Matthew 8:20

Matthew 8:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
• New International Version (NIV)Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Context of Matthew 8:20

18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to cast off for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 19Then [on His way to board the boat] a scribe [who was a respected and authoritative interpreter of the Law] came and said to Him, “Master, I will accompany You [as Your student] wherever You go.” Jesus replied to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father (collect my inheritance).” 22But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me [believing in Me as Master and Teacher], and allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead.”

Matthew 8:20 word by word

καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· αἱ ἀλώπεκες φωλεοὺς ἔχουσιν καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσεις, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἔχει ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνῃ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• The foxesἀλώπηξalōpex · foxG258
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• holesφωλεόςphōleos · denG5454
• the birdsπετεινόςpeteinon · birdG4071
• of the airοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• nestsκατασκήνωσιςkataskēnōsis · dwelling placeG2682
• butδέde · thenG1161
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• notοὐou · noG3756
• whereποῦpou · where?G4226
• to layκλίνωklinō · to bow/lay downG2827
• headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776

Cross-references for Matthew 8:20

• Psalms 84:3The bird has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God.
• Psalms 104:17Where the birds make their nests; As for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
• Psalms 40:17Even though I am afflicted and needy, Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me. You are my help and my rescuer. O my God, do not delay.
• Psalms 69:29But I am sorrowful and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me [securely] on high.
• Psalms 109:22For I am suffering and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.
• Isaiah 53:2For He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant), And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majestic splendor That we would look at Him, Nor [handsome] appearance that we would be attracted to Him.
• Luke 2:7and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no [private] room for them in the inn.
• Luke 8:3and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means [as was the custom for a rabbi’s disciples].
• 2 Corinthians 8:9For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).

Commentaries on Matthew 8:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The foxes have holes, etc. - Reader! art thou a poor man? and dost thou fear God? Then, what comfort must thou derive from the thought, that thou so nearly resemblest the Lord Jesus! But how unlike is the rich man, who is the votary of pleasure and slave of sin, to this heavenly pattern! Son of man - A Hebrew phrase, expressive of humiliation and debasement; and, on that account, applied emphatically to himself, by the meek and lowly Jesus. Besides, it…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 One of the scribes was too hasty in promising; he proffers himself to be a close follower of Christ. He seems to be very resolute. Many resolutions for religion are produced by sudden conviction, and taken up without due consideration; these come to nothing. When this scribe offered to follow Christ, one would think he should have been encouraged; one scribe might do more credit and service than twelve fishermen; but Christ saw his heart, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Being a disciple of Jesus is not easy. It requires more than knowing the right things. Following Jesus includes being willing to give up life’s normal comforts.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head--Few as there were of the scribes who attached themselves to Jesus, it would appear, from his calling Him Teacher, that this one was a "disciple" in that looser sense of the word in which it is applied to the crowds who flocked after Him, with more or less conviction that His claims were well founded. But from the…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 8:20

• Birds
• Character
• Fox
• Instability
• Jesus, the Christ
• Self-Denial
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Son of man
• Daemon
• Gnashing
• Heal
• Hole
• Immediately
• Rebuke
• Sickness

Commentaries on Matthew 8

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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