Matthew 9:38

Matthew 9:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
• New International Version (NIV)Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Context of Matthew 9:38

36When Jesus saw the crowds of people, he felt sorry for them. They had trouble in their minds. They had nobody to help them. Jesus thought, ‘These people are like sheep that have nobody to take care of them.’ 37Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Many people are ready to believe God's message. They are like crops in the fields at harvest time. But there are very few workers to bring in the crops. So pray to God to send out workers. The field and the crops belong to him.’

Matthew 9:38 word by word

δεήθητε οὖν τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦ ὅπως ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Pray yeδέομαιdeomai · to prayG1189
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• of the harvestθερισμόςtherismos · harvestG2326
• thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• he will send forthἐκβάλλωekballō · to expelG1544
• labourersἐργάτηςergatēs · workerG2040
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Matthew 9:38

• Luke 6:12One day Jesus went up a mountain to pray. He remained there all night and he was praying to God.
• Acts 13:2One day, the believers were meeting together. They were praising the Lord God and they were praying. They also fasted for a time. During that time, the Holy Spirit said to them, ‘I have chosen Barnabas and Saul to do a special work for me. Let them go now and do it.’
• 2 Thessalonians 3:1Now, friends, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that more and more people will soon hear the Lord's message. Pray that people will receive the message well and accept it as true. That is how you received it.
• Matthew 10:1One day, Jesus asked his 12 disciples to come to him. He gave them authority over bad spirits so that they could send the spirits out of people. They could also make sick people well again from every kind of illness.
• John 20:21Jesus said again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, in the same way I am now sending you.’
• Ephesians 4:11It was Christ who chose to give different gifts to his people. He chose some to be apostles. He chose some to speak messages from God. He chose some to tell God's good news to many people. He chose some to take care of his people, and to teach them.
• Psalms 68:11The Lord gives a command! Very many women take his message to other places.
• Jeremiah 3:15I will give you leaders who will serve me faithfully. They will take care of you like shepherds. They will be wise and they will lead you well.
• Micah 5:7And later, Jacob's people who are still alive will be in many countries. They will be everywhere, like water on the ground in the early morning, or rain on the grass. The Lord sends the water to help the plants, but no human can make it stay.
• Luke 10:1After this, Jesus chose another 72 disciples. He sent them out two by two, to every town and village that he would visit soon.
• Acts 8:4The believers who had left Jerusalem went to many different towns. In each place, they told the people the message about Jesus.
• 1 Corinthians 12:28Like the parts of a body, God has put people in different places in his church. First, there are apostles. Second, there are people who speak messages from God. Third, there are teachers. After that, there are people who do miracles. There are people who have gifts to make sick people well. There are people who help others in special ways. There are people who can lead others. And there are people who can speak different kinds of languages.

Commentaries on Matthew 9:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38That he will send forth laborers - , that he would thrust forth laborers. Those who are fittest for the work are generally most backward to the employment. The man who is forward to become a preacher knows little of God, of human nature, or of his own heart. It is, God's province to thrust out such preachers as shall labor; and it is our duty to entreat him to do so. A minister of Christ is represented as a day-laborer: he comes into the harvest, not to…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. 3838. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest--the great Lord and Proprietor of all. Compare Joh 15:1, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman." that he will send forth labourers into his harvest--The word properly means "thrust forth"; but this emphatic sense disappears in some places, as in Mt 9:25, and Joh 10:4--"When He putteth forth His own sheep." (See on Mt 4:1).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 9:38

• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Bridechamber
• Cheer
• Comfort
• Daughter
• Eat
• Garment
• Harvest
• Hem
• Issue
• Mean

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