the Father’s own voice at the baptism, textually paralleled at the Transfiguration (17:5) — flag for exact cross-reference consistency between the two occurrences.

Matthew 4 — Temptation, Beginning of Ministry

πειρασμός / πειράζω (peirasmos / peirazō) — Transliteration: peirasmos / peirazō. Literal meaning: “test, trial” / “to test, tempt.” Semantic range: ranges from neutral “testing” to morally-loaded “temptation to sin,” depending on the agent (God tests; the devil tempts to sin). English variants: temptation, testing, trial. Contextual theological meaning: Jesus’ successful resistance to the devil’s threefold temptation (4:1-11) establishes his qualification as the obedient Son/new Israel, in contrast to Israel’s failure in the wilderness. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian спокуса/спокушати (for the sinful-temptation sense) is standard; low ambiguity risk, though exposition should note the neutral “testing” sense exists elsewhere (e.g. of God’s own testing, distinct from the devil’s tempting) to avoid implying God tempts to sin (cf. James 1:13).

διάβολος / Σατανᾶς (diabolos / Satanas) — “devil” / “Satan.” Standard; Ukrainian диявол / сатана. Low-Medium risk; no significant post-Soviet folk-syncretistic collision comparable to “spiritual gifts,” but ensure the personal, adversarial, defeated-yet-active character of the figure is retained rather than a vague metaphor for evil-in-general.

βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἤγγικεν (basileia tōn ouranōn ēngiken) — “the kingdom of heaven is at hand/has drawn near” (4:17). REUSE of the core-passage term above; Critical risk carries forward identically. Note the perfect tense ἤγγικεν implies a state of nearness already achieved, not merely imminent arrival — exposition should preserve this “already begun, drawing near” nuance against a purely future-only reading, reinforcing the core-passage caution about небесне’s afterlife-only connotation.

Matthew 5 (remainder, vv. 13-48) — Salt and Light, Fulfilling the Law, the Antitheses

ἅλας (halas) / φῶς (phōs) — “salt” / “light” (5:13-16). Standard metaphors, Low risk; Ukrainian сіль / світло. Note: φῶς connects to but is distinct from the baseline’s existing “glory” (слава) term; keep these terms lexically distinct.

πληρῶσαι (plērōsai) — “to fulfill” (5:17, “I have not come to abolish the Law… but to fulfill it”). Related to but distinct in force from the fulfillment-citation formula in ch. 1-2; here πληρόω describes Jesus’ relationship to the Mosaic Law itself, not a specific prophetic text. NEW TERM (sense distinct from the ch.1-2 usage). Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian сповнити is standard; the doctrinal risk is structural, directly relevant to the “Law and Grace” Critical doctrine already established in the Galatians extension of the baseline — Matthew 5:17-20 must be read alongside Galatians’ law/grace argument without flattening either book’s distinct emphasis (Matthew: the Law’s abiding moral substance fulfilled and intensified in Jesus’ teaching; Galatians: the Law’s boundary-marking works are not the basis of justification). Human theologian review recommended to keep these two Pauline/Matthean emphases from being harmonized simplistically in either direction.

δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων (dikaiosynē hymōn pleion tōn grammateōn kai Pharisaiōn) — “your righteousness [must exceed] that of the scribes and Pharisees” (5:20). REUSE of δικαιοσύνη (see core passage v.6 note on Matthew’s ethical-conduct sense). This verse names the curriculum’s doctrine “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” directly. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, inheriting the core-passage note in full; additionally requires the γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι note below.

γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι (grammateis kai Pharisaioi) — Transliteration: grammateis kai Pharisaioi. Literal meaning: “scribes and Pharisees.” Semantic range: specific first-century Jewish religious-legal experts and a specific lay renewal/purity movement, respectively — not synonyms for “Jewish people” generally or for “religious people” in the abstract. English variants: scribes and Pharisees, teachers of the law and Pharisees. Contextual theological meaning: Jesus’ polemic (climaxing in ch. 23’s woes) targets a specific first-century intra-Jewish dispute over legal interpretation and external religiosity, not a timeless verdict on Jewish people or Judaism as such. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian книжники та фарисеї is standard and lexically unambiguous, but the doctrinal-historical risk is significant and grounded: given Ukraine’s history of antisemitic violence (pogroms, Babyn Yar — already flagged as a live concern in the baseline’s “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” doctrine), Jesus’ polemic against specific historical figures must be explicitly anchored as an intra-Jewish, first-century dispute (Jesus himself, his disciples, and the earliest church were all Jewish), never allowed to generalize into an anti-Jewish trope. Human theologian review mandatory for all “woes” material (ch. 23) and all Pharisee-conflict material throughout the Gospel.

μοιχεία / ἐπιθυμία (moicheia / epithymia), ὅρκος (horkos), ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθρούς (agapate tous echthrous) — “adultery / lust,” “oath,” “love your enemies” (5:27-48). Standard ethical-teaching vocabulary; REUSE of baseline “love” pattern (любов, already High risk in the Galatians extension for its crowded semantic neighborhood). Destination-language rendering risk: Medium-High for “love your enemies” specifically, given acute wartime relevance — this command must be taught with pastoral care distinguishing personal enmity/interpersonal forgiveness from questions of national self-defense, which the text does not directly address; avoid either weaponizing or flattening this command in a live-conflict context. Native speaker/theologian review recommended.

τέλειοι (teleioi) — “perfect” (5:48, “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”). Literal meaning: “complete, mature, whole” — not flawless moral perfectionism but wholehearted, undivided devotion matching God’s own complete character. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian досконалі risks a perfectionistic, anxiety-inducing reading if not glossed; exposition should clarify the sense of wholehearted maturity/completeness rather than sinless flawlessness, especially important given this verse’s placement as the climax of the “righteousness exceeding the Pharisees” section.

