Amplified Bible
Matthew 10:38
38And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.
Matthew 10:38 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Context of Matthew 10:38
36and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not]. 37“ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. 39Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. 40“He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Read all of Matthew 10Matthew 10:38 word by word
καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- heλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- notοὐou · noG3756
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- crossὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- crossσταυρόςstauros · crossG4716
- followethἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
- afterὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- worthyἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514
Cross-references for Matthew 10:38
- Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
- Matthew 27:32Now as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced into service to carry the cross of Jesus.
- Mark 8:34Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
- Mark 10:21Looking at him, Jesus felt a love (high regard, compassion) for him, and He said to him, “You lack one thing: go and sell all your property and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”
- Luke 9:23And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
- Luke 14:27Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple.
- John 19:17So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.
Commentaries on Matthew 10:38
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38He that taketh not his cross - i.e. He who is not ready, after my example, to suffer death in the cause of my religion, is not worthy of me, does not deserve to be called my disciple. This alludes to the custom of causing the criminal to bear his own cross to the place of execution; so Plutarch, Ϛ Ϛ . Each of the malefactors carries on his own cross. See John 19:17.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38And he that taketh not his cross - When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. See notes at Matthew 27:31. The cross was usually composed of two rough beams of wood, united in the form of this figure of a cross It was an instrument of death. See the notes at Matthew…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-42Verses 16-42 Our Lord warned his disciples to prepare for persecution. They were to avoid all things which gave advantage to their enemies, all meddling with worldly or political concerns, all appearance of evil or selfishness, and all underhand measures. Christ foretold troubles, not only that the troubles might not be a surprise, but that they might confirm their faith. He tells them what they should suffer, and from whom. Thus Christ has dealt fairly…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-39The cross was a tool used by the Romans for torture and execution (Matthew 27:27–55). To take up your cross and follow Jesus means loving him more than anything else. It also means being ready to obey him, no matter the physical or social consequences.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3838. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me--a saying which our Lord once and again emphatically reiterates (Mt 16:24; Lu 9:23; 14:27). We have become so accustomed to this expression--"taking up one's cross"--in the sense of "being prepared for trials in general for Christ's sake," that we are apt to lose sight of its primary and proper sense here--"a preparedness to go forth even to crucifixion," as when our Lord…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 10:38
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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