American Standard Version
Matthew 9:37
37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
Matthew 9:37 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
- New International Version (NIV)Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Context of Matthew 9:37
35And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. 38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.
Read all of Matthew 9Matthew 9:37 word by word
Τότε λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ὁ μὲν θερισμὸς πολύς, οἱ δὲ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι·Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 9:37
- Matthew 28:19Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
- Mark 16:15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
- Luke 10:2And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.
- Luke 24:47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
- John 4:35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest.
- Acts 16:9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
- Acts 18:10for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I have much people in this city.
- Psalms 68:11The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host.
- 1 Corinthians 3:9For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building.
- 2 Corinthians 6:1And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain
- Philippians 2:19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
- Colossians 4:11and Jesus that is called Justus, who are of the circumcision: these only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, men that have been a comfort unto me.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
- 1 Timothy 5:17Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
Commentaries on Matthew 9:37
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 37The harvest - The souls who are ready to receive the truth are very numerous; but the laborers are few. There are multitudes of scribes, Pharisees, and priests, of reverend and right reverend men; but there are few that work. Jesus wishes for laborers, not gentlemen, who are either idle drones, or slaves to pleasure and sin, and nati consumere fruges. "Born to consume the produce of the soil." It was customary with the Jews to call their rabbins and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37The harvest truly is plenteous - Another beautiful image. A waving field of golden grain invites many reapers and demands haste. By the reference to the harvest here, he meant that the multitude of people that flocked to his ministry was great. The people expected the Messiah. They were prepared to receive the gospel; but the laborers were few. He directed them, therefore, to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth reapers. God is the proprietor…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 35-38Verses 35-38 Jesus visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; and there he preached, there he healed. The souls of the meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be so to us, as the souls of those who make the greatest figure. There were priests, Levites, and scribes, all over the land; but they were idol shepherds, Zec 11:17; therefore Christ had compassion on the people as sheep scattered, as men…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-38Harvest refers to the great number of people who are ready to hear and respond to God’s message (see also Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43; Mark 4:26–29; John 4:35–38; Revelation 14:15–20). the Lord of the harvest: God is the true master of the harvest. All ministries are under his call (see Matthew 23:8–10, 13). So Jesus encourages his disciples to pray for God to send out more workers.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3737. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous--His eye doubtless rested immediately on the Jewish field, but this he saw widening into the vast field of "the world" (Mt 13:38), teeming with souls having to be gathered to Him. but the labourers--men divinely qualified and called to gather them in--"are few."Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 9:37
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 9
- 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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries