Matthew 12:20

Matthew 12:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
• New International Version (NIV)A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.
• English Standard Version (ESV)a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
• New King James Version (NKJV)A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;

Context of Matthew 12:20

18‘Here is my servant. I have chosen him to serve me. I love him and he makes me very happy. I will give him the strength of my Spirit. He will tell all the nations that I will judge them fairly. 19He will not argue with people. He will not shout at them. People will not hear his loud voice in the streets. He will not hurt weak people. He will be kind to people who are not strong. He will do this until there is justice everywhere. 21All the nations will trust him to save them.’ 22After that, some people brought a man to Jesus. The man had a bad spirit in him. Because of this, he was blind and he could not speak. Jesus caused the man to become well again. The man could speak again and he could see.

Matthew 12:20 word by word

κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A bruisedσυντρίβωsuntribō · to breakG4937
• reedκάλαμοςkalamos · reed/stick/penG2563
• shall heκατάγνυμιkatagnumi · to breakG2608
• notοὐou · noG3756
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• smokingτύφωtuphō · to smoulderG5188
• flaxλίνονlinon · linen/wickG3043
• shall heσβέννυμιsbennumi · to extinguishG4570
• tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• he send forthἐκβάλλωekballō · to expelG1544
• judgmentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• victoryνῖκοςnikos · victoryG3534

Cross-references for Matthew 12:20

• Matthew 11:28Come to me all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked for a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find a place to rest.
• 2 Kings 18:21Listen to me! You think that Egypt is strong enough to help you, do you? But you should not trust Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He is like a weak stick. If you use it to walk with, it will break! A broken piece of stick will make a hole through your hand and give you much pain! That is the trouble that the king of Egypt brings to everyone who trusts him to help them.
• Psalms 51:17You want me to be humble and sorry. That is the sacrifice that you want. When people are humble and they turn away from their sins, you will not refuse them.
• Psalms 147:3He makes people who are very sad well again. He helps their wounds to get better.
• Isaiah 40:11He takes care of his people, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep. He picks up the young lambs and he carries them near to his heart. He carefully leads the mother sheep that have lambs.
• Isaiah 57:15The Mighty God is far higher than all others. He rules from above and he lives for ever. His name is holy. He says, ‘I live in a high and holy place. But I am also with anyone who is humble and who is sorry when he does wrong things. I will comfort people who are like that, and I will give them hope.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is on me, because he has chosen me to serve him. He has sent me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort people who are very upset. He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are now free. They can go out of their prisons!
• Lamentations 3:31The Lord does not turn against people for ever.
• Ezekiel 34:16I will find the lost sheep and I will bring them back. I will cover their wounds. I will help those who are weak to become strong. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will give them justice as their food!
• Luke 4:18‘The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to tell people who are in prison, “You can go free!” I must say to people that cannot see, “See again!” I must cause people that are like slaves to become free.
• 2 Corinthians 2:7Now, you should forgive him. You should comfort him. If you do not do that, he may become too sad. He may not be able to think properly.
• Hebrews 12:12So be strong as servants of God! If your hands feel weak, lift them up! If your knees are not strong, stand up straight!
• Psalms 98:1Sing a new song to praise the Lord. He has done great things. He has used his own power and his holy strength to win against his enemies.
• Isaiah 42:3He will not hurt weak people, like someone who breaks a weak reed. He will not destroy helpless people, like someone who puts out a weak flame. He will be kind to people, and he will judge them in a fair way.
• Romans 15:17So I can be proud about my work. I can serve God well because I belong to Christ Jesus.
• 2 Corinthians 2:14But I thank God! He has won against sin, because of what Christ has done. Christ is our leader and we show that he is the winner. We also help people to know about Christ. That knowledge is like a lovely smell that comes to people everywhere.

Commentaries on Matthew 12:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20A bruised reed shall he not break - A reed is, in Scripture, the emblem of weakness, Ezekiel 29:6; and a bruised reed must signify that state of weakness that borders on dissolution and death. And smoking flax shall he not quench - . means the wick of a lamp, and is intended to point out its expiring state, when the oil has been all burnt away from it, and nothing is left but a mere snuff, emitting smoke. Some suppose the Jewish state, as to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 This account is found also in Mark 3:6-12. Matthew 12:14 The Pharisees … held a council … - Mark adds that the Herodians also took a part in this plot. They were probably a “political” party attached firmly to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, tetrarch of Galilee. He was the same man who had imprisoned and beheaded John the Baptist, and to whom the Saviour, when arraigned, was sent by Pilate. See the notes at Luke 3:1. He was under Roman…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far from breaking, he will…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Jesus does not add to people’s spiritual burdens. Instead, he gives them forgiveness with compassion and the sustenance (nourishment and strength) they need (see Matthew 11:28–30; 12:1–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory--"unto truth," says the Hebrew original, and the Septuagint also. But our Evangelist merely seizes the spirit, instead of the letter of the prediction in this point. The grandeur and completeness of Messiah's victories would prove, it seems, not more wonderful than the unobtrusive noiselessness with which they were to be achieved. And…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 12:20

• Flax
• Gentiles
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Meekness
• Penitent
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions
• Reed

In the dictionaries

• Adulterous
• Condemn
• Desolation
• Idle
• Judgment
• Reed
• Restore
• Sin
• Wither
• Bruise; Bruised

Commentaries on Matthew 12

• 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