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 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

13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 14Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 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. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

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“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
• Judges 14:11And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
• Psalms 45:14She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
• John 3:29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
• Revelation 19:9Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
• Revelation 21:2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
• Luke 24:13Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.
• John 16:6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
• Acts 1:9Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
• Isaiah 22:12And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
• Acts 13:1Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
• Acts 14:23So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
• 2 Corinthians 11:27in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

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