Matthew 6 — Piety, Prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer

Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (Pater hēmōn ho en tois ouranois) — “Our Father in heaven.” REUSE of baseline “father” (Отець, High risk). Destination-language rendering risk: High, per baseline, with the added note that “ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς” here should use the same lexical family (небесний) as “kingdom of heaven” above for consistency, while exposition again clarifies “heaven” names God’s transcendent sovereignty, not merely a remote afterlife location.

ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου / ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου (hagiasthētō to onoma sou / elthetō hē basileia sou) — “hallowed be your name” / “your kingdom come.” REUSE of baseline “holy” (святий) and this document’s own “kingdom of heaven” entry above. Destination-language rendering risk: High/Critical respectively, per the relevant entries; note that “your kingdom come” (βασιλεία σου, without the τῶν οὐρανῶν circumlocution) is one of the rare places in the Lord’s Prayer itself using the shorter form, requiring the same “identical referent” clarification as noted at 5:3.

τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον (ton arton hēmōn ton epiousion) — “our daily bread.” ἐπιούσιος is a notoriously rare, disputed word (possibly “bread for today,” “bread for the coming day,” or “bread needed for existence”). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Low-Medium. Ukrainian хліб наш насущний (Ohienko/established liturgical phrasing, shared across all traditions as part of the universally prayed Lord’s Prayer) should be retained exactly as the existing shared liturgical text, requiring no innovation.

ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν (aphes hēmin ta opheilēmata hēmōn) — “forgive us our debts/trespasses.” Standard; Ukrainian прости нам провини наші (established liturgical phrasing). Low-Medium risk; note connection to ch.18’s unforgiving-servant parable for cross-reference consistency.

μαμωνᾶς (mamōnas) — Transliteration: mamōnas. Literal meaning: an Aramaic loanword for “wealth, money, property,” personified in 6:24 (“You cannot serve God and mammon”). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian retains the transliteration мамона, well-established across all Bible translation traditions; low ambiguity risk.

Matthew 7 — Judging, the Narrow Gate, Authority

μὴ κρίνετε (mē krinete) — “do not judge” (7:1). Related to but distinct from ch. 24-25’s eschatological judgment vocabulary (κρίσις); here the sense is interpersonal, censorious judgment of others’ faults. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian не судіть; risk is conflation with the distinct eschatological “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine — exposition should clarify these are related but distinguishable senses of the κριν- word family, avoiding either “don’t judge anything ever” (which would contradict 7:15-20’s call to discern false prophets in the same chapter) or losing the eschatological weight of the later judgment material.

ἐξουσία (exousia) — Transliteration: exousia. Literal meaning: “authority, power, right to act.” Semantic range: delegated or inherent right/authority to act or command, distinct from mere raw force or ability (δύναμις, already treated in the baseline as “power_of_god”). English variants: authority, power. Contextual theological meaning: 7:28-29’s climax — “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” — names the curriculum’s doctrine “The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” directly, and recurs at 8:9 (the centurion’s own authority), 9:6, 8 (authority to forgive sins), 21:23-27 (authority questioned), and 28:18 (“all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian влада is the standard and correct rendering, but carries a grounded, live risk in the current Ukrainian context distinct from, though related to, the baseline’s existing caution about Romans 13’s authority-of-government passage: влада is the ordinary Ukrainian word for “the authorities/the government,” an intensely live and contested term in current political discourse (wartime governance, martial law, public trust in state institutions). Jesus’ unique, self-authenticating teaching authority (7:29) and his climactic universal authority (28:18) must be clearly distinguished from any implicit commentary on contemporary state authority. Human theologian review recommended, extending the baseline’s existing Romans 13 caution into this new context.

Matthew 8-9 — Miracles, Faith, Son of Man’s Authority

πίστις (pistis) — REUSE of baseline term (віра, High risk). Contextual note for Matthew 8-9: repeatedly the object of Jesus’ commendation (“your faith has made you well,” “I have not found such faith,” the centurion’s faith, 8:10) and of his mild rebuke (“why are you afraid, O you of little faith,” 8:26; ὀλιγόπιστος, “little-faith,” a term unique to Matthew’s vocabulary, 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8). Destination-language rendering risk: High, per baseline; NEW sub-term ὀλιγόπιστος (Ukrainian малої віри) should be added to translation memory as a Matthew-specific compound, Medium-High risk, requiring exposition that this is gentle correction within an already-trusting relationship, not condemnation.

Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (Huios tou anthrōpou) — Transliteration: Huios tou anthrōpou. Literal meaning: “son of man/of humanity.” Semantic range: Jesus’ favored self-designation (used c. 30 times in Matthew), rooted in Daniel 7:13-14’s exalted, dominion-receiving heavenly figure — NOT merely a humble synonym for “a human being,” though it does carry that connotation on the surface (a deliberately ambiguous, riddle-like title that both conceals and reveals). English variants: Son of Man. Contextual theological meaning: 9:6, “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — directly ties this title to the authority doctrine above; recurs at the Transfiguration, Olivet Discourse (ch. 24-25), and trial (26:64). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian Син Людський (the established Ohienko rendering) is correct but risks being heard as a merely humble, self-effacing title (“a human being,” emphasizing lowliness) by readers unaware of the Daniel 7 background, thereby losing the title’s simultaneous claim to divine authority and eschatological glory. Must be explicitly distinguished from, yet held together with, “Son of God” (Син Божий) — the two titles are complementary, not competing, and readers should not conclude Jesus claimed only humanity via one title and only deity via the other; Matthew presents both as true of the one person. Human theologian review recommended at first occurrence and at ch. 24-26 usages.

Matthew 10 — The Twelve, Mission Discourse

οἱ δώδεκα (hoi dōdeka) / ἀπόστολοι (apostoloi) — “the Twelve” / “apostles.” REUSE of baseline “apostle” term (апостол, Medium risk). Contextual note: Matthew 10 is the specific commissioning and naming of the Twelve, directly relevant to but distinct from Paul’s own defended apostleship discussed in the Galatians extension of the baseline; no contradiction, but note the difference between the Twelve’s foundational commissioning and Paul’s later, contested apostolic claim.

οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν (ouk ēlthon balein eirēnēn alla machairan) — “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (10:34). REUSE of baseline “peace” (мир, High risk per baseline, intensified here). Destination-language rendering risk: Critical in this specific context: this saying, read carelessly against the backdrop of the baseline’s already-flagged acute wartime weight of мир, risks being badly misheard as endorsing armed conflict or opposing peace-seeking as such. The actual referent is the social/familial division discipleship to Christ can provoke (10:35-37), not a statement about warfare or national conflict. Human theologian review mandatory.

ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ … εὑρήσει αὐτήν (apolesei tēn psychēn autou … heurēsei autēn) — “whoever loses his life… will find it” (10:39, echoed 16:25). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian втратить свою душу… знайде її; ψυχή here means “life” in the sense of one’s whole self/existence, not narrowly the “soul” as distinct from body — care is needed that Ukrainian душа (which in ordinary usage strongly suggests the immaterial soul distinct from the body, reinforced by icon theology’s body/soul framework) does not narrow this saying’s holistic “losing/finding one’s whole life for Christ’s sake” sense into a purely spiritual-soul transaction divorced from the doctrine of “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus,” which concerns one’s whole life, allegiance, and possessions.

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

ζυγός μου (zygos mou) / ἀνάπαυσις (anapausis) — “my yoke” / “rest” (11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium-High. Ukrainian ярмо / спокій. Note the deliberate contrast with the baseline’s Galatians extension entry for ярмо рабства (“yoke of slavery,” High risk) — Jesus’ yoke here is explicitly the opposite category (light, restful, freely embraced), and this contrast is a genuine teaching opportunity rather than a translation risk per se, but translators must not accidentally use identical phrasing for both “yokes” in a way that erases the deliberate contrast Scripture itself draws between them.

Matthew 12 — Sabbath Controversies, Sign of Jonah, Unforgivable Sin

Κύριος τοῦ σαββάτου (Kyrios tou sabbatou) — “Lord of the Sabbath” (12:8). REUSE of baseline “lord” term (Господь, Critical risk per baseline). Contextual note: here applied to the Son of Man’s authority over the Sabbath institution itself, a strong implicit divine claim — flag for the same “Lordship of Christ” doctrine already Critical in the baseline.

βλασφημία εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα (blasphēmia eis to Pneuma) — “blasphemy against the Spirit” (12:31-32). REUSE of baseline “holy_spirit” (Святий Дух, Critical). NEW compound term βλασφημία (“blasphemy,” Ukrainian хула). Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. This is one of the most pastorally sensitive statements in the Gospel (an unforgivable sin); must be explicitly, carefully taught (following the church’s traditional understanding as persistent, willful rejection of the Spirit’s witness to Christ, not a single blasphemous utterance or momentary doubt) to prevent readers with scrupulous conscience — a genuine pastoral risk in any context, intensified by the acute anxiety and moral distress many readers carry amid ongoing war — from wrongly fearing they have committed this specific sin. Human theologian review mandatory.

Matthew 13 — Parables of the Kingdom

παραβολή (parabolē) — Transliteration: parabolē. Literal meaning: “a placing beside” — a comparison, illustrative story. English variants: parable. Contextual theological meaning: Jesus’ primary teaching form for kingdom truths in this chapter (seven parables). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Low. Ukrainian притча is standard and uncontested across all traditions.

μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας (mystēria tēs basileias) — Transliteration: mystēria tēs basileias. Literal meaning: “mysteries of the kingdom.” Semantic range: previously hidden divine truths now disclosed to those with “ears to hear” but concealed from others (13:11-17) — an epistemological/revelatory category, not a ritual category. English variants: secrets/mysteries of the kingdom. Contextual theological meaning: explains the parabolic method itself — parables simultaneously reveal to receptive hearers and conceal from unreceptive ones. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Ukrainian таємниці Царства is lexically direct, but μυστήριον’s cognate Тайна/Таїнство is the standard Orthodox and Greek Catholic word for “Sacrament” (the Seven Holy Mysteries/Sacraments, Святі Тайни) — a reader from either majority tradition could easily, and wrongly, hear “mysteries of the kingdom” as a reference to sacramental rites rather than Jesus’ own sense of previously-hidden revealed truth. This must be explicitly fenced in exposition. Human theologian review mandatory.

βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοία ἐστίν (basileia tōn ouranōn homoia estin) — “the kingdom of heaven is like…” REUSE of core-passage “kingdom of heaven” entry (Critical), repeated seven times structurally through this chapter’s parables (mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl, net, weeds, sower). Consistency in rendering is essential per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rules.

συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (synteleia tou aiōnos) — Transliteration: synteleia tou aiōnos. Literal meaning: “the completion/consummation of the age.” Semantic range: αἰών denotes a bounded temporal epoch, not the physical cosmos (κόσμος) — “end of the age” is conceptually distinct from “end of the world” in the sense of cosmic annihilation. English variants: end of the age, end of the world (imprecise), consummation of the age. Contextual theological meaning: names the curriculum’s doctrine “Judgment and the End of the Age” directly (13:39-40, 49; recurring 24:3; 28:20). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian кінець віку should be preferred over a rendering using світ (“world,” suggesting cosmic destruction) to preserve the temporal/epochal sense; exposition should clarify this names the transition between the present age and the age to come, not the physical annihilation of creation, which Scripture elsewhere describes as renewed rather than destroyed (cf. baseline’s “new_creation” entry from the Galatians extension).

Matthew 14 — Feeding of the 5,000; Walking on Water

No new theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated (ὀλιγόπιστος, ch. 8-9; πίστις, baseline; υἱὸς Θεοῦ, baseline/ch.3, confessed again at 14:33). Reuses established terms from ch. 1-13.

