Tree of Life Version
Matthew 3:9
9and do not think that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’! For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Matthew 3:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
- New International Version (NIV)And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Context of Matthew 3:9
7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance; and do not think that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’! For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10Already the axe is laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire! 11“As for me, I immerse you in water for repentance. But the One coming after me is mightier than I am; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will immerse you in the Ruach ha-Kodesh and fire.
Read all of Matthew 3Matthew 3:9 word by word
καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- thinkδοκέωdokeō · to thinkG1380
- notμήmē · notG3361
- to sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- withinἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- We haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
- toπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- is ableδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- stonesλίθοςlithos · stoneG3037
- to raise upἐγείρωegeirō · to ariseG1453
- childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
Cross-references for Matthew 3:9
- Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of men, come evil intentions, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
- Luke 3:8Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance; and don’t even begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’! For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- Luke 5:22Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, replied to them, “Why are you raising questions in your hearts?
- Luke 7:39Now when the Pharisee who invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this were a prophet, He would know what sort of woman is touching Him—that she’s a sinner.”
- Luke 12:17And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have a place to store my harvest!’
- Ezekiel 33:24“Son of man, the inhabitants of these ruins in the land of Israel keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one, yet he inherited the land. Since we are many, the land is given to us as a possession.’
- Luke 16:24So he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus so he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, because I am suffering torment in this flame.’
- John 8:33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s children and have never been slaves to anyone! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
- Acts 13:26“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who are God-fearers, it is to us the message of this salvation has been sent.
- Romans 4:1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
- Romans 9:7nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seed; rather, “Your seed shall be called through Isaac.”
- Galatians 4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
- Matthew 8:11Moreover, I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and they will recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
- Luke 19:40But answering, Yeshua said, “I tell you that if these keep silent, the stones will shout out!”
- Acts 15:14Simon has described how God first showed His concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for His Name.
- Romans 4:17(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”). He is our father in the sight of God in whom he trusted, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist.
Commentaries on Matthew 3:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And think not to say - They regarded it as sufficient righteousness that they were descended from so holy a man as Abraham. Compare John 8:33-37, John 8:53. John assured them that this was a matter of small consequence in the sight of God. Of the very stones of the Jordan he could raise up children to Abraham. The meaning seems to be this: God, from these stones, could more easily raise up those who should be worthy children of Abraham, or be like him…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 To make application to the souls of the hearers, is the life of preaching; so it was of John's preaching. The Pharisees laid their chief stress on outward observances, neglecting the weightier matters of the moral law, and the spiritual meaning of their legal ceremonies. Others of them were detestable hypocrites, making their pretences to holiness a cloak for iniquity. The Sadducees ran into the opposite extreme, denying the existence of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’: Some people had wrong assumptions. They thought that being descendants of Abraham meant they were free from God's judgment. A key theme in Matthew is that God will create new children of Abraham. He will include non-Jews (Gentiles) in God's people. He will remove Jews who reject the Messiah (see 8:11–12; 21:43; 22:1–14; 28:16–20; Romans 4:9–25; Galatians 3:6–14, 29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father--that pillow on which the nation so fatally reposed, that rock on which at length it split. for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham--that is, "Flatter not yourselves with the fond delusion that God stands in need of you, to make good His promise of a seed to Abraham; for I tell you that, though you were all to perish, God is as able to…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 3:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 3
- 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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