EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Matthew 9:14
14Then the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘We often decide to fast for a time. The disciples of the Pharisees also do that. Why do your disciples never do that?’
Matthew 9:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
- New International Version (NIV)Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
Context of Matthew 9:14
12Jesus heard what the Pharisees were saying. He said to them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. It is people who are ill that need a doctor. 13Go and study what it says in the Bible. God says there, “I want people to be kind to each other. I do not want them only to offer sacrifices to me.” Some people think that they always obey God. I did not come to help people like that. Some people know that they have done wrong things. I am asking those people to come to me for help.’ Then the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘We often decide to fast for a time. The disciples of the Pharisees also do that. Why do your disciples never do that?’ 15Jesus answered them: ‘When a man marries, his friends cannot be sad. They cannot refuse to eat food while he is with them. But there will be a time when people will take the man away from his friends. At that time his friends will choose to fast.’ 16Then Jesus said, ‘Nobody uses a piece of new cloth to mend an old coat. If he does, the new cloth will cause the old cloth to tear again. It will make a bigger hole than before.
Read all of Matthew 9Matthew 9:14 word by word
Τότε προσέρχονται αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου λέγοντες· διὰ τί ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι νηστεύομεν πολλά, οἱ δὲ μαθηταί σου οὐ νηστεύουσιν;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Thenτότεtote · thenG5119
- came toπροσέρχομαιproserchomai · to come near/agreeG4334
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- the disciplesμαθητήςmathētēs · discipleG3101
- of JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- ·διάdia · through/because ofG1223
- Whyτίςtis · which?G5101
- doνηστεύωnēsteuō · to fastG3522
- weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the PhariseesΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
- oftπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- butδέde · thenG1161
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- notοὐou · noG3756
Cross-references for Matthew 9:14
- Matthew 11:2At that time, John the Baptist was in prison. But people told him about all the things that Jesus the Messiah was doing. So John sent some of his own disciples to ask Jesus some questions.
- John 3:25John's disciples began to argue with a certain Jew about some Jewish rules. Those rules told people how they should wash properly.
- John 4:1The Pharisees heard the news that many people were joining Jesus' group of disciples. They heard that Jesus was baptizing more disciples than John was baptizing.
- Matthew 6:16Jesus then said, ‘You may decide to fast for some time. But do not look sad so that people know you are doing a special thing. Hypocrites want people to see how good they are. They make their faces dirty. Then other people can see that they are fasting. I tell you this: people have praised them and that is the only gift that they will get.
- Matthew 11:18People today are like those children. John the Baptist did not eat ordinary food. He never drank wine. So people say that he has a bad spirit in him.
- Proverbs 20:6Many people say that you can trust them. But it is difficult to find a truly faithful person.
- Mark 2:18At this time, the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and they asked him this question: ‘The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees often fast for a time. So why do your disciples never do that?’
- Luke 5:33Then the Jewish leaders said to Jesus: ‘The disciples of John the Baptist often choose to fast for a time. Then they can pray to God a lot. The disciples of the Pharisees also do that. But your disciples never do that. They continue to eat and drink every day.’
- Luke 18:9Jesus told a story to teach other people. These people thought that they were very good in front of God. They thought that they were much better than other people.
Commentaries on Matthew 9:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Thy disciples fast not? - Probably meaning that they did not fast so frequently as the others did, or for the same purposes, which is very likely, for the Pharisees had many superstitious fasts. They fasted in order to have lucky dreams, to obtain the interpretation of a dream, or to avert the evil import of a dream. They also fasted often, in order to obtain the things they wished for. The tract, Taanith is full of these fasts, and of the wonders…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14-17Verses 14-17 Then came the disciples of John - This narrative is found also in Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39. The reference here is to John the Baptist. It is probable that they had understood that John was the forerunner of the Messiah; and if such was the case, they could not account for the fact that there was such a difference between them and the disciples of Jesus. The Pharisees fasted often - regularly twice a week besides the great national days of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-17Verses 14-17 John was at this time in prison; his circumstances, his character, and the nature of the message he was sent to deliver, led those who were peculiarly attached to him, to keep frequent fasts. Christ referred them to John's testimony of him, Joh 3:29. Though there is no doubt that Jesus and his disciples lived in a spare and frugal manner, it would be improper for his disciples to fast while they had the comfort of his presence. When he is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Fast: Fasting was a way to show humility and repentance before God (2 Samuel 12:16–23; Daniel 9:3). It also reminded the nation of their need to repent (Leviticus 16:29–31; Nehemiah 9:1). Some believed fasting would help bring the Messiah more quickly by purifying God’s people. Jesus and his disciples did not fast (Matthew 11:18–19) This was a quiet but clear message: the Messiah had already come (see also 6:16).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 9:14
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
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