Matthew 9:15

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Matthew 9:15

13Learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices.’ I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they have God’s approval.” 14Then John’s disciples came to Jesus. They said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often but your disciples never do?” Jesus replied, “Can wedding guests be sad while the groom is still with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast. 16“No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. When the patch shrinks, it will rip away from the coat, and the tear will become worse. 17Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, people pour new wine into fresh skins, and both are saved.”

Matthew 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“When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom.
• Judges 14:11When ⌞her family⌟ saw him, they chose 30 of their friends to be with him.
• Psalms 45:14Wearing a colorful gown, she is brought to the king. Her bridesmaids follow her. They will be brought to you.
• John 3:29“The groom is the person to whom the bride belongs. The best man, who stands and listens to him, is overjoyed when the groom speaks. This is the joy that I feel.
• Revelation 19:9Then the angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the lamb’s wedding banquet.’ ” He also told me, “These are God’s true words.”
• Revelation 21:2Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband.
• Luke 24:13On the same day, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
• John 16:6But because I’ve told you this, you’re filled with sadness.
• Acts 1:9After he had said this, he was taken to heaven. A cloud hid him so that they could no longer see him.
• Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
• Acts 13:1Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (a close friend of Herod since childhood), and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch.
• Acts 14:23They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5Don’t withhold yourselves from each other unless you agree to do so for a set time to devote yourselves to prayer. Then you should get back together so that Satan doesn’t use your lack of self-control to tempt you.
• 2 Corinthians 11:27Because I’ve had to work so hard, I’ve often gone without sleep, been hungry and thirsty, and gone without food and without proper clothes during cold weather.

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

• Bridegroom
• Capernaum
• Fasting
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Children of the Bridechamber
• Bridechamber
• Capernaum
• Cheer
• Comfort
• Daughter
• Eat
• Garment
• Harvest

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