English Standard Version
Matthew 9:15
15And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Matthew 9:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Context of Matthew 9:15
13Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." 14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
Read all of Matthew 9Matthew 9:15 word by word
Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος πενθεῖν ἐφ᾽ ὅσον μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ νυμφίος; ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραι ὅταν ἀπαρθῇ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ὁ νυμφίος, καὶ τότε νηστεύσουσιν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- Canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- the childrenυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of the bridechamberνυμφώνnumphōn · bridegroomG3567
- mournπενθέωpentheō · to mournG3996
- asἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- long asὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
- the bridegroomνυμφίοςnumphios · bridegroomG3566
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- butδέde · thenG1161
- the daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- will comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
- shall be takenἀπαίρωapairō · to take awayG522
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- thenτότεtote · thenG5119
- shall they fastνηστεύωnēsteuō · to fastG3522
Cross-references for Matthew 9:15
- Matthew 25:1"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
- Judges 14:11As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
- Psalms 45:14In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her.
- John 3:29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
- Revelation 19:9And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
- Revelation 21:2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- Luke 24:13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
- John 16:6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
- Acts 1:9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
- Isaiah 22:12In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth;
- Acts 13:1Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
- Acts 14:23And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
- 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
- 2 Corinthians 11:27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Commentaries on Matthew 9:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Can the children of the bride-chamber - . Or, , bridegroom, as the Cod. Bezae and several versions have it. These persons were the companions of the bridegroom, who accompanied him to the house of his father-in-law when he went to bring the bride to his own home. The marriage-feast among the Jews lasted seven days; but the new married woman was considered to be a bride for thirty days. Marriage feasts were times of extraordinary festivity, and even of…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. 15The guests of the bridegroom: John the Baptist described the Messiah and his disciples this way (John 3:29). He used Old Testament images to show who Jesus really was (see Matthew 25:1–13; Isaiah 54:5–6). taken away: This is the first prediction Jesus made about his violent death (see Matthew 16:21; 17:12, 22–23; 20:18–19; 26:2, 26–35; Isaiah 53:8). then they will fast: Jesus might be talking about the disciples' sadness right after his crucifixion, or…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 9:15
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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