Matthew 10:38

Matthew 10:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
• New International Version (NIV)Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Context of Matthew 10:38

36Your enemies will be right in your own household!’ 37“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 40“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.

Matthew 10:38 word by word

καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• heλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• notοὐou · noG3756
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• crossὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• crossσταυρόςstauros · crossG4716
• followethἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
• afterὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• worthyἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514

Cross-references for Matthew 10:38

• Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
• Matthew 27:32Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
• Mark 8:34Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
• Mark 10:21Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
• Luke 9:23Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
• Luke 14:27And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
• John 19:17Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

Commentaries on Matthew 10:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38He that taketh not his cross - i.e. He who is not ready, after my example, to suffer death in the cause of my religion, is not worthy of me, does not deserve to be called my disciple. This alludes to the custom of causing the criminal to bear his own cross to the place of execution; so Plutarch, Ϛ Ϛ . Each of the malefactors carries on his own cross. See John 19:17.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38And he that taketh not his cross … - When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. See notes at Matthew 27:31. The cross was usually composed of two rough beams of wood, united in the form of this figure of a cross It was an instrument of death. See the notes at Matthew…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-42Verses 16-42 Our Lord warned his disciples to prepare for persecution. They were to avoid all things which gave advantage to their enemies, all meddling with worldly or political concerns, all appearance of evil or selfishness, and all underhand measures. Christ foretold troubles, not only that the troubles might not be a surprise, but that they might confirm their faith. He tells them what they should suffer, and from whom. Thus Christ has dealt fairly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-39The cross was a tool used by the Romans for torture and execution (Matthew 27:27–55). To take up your cross and follow Jesus means loving him more than anything else. It also means being ready to obey him, no matter the physical or social consequences.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3838. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me--a saying which our Lord once and again emphatically reiterates (Mt 16:24; Lu 9:23; 14:27). We have become so accustomed to this expression--"taking up one's cross"--in the sense of "being prepared for trials in general for Christ's sake," that we are apt to lose sight of its primary and proper sense here--"a preparedness to go forth even to crucifixion," as when our Lord…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 10:38

• Commandments
• Cross
• Discipleship
• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Self-Denial
• Stoicism

In the dictionaries

• Confess
• Cross
• Darkness
• Freely
• Hell
• Preach
• Provide
• Scrip
• Set
• Sword

Commentaries on Matthew 10

• 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
• 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