Matthew 10:38

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

36A man's own family will fight against him. 37Nobody should love his own father and mother more than he loves me. If he does, he cannot be my disciple. Nobody should love his own son or daughter more than he loves me. If he does, then he cannot be my disciple. If you really want to be one of my disciples, you must be ready to die for me. Live like a person who carries his own cross to go and die. 39Whoever wants to keep his life safe will lose it. But whoever gives his life to serve me will have true life.’ 40Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone accepts you in his home, then he is also accepting me. And anyone who accepts me, also accepts my Father God, who sent me.

Matthew 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, ‘A person who wants to come with me must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. He must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• Matthew 27:32When they were going to that place, they met a man called Simon. He came from the city of Cyrene. The Roman soldiers told Simon that he must carry Jesus' cross.
• Mark 8:34Then Jesus asked the crowd and his disciples to come to him. He said to them, ‘A person who wants to come with me must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. He must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• Mark 10:21Jesus looked at the man and Jesus loved him. Jesus said to him, ‘There is still just one thing that you must do. Go now. Sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
• Luke 9:23Then Jesus said to all the people that were there, ‘A person who wants to be my disciple must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. Every day he must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• Luke 14:27He must live like a person that carries his own cross to go and die. If he is not ready to die for me, he cannot be one of my disciples.
• John 19:17He was carrying the cross on which they would kill him. He went out to the place called ‘The Place of the Skull’. This place is called ‘Golgotha’ in the Jewish language.

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

• Commandments
• Cross
• Discipleship
• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Self-Denial
• Stoicism

In the dictionaries

• Confess
• Cross
• Darkness
• Freely
• Hell
• Preach
• Provide
• Scrip
• Set
• Sword

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