Matthew 15 — Tradition, Defilement, the Canaanite Woman

παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων (paradosis tōn presbyterōn) — Transliteration: paradosis tōn presbyterōn. Literal meaning: “the tradition of the elders.” Semantic range: specific rabbinic oral legal traditions and rulings elaborating the Mosaic Law, which Jesus criticizes here for nullifying God’s actual commandment (15:3-6) — not a criticism of tradition or ordinance as an abstract category. English variants: the tradition of the elders, human tradition. Contextual theological meaning: sharpens the “righteousness exceeding the Pharisees” doctrine by locating the failure specifically in prioritizing human legal tradition over God’s revealed will and the heart’s actual condition (15:8-9, 18-20). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. This is among the most doctrinally sensitive terms in the entire Matthew curriculum for a Ukrainian audience: Передання (capital-T Holy Tradition — apostolic teaching, patristic interpretation, and conciliar decisions held jointly authoritative with Scripture) is a core, positively-regarded theological category for both the Orthodox and Greek Catholic traditions, already flagged as relevant to the baseline’s “Inspiration of Scripture” doctrine (Critical/High). A careless rendering of παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων using an unqualified cognate of Передання risks being heard as Jesus condemning Holy Tradition itself as a category, rather than his actual, narrower target: a specific set of human legal rulings (e.g., korban vow-traditions, 15:5-6) being used to circumvent God’s commandment. Recommended: людське передання старійшин (with the lower-case, qualifying “human” and “of the elders” retained) to keep this passage’s target visibly narrow and historically specific, explicitly distinguished from Передання as the Orthodox/Greek Catholic theological category. Human theologian review mandatory for every occurrence in ch. 15 and the parallel material in ch. 23.

Χαναναία γυνή (Chananaia gynē) / πίστις (pistis) — “Canaanite woman” / faith. REUSE of baseline “faith”; contextual note: a Gentile woman’s persistent faith is commended above native-born unbelief, anticipating “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” and the Great Commission’s universal scope. No new lexical risk beyond the baseline’s existing faith entry.

Matthew 16 — Peter’s Confession; the Church; Keys of the Kingdom

Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (Sy ei ho Christos, ho Huios tou Theou tou zōntos) — “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16). REUSE of baseline “messiah” and “son_of_god” terms (both Critical/High per baseline). This is the Gospel’s climactic confession of Jesus’ identity, structurally paired with 27:54’s centurion confession — flag for exact rendering consistency between the two, per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rules.

ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) — REUSE of baseline term (церква, Critical risk). Contextual note for Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church” is the New Testament’s very first occurrence of this word applied to the Christian community — the founding textual moment for the doctrine “The Church and Church Discipline.” Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, per baseline, with added Matthew-specific weight: this verse is a primary proof-text in longstanding East-West debates over the nature and locus of Christ’s founding of the church (papal-primacy readings historically associated with Western/Catholic tradition, including the Greek Catholic Church in communion with Rome, versus Orthodox readings emphasizing the confession of faith or Christ himself as the “rock”). This exegetical fault line runs directly through Ukraine’s own three-way ecclesial landscape (OCU/UOC/UGCC). This curriculum’s teaching must present the verse’s plain sense (Christ himself builds and secures his church against the powers of death/Hades) without adjudicating or appearing to adjudicate the historical papal-primacy debate. Human theologian review mandatory.

κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν (kleidas tēs basileias tōn ouranōn) / δήσῃς… λύσῃς (dēsēs… lysēs) — “keys of the kingdom of heaven” / “bind… loose” (16:19). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Ukrainian ключі Царства Небесного / зв’яжеш… розв’яжеш. This is directly and unavoidably entangled with the papal-primacy question just flagged above (the “power of the keys,” historically the central biblical warrant for claims about Petrine and episcopal authority to forgive sins, exercised sacramentally in Confession across both the Orthodox and Greek Catholic traditions). The bind/loose language recurs at 18:18 in the church-discipline context (see ch. 18 below), broadening its referent beyond Peter alone to the gathered community of disciples. This curriculum must teach the verse’s function (authoritative, Spirit-guided declaration, following the pattern of rabbinic bind/loose halakhic language) without resolving the papal-primacy question either direction. Human theologian review mandatory for every occurrence (16:19; 18:18).

σταυρόν αὐτοῦ (stauron autou) / ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν (aparnēsasthō heauton) — “his cross” / “deny himself” (16:24-26). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian хрест / зречеться себе. The cross (хрест) is one of the most visually and culturally omnipresent Christian symbols in Ukraine (worn as jewelry, displayed on churches and roadside shrines, a national as well as religious symbol); risk is that its sheer cultural ubiquity flattens “take up your cross” into a decorative or merely national-cultural symbol rather than Jesus’ call to costly, potentially life-threatening self-denying discipleship — an acute point of contact, not merely an abstraction, for a readership living through war. Native speaker/theologian review recommended.

Matthew 17 — Transfiguration

μετεμορφώθη (metemorphōthē) — Transliteration: metemorphōthē. Literal meaning: “was transformed/transfigured in appearance” (from μεταμορφόω, root of English “metamorphosis”). Semantic range: a temporary, visible manifestation of Jesus’ hidden divine glory to three witnesses, distinct from a permanent bodily change. English variants: was transfigured, was transformed. Contextual theological meaning: confirms Jesus’ divine sonship (echoing 3:17’s baptismal voice) and connects him to the Law and Prophets (Moses and Elijah). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Ukrainian преобразився, and the event itself, Преображення — one of the twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year (Преображення Господнє, celebrated August 19 across both the Orthodox and Greek Catholic calendars), deeply tied to Palamite uncreated-light theology (the “Tabor light,” τὸ φῶς τοῦ Θαβώρ) already flagged in the baseline as the source of the sensitive Orthodox-specific theological vocabulary around “energies” (already noted for “power_of_god”). This is structurally the same collision pattern the baseline documents as Critical for “sanctification”/theosis: the event’s rich devotional and feast-day associations are a genuine asset for cultural rooting but must not be allowed to import a fuller theosis-based interpretive framework (the uncreated divine light made permanently accessible to believers through sacramental union) beyond what Matthew’s own narrative claims (a temporary revelatory disclosure to three witnesses, confirming Jesus’ identity before the Passion). Human theologian review mandatory.

Matthew 18 — Church Discipline

τῆς ἐκκλησίας (tēs ekklēsias) — “tell it to the church” (18:15-17). REUSE of baseline church term (церква, Critical). Contextual note: this passage, together with 16:19, is the founding textual basis for the doctrine “The Church and Church Discipline.” Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, per baseline, with the added Matthew-specific instruction that this passage’s process (private correction, then before witnesses, then before the gathered community) must be framed as local congregational/церква practice applicable within any faithful local церква (or, per the baseline’s suggested clarifying synonym, громада), never as an implicit endorsement of any one Ukrainian ecclesial jurisdiction’s formal disciplinary or excommunication procedures (paralleling the baseline’s existing “anathema” caution in the Galatians extension). Human theologian review mandatory.

δήσητε… λύσητε (dēsēte… lysēte) — “bind… loose” (18:18). REUSE of the ch. 16 term above, now applied to the gathered community rather than Peter alone. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, per the ch. 16 entry; the plural verb form here (addressed to the disciples collectively) should be exposited as broadening, not replacing, the ch. 16 grant — care is needed not to imply either a contradiction between the two texts or that ch. 18 supersedes ch. 16’s Petrine-specific grant, a live point of interpretive dispute best left unresolved by this curriculum.

συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα (synēgmenoi eis to emon onoma) — “gathered in my name” (18:20, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them”). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian зібрані в Моє ім’я; a beloved, frequently-quoted pastoral verse across all traditions; low doctrinal risk, but ensure it is not read as promising Christ’s presence only in small gatherings (a possible over-literal misreading) rather than his general promise of presence to his gathered people regardless of numbers.

ὀφειλέτης / ἄφες (opheiletēs / aphes) — “debtor” / “forgive” — the Unforgiving Servant parable (18:23-35). REUSE of the ch. 6 “forgive us our debts” pattern; extends it into a parable about the necessity of forgiving others as a consequence, not a cause, of having been forgiven by God (echoing the grace-not-works caution already Critical in the baseline). Destination-language rendering risk: Medium-High; ensure exposition preserves this order (forgiven, therefore forgiving) rather than implying forgiveness from God is conditioned on first forgiving others, which would contradict the baseline’s Critical grace doctrine.

Matthew 19 — Marriage, Divorce, the Rich Young Man

ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) — Transliteration: zōē aiōnios. Literal meaning: “life of the age [to come], eternal life.” Semantic range: not merely unending duration but a qualitatively different, age-to-come quality of life, already accessible in relationship with God through Christ and consummated at the resurrection. English variants: eternal life, everlasting life. Contextual theological meaning: 19:16, 29, the rich young man’s question and Jesus’ promise to those who forsake all to follow him; recurs at 25:46, forming a bracket with “eternal punishment.” NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian життя вічне; standard and clear, but ensure “вічне” is not heard as merely “endless duration” divorced from the qualitative, relational, kingdom-inaugurated sense (cf. John 17:3’s definition, held in view even though outside Matthew), and note the direct connection to “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” (19:27-29’s “what then shall we have?”).

Matthew 20 — Laborers in the Vineyard; the Son of Man’s Ransom

λύτρον (lytron) — Transliteration: lytron. Literal meaning: “ransom price” — the payment made to redeem a slave or captive. Semantic range: a specific commercial/legal metaphor for costly release from bondage, applied here to Christ’s own death. English variants: ransom. Contextual theological meaning: 20:28, “the Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many” — one of Matthew’s clearest atonement statements, directly relevant to the baseline’s existing escalation rule flagging “atonement/propitiation language” for mandatory theologian review (originally noted at Romans 3:25). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian викуп is standard and lexically clear; risk is doctrinal-completeness, ensuring the substitutionary, costly nature of the ransom (Christ’s life given “for many,” ἀντὶ πολλῶν, a substitutionary preposition) is not flattened into a vague, general “sacrifice” or “help.” Human theologian review recommended, consistent with the baseline’s existing atonement-language escalation rule.

Matthew 21 — Triumphal Entry, Temple, Parable of the Tenants

Ὡσαννά τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ (Hōsanna tō huiō Dauid) — “Hosanna to the Son of David” (21:9). REUSE of ch.1 “Son of David” term (Син Давидів, High risk) plus Ὡσαννά, transliterated Осанна (an untranslated Hebrew liturgical acclamation, “save now/please”), a low-risk transliterated term already familiar liturgically across all traditions (used in the Divine Liturgy’s Sanctus-adjacent acclamations). Destination-language rendering risk: High, inheriting the Son of David entry; this is the messianic title’s most public, crowd-acclaimed occurrence in the Gospel and should be exposited with its full triumphal-yet-soon-rejected irony (the same crowd’s acclamation is followed within days by the crucifixion crowd’s rejection).

βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ (basileia tou Theou) — “kingdom of God” (21:31, 43) — one of Matthew’s rare uses of the shorter, non-circumlocuted form elsewhere used by Mark, Luke, John, and Paul (and already the baseline’s established Romans rendering, Царство Боже). Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, inheriting the core-passage “kingdom of heaven” entry’s full caution; this is the specific textual location where translators can and should make explicit, directly in the exposition, that Matthew’s usual “Царство Небесне” and this passage’s “Царство Боже” are the same reality — a natural teaching point rather than merely a risk to manage.

ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας (egenēthē eis kephalēn gōnias) — “has become the cornerstone” (21:42, citing Psalm 118:22). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian став наріжним каменем; standard architectural metaphor for Christ’s rejected-yet-foundational role; low ambiguity risk, well-attested in hymnody across traditions.

Matthew 22 — Wedding Feast; Caesar’s Coin; the Greatest Commandment

πολλοὶ κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί (polloi klētoi, oligoi de eklektoi) — “many are called, but few are chosen” (22:14). REUSE of baseline “called” and “election” terms (покликаний / обрання, both High risk per baseline). Destination-language rendering risk: High, per baseline; this specific pairing (κλητός/ἐκλεκτός in direct contrast within one verse) intensifies the baseline’s existing caution that “election” categories (Reformed predestination-adjacent) have no developed parallel in Orthodox/Greek Catholic soteriology and must be introduced with explicit definition rather than assumed. Human theologian review recommended.

Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου… τὸν πλησίον σου (Agapēseis Kyrion ton Theon sou… ton plēsion sou) — “Love the Lord your God… your neighbor” (22:37-39, the Greatest Commandment). REUSE of baseline “love” (любов, High risk per the Galatians extension) and “lord”/“god” terms. Destination-language rendering risk: High, per baseline; note this double-commandment summary is shared common ground across all traditions and secular Ukrainian ethical discourse alike — an asset, provided “neighbor-love” is not narrowed by wartime us/them categories in ways the text itself does not license (a live pastoral concern paralleling the baseline’s caution about “sin” being narrowed to enemy-conduct only).

Matthew 23 — Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

ὑποκριταί (hypokritai) — Transliteration: hypokritai. Literal meaning: “actors, stage-players” (the term’s original theatrical sense: one who wears a mask/plays a role). Semantic range: extended metaphorically to describe a gap between outward religious performance and inward reality. English variants: hypocrites. Contextual theological meaning: repeated seven times in this chapter’s structuring “woes” (23:13-29), climaxing the “righteousness exceeding the Pharisees” doctrine begun in ch. 5. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian лицеміри is standard and lexically clear; the doctrinal risk is the same one already flagged for the γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι entry at ch. 5: this must be taught as Jesus’ specific, historically-anchored critique of a described first-century failure pattern (outward performance without inward reality), never generalized into a timeless anti-Jewish trope. Human theologian review mandatory, extending the ch.5 caution.

μεῖζον ἐν ὑμῖν διάκονος (meizōn en hymin diakonos) — “the greatest among you shall be your servant” (23:11, echoing 20:26-28). REUSE pattern; connects to λύτρον (ch. 20) and models Christ’s own self-giving pattern as the standard for all leadership, including implicitly church leadership (connecting to “The Church and Church Discipline” doctrine). Low-Medium additional risk beyond terms already treated.

Matthew 24 — The Olivet Discourse (Signs, Tribulation, the Coming of the Son of Man)

συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (synteleia tou aiōnos) — REUSE of the ch.13 entry (High risk); recurs at 24:3 as the disciples’ opening question, structuring the whole discourse.

τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως (to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs) — Transliteration: to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs. Literal meaning: “the abomination of desolation,” quoting Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. Semantic range: a specific, historically-anchored sacrilegious act of desecration in or near the Jerusalem Temple, with debated primary (first-century, likely the Temple’s AD 70 destruction) and possible secondary (future, eschatological) referents. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian осоружна спустошення / гидота спустошення (Ohienko phrasing); primary risk is structural/interpretive complexity (preterist vs. futurist reading debates) rather than lexical ambiguity — flag for careful, non-dogmatic exposition given the range of faithful evangelical interpretive views on this passage’s timeline.

παρουσία τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (parousia tou Huiou tou anthrōpou) — Transliteration: parousia. Literal meaning: “presence, arrival, coming” — in Hellenistic usage, the formal, official arrival/visit of a king or dignitary. Semantic range: Christ’s visible, glorious, universally-witnessed second coming (24:27, 30, 37, 39), distinct from any hidden, secret, or merely spiritual “coming.” English variants: coming, arrival, advent. Contextual theological meaning: central to “Judgment and the End of the Age.” NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian прихід (avoid явлення, already rejected by the baseline as a substitute term for “incarnation,” to prevent term-collision between two distinct Christological/eschatological events); exposition should clarify this is a public, visible, cosmic event, not a private or symbolic one, given some contemporary sectarian movements’ history of claiming secret/localized fulfillments.

οἱ ἐκλεκτοί (hoi eklektoi) / ἐπισυνάξουσιν (episynaxousin) — “the elect” / “will gather” (24:22, 24, 31). REUSE of baseline “election” term (обрання, High risk per baseline); Destination-language rendering risk: High, per baseline, extended into this eschatological-gathering context — same caution about доля/фатум substitution applies.

ταύτη ἡ γενεά (tautē hē genea) — “this generation” (24:34) — a well-known interpretive difficulty (does γενεά mean the disciples’ own generation, or the generation witnessing the end-time signs, or the Jewish people/race generally?). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian цей род/це покоління; flag for non-dogmatic, interpretively humble exposition given the range of faithful scholarly views, avoiding overconfident claims about a specific fulfillment timeline.

Matthew 25 — Judgment Parables (Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats)

νυμφίος (nymphios) — “bridegroom” (25:1-13, Ten Virgins). REUSE pattern connecting to broader NT bridegroom/wedding-feast imagery for Christ and his people (cf. ch. 22’s wedding feast); Low-Medium risk, standard.

τάλαντα (talanta) — Transliteration: talanta. Literal meaning: a very large unit of monetary weight (a “talent” of silver/gold), NOT the English derivative “talent” meaning natural ability/skill (a false-friend risk arising from English, worth flagging even though it does not directly affect Ukrainian, since exposition materials translated from English source text must not import this false-friend confusion). Semantic range: entrusted resources/responsibilities of any kind (not narrowly money), to be faithfully stewarded and increased pending the master’s return. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium. Ukrainian таланти unfortunately carries exactly the same false-friend risk as English (талант in modern Ukrainian primarily means natural ability/gift, echoing the baseline’s own existing caution about талан as a rejected alternative for “grace”/blahodat’, and об талант as a rejected term for spiritual gifts). Exposition must clarify the parable’s original referent is entrusted resources/responsibility broadly (not narrowly “natural talents”), while acknowledging the popular English-derived “use your talents” reading is not strictly false, only narrower than Jesus’ point.

