New Living Translation
Matthew 17:20
20“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
Matthew 17:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
- New International Version (NIV)He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Context of Matthew 17:20
18Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well. 19Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” 22After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.
Read all of Matthew 17Matthew 17:20 word by word
Ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς· διὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶν. ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ· μετάβα ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μεταβήσεται· καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Becauseδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- ofἀπιστίαapistia · unbeliefG570
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- ye haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a grainκόκκοςkokkos · seedG2848
- of mustard seedσίναπιsinapi · mustardG4615
- ye shall sayἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
- untoὄροςoros · mountainG3735
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- Removeμεταβαίνωmetabainō · to departG3327
- henceἐντεῦθεν, ἔνθενenteuthen · from hereG1782
- to yonder placeἐκεῖekei · thereG1563
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- shall be impossibleἀδυνατέωadunateō · be impossibleG101
Cross-references for Matthew 17:20
- Matthew 17:17Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
- Matthew 14:30But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
- Hebrews 3:19So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
- Matthew 21:21Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
- Mark 11:23I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.
- Luke 17:6The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!
- 1 Corinthians 12:9The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
- 1 Corinthians 13:2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
- Matthew 13:31Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
- Mark 4:31It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds,
- Mark 9:23“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
- Luke 1:37For the word of God will never fail.”
- Luke 18:27He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
Commentaries on Matthew 17:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Because of your unbelief - Are we preachers of the Gospel? Do the things of God rest upon our minds with a deep and steady conviction? Can we expect that a doctrine which we do not, from conviction, credit ourselves, can be instrumental in our hands of begetting faith in others? So we preached, end so ye believed. The word preached generally begets in the people the same spirit which the preacher possesses. Instead of Ϛ, unbelief, the famous Vatican MS…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20As a grain of mustard-seed - See the notes at Matthew 13:31-32. The mustard-seed was the smallest of all seeds. It has been supposed by some, therefore, that he meant to say, If you have the smallest or feeblest faith that is genuine, you can do all things. The mustard-seed produced the largest of all herbs. It has been supposed by others, therefore, to mean, If you have increasing, expanding, enlarged faith, growing and strengthening from small…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The case of afflicted children should be presented to God by faithful and fervent prayer. Christ cured the child. Though the people were perverse, and Christ was provoked, yet care was taken of the child. When all other helps and succours fail, we are welcome to Christ, may trust in him, and in his power and goodness. See here an emblem of Christ's undertaking as our Redeemer. It encourages parents to bring children to Christ, whose souls are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Here, the phrase so little faith means the same as no faith. faith the size of a mustard seed: This suggests that even a tiny amount of faith can help the disciples achieve great things (Hebrews 21:21; compare 1 Corinthians 13:2). It also suggests that if they let their faith increase (see Matthew 13:31–32), they could act with strong belief. "Moving mountains" is a saying that means overcoming obstacles and achieving God's goals (Isaiah 40:4; 49:11…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 17:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 17
- 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
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