τὰ πρόβατα / τὰ ἐρίφια (ta probata / ta eriphia) — “sheep” / “goats” (25:31-46). Standard agrarian metaphor for final separation at judgment; Low-Medium risk. οἱ ἀδελφοί μου οἱ ἐλάχιστοι (hoi adelphoi mou hoi elachistoi) — “the least of these my brothers” (25:40, 45) — NEW TERM, Ukrainian найменші брати Мої, Medium-High risk: this verse’s identification of Christ with the vulnerable and needy carries acute, immediate, positive pastoral resonance in wartime Ukraine’s active culture of humanitarian church ministry to the displaced, wounded, and bereaved (see baseline’s “mission” doctrine note on chaplaincy) — this resonance is a genuine asset for teaching, provided exposition also retains the passage’s own judgment-context weight and does not flatten it into humanitarian ethics alone, detached from the passage’s Christological and eschatological claims.

κόλασιν αἰώνιον (kolasin aiōnion) / ζωὴν αἰώνιον (zōēn aiōnion) — “eternal punishment” / “eternal life” (25:46) — REUSE of the ch.19 ζωὴ αἰώνιος entry; NEW paired term κόλασις αἰώνιος. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Ukrainian вічна кара / життя вічне. This verse is the Gospel’s starkest final-judgment statement, structurally paralleling “eternal life” against “eternal punishment” using the identical adjective (αἰώνιος) for both — a deliberate grammatical signal that both states share the same permanence, a point often lost if the English/Ukrainian renderings drift apart in register or intensity. This is squarely within the curriculum’s “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine and warrants the same mandatory theologian review the baseline requires for atonement and election language. See also this document’s separate treatment of γέεννα (Gehenna) at ch. 5’s parallel material and ch. 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33.

γέεννα (geenna) — Transliteration: geenna. Literal meaning: the “Valley of Hinnom,” a ravine outside Jerusalem historically associated with idolatrous child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10) and, by the first century, used metaphorically for final, fiery eschatological judgment. Semantic range: a specific, historically-rooted place-name repurposed as an image of judgment, distinct from generic mythological underworld imagery. English variants: hell, Gehenna. Contextual theological meaning: recurs at 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33 — a recurring load-bearing term for the “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine not confined to ch. 25. NEW TERM (noted here comprehensively though it first appears in ch. 5). Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Ukrainian геєна (the established transliteration, following Ohienko) is preferred over the generic пекло (“hell” in ordinary Ukrainian usage): пекло carries extremely vivid, culturally dense folk-devotional imagery in Ukrainian religious art and popular piety (the “Страшний Суд”/Last Judgment iconographic tradition found in many village churches, depicting graphic torments, demons, and a fiery underworld drawn substantially from post-biblical folk tradition and Dante-influenced imagery rather than directly from γέεννα’s own historically-rooted sense). Using пекло risks importing this whole folk-devotional visual tradition wholesale rather than allowing Matthew’s own, more restrained judgment-imagery to speak on its own terms. Human theologian review mandatory for every occurrence.

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

τὸ σῶμά μου / τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης (to sōma mou / to haima mou tēs diathēkēs) — “my body” / “my blood of the covenant” (26:26-28). REUSE of baseline “covenant” term (завіт, Medium risk per baseline). NEW compound: καινὴ διαθήκη (kainē diathēkē), “new covenant” (26:28, echoing Jeremiah 31:31) — Ukrainian новий завіт. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. This phrase is the direct scriptural origin of the name of the entire New Testament canon (Новий Завіт) in Ukrainian, as the baseline already notes for завіт generally — a significant asset for cultural rooting. The doctrinal risk is different from and in addition to the naming-asset: this is the Eucharistic institution narrative, and each of Ukraine’s traditions holds a distinct sacramental theology of the Eucharist (Orthodox and Greek Catholic: the Divine Liturgy’s consecrated Gifts as the literal Body and Blood via transformation/change, μεταβολή/переміна, sometimes discussed in terms structurally similar to but distinct from Western transubstantiation; Protestant/Evangelical: a range of views from memorial to spiritual presence). This curriculum’s teaching of the institution narrative itself should state the text’s own words plainly (following Matthew’s wording) without adjudicating the wider sacramental-theology debate the text does not itself resolve. Human theologian review mandatory.

εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν (eis aphesin hamartiōn) — “for the forgiveness of sins” (26:28). REUSE of baseline “sin” term (гріх, High risk per baseline); direct connection to the atonement/propitiation escalation rule already established in the baseline (originally Romans 3:25), now textually anchored here as well as at 20:28’s λύτρον. Human theologian review recommended.

Γεθσημανῆ (Gethsēmanē) / περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου (perilypos estin hē psychē mou) — “Gethsemane” / “my soul is very sorrowful” (26:36-38). Standard narrative/proper-name vocabulary; Low-Medium risk; note the acute, currently-resonant pastoral weight of Jesus’ own anguish and prayer for deliverance (26:39, “if it be possible”) for a readership living through war-related fear and loss — an asset for pastoral application, following the same tone-guidance already given by the baseline for Romans 8.

Matthew 27 — Crucifixion and Death

σταυρός / σταυρόω (stauros / stauroō) — REUSE of the ch.16 “cross” term (хрест, High risk). Contextual note: here the literal historical event underlying the discipleship metaphor of 16:24; exposition should hold both senses (literal event, discipleship metaphor) together without confusing them.

Θεέ μου, Θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες; (Thee mou, Thee mou, hinati me egkatelipes?) — “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (27:46, citing Psalm 22:1, preserved in Matthew partly in Aramaic transliteration, Ἠλί, Ἠλί). NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: High. Ukrainian Боже Мій, Боже Мій, чому Ти Мене покинув? (Ohienko phrasing, matching the Psalm 22 citation exactly per the baseline’s cross-curriculum quotation-consistency rule already established for the Galatians extension). This is one of the most theologically weighty and pastorally acute statements in the passion narrative (the cry of dereliction); exposition should address its meaning (Christ bearing the judicial and relational consequence of sin, in fulfillment of Psalm 22, not a claim that the Trinity was actually broken/divided) with care, given the acute resonance of felt divine absence for readers experiencing wartime suffering, loss, and grief. Human theologian review mandatory.

Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος (Alēthōs Theou Huios ēn houtos) — “Truly this was the Son of God” (27:54, the centurion’s confession). REUSE of baseline “son_of_god” term (Critical); structurally pairs with 16:16’s Peter confession — flag for exact consistency per the baseline’s cross-document rendering-consistency rule. Notably, this confession comes from a Gentile Roman soldier, reinforcing the Unity of Jews and Gentiles / universal-scope-of-gospel doctrines already Critical/High in the baseline.

Matthew 28 — Resurrection and the Great Commission

ἠγέρθη (ēgerthē) — REUSE of baseline “resurrection” term (воскресіння, Medium risk per baseline, though note the baseline’s risk tier reflects Romans’ more didactic treatment; Matthew’s narrative account of the empty tomb and appearances carries the same doctrinal content with added historical-eyewitness weight). Destination-language rendering risk: Medium, per baseline; culturally embedded via Великдень/Easter as already noted.

προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ (prosekynēsan autō) — “they worshiped him” (28:9, 17). Transliteration: prosekynēsan. Literal meaning: “bowed down to/prostrated before” — ranges in Greek usage from a purely social gesture of respect toward a superior (used of the magi before Herod’s court context, and elsewhere of bowing to kings) to full religious worship due to deity alone. NEW TERM. Destination-language rendering risk: Medium-High. Ukrainian поклонилися; the risk is contextual disambiguation — earlier Matthean occurrences of this same verb (e.g., 2:11’s magi, 8:2’s leper, 9:18’s official) may carry the weaker “respectful obeisance to a superior/healer” sense, while this final, post-resurrection occurrence (28:9, 17) clearly signals full divine worship, confirming the doctrines of the Resurrection and the Deity/Sonship of Christ together. Exposition should note this distinction rather than assume uniform sense across all occurrences.

πᾶσα ἐξουσία (pasa exousia) — “all authority [in heaven and on earth has been given to me]” (28:18). REUSE of the ch.7-9 “authority” term (влада, High risk, per this document’s ch.7 entry); this is the climactic, universal-scope statement of that same authority doctrine, directly grounding the Great Commission that follows. Destination-language rendering risk: High, per the ch.7 entry, now intensified to its fullest, unqualified, universal scope — exposition should make the direct connection to 7:29 and 9:6 explicit as the doctrine’s culmination.

πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (poreuthentes mathēteusate panta ta ethnē) — Transliteration: poreuthentes mathēteusate panta ta ethnē. Literal meaning: “having gone, make disciples of all the nations/ethnic groups.” Semantic range: μαθητεύω (a verb form of the μαθητής/“disciple” noun already treated at 5:1) here functions as an imperative verb, “make disciples of” — a comprehensive, ongoing formational process, not a single event of initial belief alone; πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (REUSE of the baseline’s existing “gentiles”/ἔθνη entry, High risk per the baseline’s caution about погани’s derogatory colloquial drift) here clearly carries its universal “all nations/all peoples” sense, requiring the baseline’s own recommended alternative rendering. Contextual theological meaning: this is the textual foundation of the curriculum’s doctrine “The Great Commission,” and one of Matthew’s most structurally important verses, closing the entire Gospel. Destination-language rendering risk: Critical. Following the baseline’s explicit instruction, render ἔθνη here as народи (“nations/peoples”), never погани, to avoid the derogatory colloquial drift the baseline already documents; render μαθητεύσατε as зробіть учнями (rather than a weaker “teach” or “tell the good news to,” which would understate the comprehensive, ongoing formational sense) — connecting explicitly back to the μαθητής entry at 5:1 and the “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” doctrine, so that “the Great Commission” and “discipleship” are taught as two faces of one reality, not separate topics. Human theologian review mandatory, extending the baseline’s existing “mission” doctrine escalation rule (already High risk given wartime chaplaincy realities) to this, its founding text.

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 in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” REUSE of baseline terms (Отець, Святий Дух, Critical/High) plus the ch.3 baptism entry (High) and Son of God entry (Critical). Destination-language rendering risk: Critical, combining all constituent risks; note this Trinitarian baptismal formula is, by contrast with the sacramental-mode debates already flagged, genuinely shared, uncontested common ground across Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Protestant traditions alike (all baptize in this threefold name) — a rare point of complete doctrinal unity worth naming explicitly as such in exposition, in deliberate contrast to the mode-and-timing debates noted at ch. 3.

διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν (didaskontes autous tērein panta hosa eneteilamēn hymin) — “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” REUSE of the “obedience of faith” pattern already Critical/High in the baseline (Romans 1:5, 16:26) — obedience flowing from and following discipleship/baptism, not a separate meritorious system. Destination-language rendering risk: High, per baseline’s obedience_of_faith entry; ensure this is not taught as a return to a legalistic checklist-observance model, echoing the same caution the Galatians extension already gives regarding діла закону.

ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος (idou egō meth’ hymōn eimi pasas tas hēmeras heōs tēs synteleias tou aiōnos) — “and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” REUSE of the “end of the age” term (ch.13, High risk) as the Gospel’s final structural bookend and closing promise. Destination-language rendering risk: High, per the ch.13 entry; this closing promise should be rendered with the same warm, hope-affirming pastoral tone this Language Package requires for Romans 8’s assurance language, given its acute resonance as a promise of Christ’s abiding presence for a readership living through ongoing uncertainty and war.

---

Summary of New Terms Requiring Translation Memory Extension

The following terms are newly introduced by this Matthew analysis and are not present in the baseline Romans/Galatians translation_memory.json; they are compiled with proposed renderings and risk tiers in 08_core_glossary.md. All terms already present in the baseline (God, Jesus, Christ/Messiah, Son of God, faith, righteousness, grace, church, apostle, covenant, Holy Spirit, Father, resurrection, kingdom of God, gentiles, called/calling, election, sin, love, cross-referenced flesh/Spirit terms, etc.) retain their exact baseline renderings without modification throughout Matthew.