Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version 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. New Living Translation Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. English Standard Version 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. Berean Standard Bible And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Berean Literal Bible And do not presume to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that out of these stones God is able to raise up children unto Abraham. King James Bible 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 King James Version 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. New American Standard Bible and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. NASB 1995 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. NASB 1977 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Legacy Standard Bible and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Amplified Bible and do not presume to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [so our inheritance assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham. Christian Standard Bible And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. Holman Christian Standard Bible And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! American Standard Version 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. Aramaic Bible in Plain English “And do not think and say in yourselves, 'Abraham is our father', for I say to you, God can raise up from these stones children to Abraham.” Contemporary English Version And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. Douay-Rheims Bible And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation Don't think you can say, 'Abraham is our ancestor.' I can guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. Good News Translation And don't think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! International Standard Version Don't think you can say to yourselves, 'We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! Literal Standard Version and do not think to say in yourselves, We have a father—Abraham, for I say to you that God is able to raise children to Abraham out of these stones, Majority Standard Bible And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. New American Bible And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. NET Bible and don't think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! New Revised Standard Version Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. New Heart English Bible and do not think to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Webster's Bible Translation And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Weymouth New Testament and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. World English Bible Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Young's Literal Translation and do not think to say in yourselves, A father we have -- Abraham, for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Mission of John the Baptist…8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.… Cross References Luke 3:8 Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Luke 16:24 So he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.' John 8:33 "We are Abraham's descendants," they answered. "We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?" John 8:37 I know you are Abraham's descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. John 8:39 "Abraham is our father," they replied. "If you were children of Abraham," said Jesus, "you would do the works of Abraham. Acts 13:26 Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. Romans 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered? Treasury of Scripture And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. think. Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Luke 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin 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. Luke 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? We. Ezekiel 33:24 Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. John 8:33,39,40,53 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? … God. Matthew 8:11,12 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven… Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Acts 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. Jump to Previous Able Abraham Children Descendants Forefather Imagine Presume Raise Stones Suppose Think Within YourselvesJump to Next Able Abraham Children Descendants Forefather Imagine Presume Raise Stones Suppose Think Within YourselvesMatthew 3 1. John preaches: his office, life, and baptism.7. He reprimands the Pharisees, 13. and baptizes Jesus in Jordan. (9) We have Abraham to (better, as) our father.--The boast seems to have been common, as in John 8:33-39, and was connected with the belief that this alone, or taken together with the confession of the creed of Israel "the Lord our God is one Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4), would be enough to ensure for every Jew an admission into Paradise. The "bosom" of Abraham was wide enough to receive all his children. "We have Abraham as our father" was to the Jew all and more than all that "civis Romanus sum" was to the Romans. Of these stones.--The words were obviously dramatised by gesture, pointing to the pebbles on the banks of the Jordan. In their spiritual application, they are remarkable as containing the germs of all the teaching of our Lord, and of St. Paul, and of St. John, as to the calling of the Gentiles, and the universality of God's kingdom. Verse 9. - And. An additional warning against any false feeling of security based on natural privileges. As this feeling was common to all Jews, the reference to the larger audience (ver. 7, note) was probably begun here. Think not to say. Not do not think, consider, with a view to saying; but do not think it right to say, do not be of opinion you may say (Luke 3:8, "Begin not to say ). St. Luke deprecates the commencement of such an utterance in their heart; S t. Matthew denies its justice. Within yourselves; cf. Esther 4:13 (Hebrew). We have Abraham to our father. As it was recognized on all hands that the promise of blessing was made to Abraham and his seed, it is no wonder that many Jews presumed upon their descent from him, "sup, posing,", as Justin Martyr says ('Trypho,' § 140.), that the everlasting kingdom will assuredly be given to those who are of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, although they be sinners and unbelieving and disobedient towards God." In later times, when the doctrine of merit was more fully established, God could be represented as saying to Abraham, "If thy children were like dead bodies without sinews or bones, thy merit would avail for them" ('Ber. Rabb.,' on Genesis 10:5:11. § 44, middle). In John's words, on the contrary, we have the germ of the doctrine afterwards Brought out by St. Paul (e.g. Galatians 3:9, 29), that not natural descent, but spiritual relationship by faith, leads to inheriting the promises. The argument in John 8:39, etc., is closely akin to that presented here. In both passages the Jews lay stress on their origin from Abraham; in both the answer is that morally they are sprung from a very different source (supra, ver. 7, note). But in John 8. the Jews are thinking chiefly of their present state, of not being as sinful as Jesus makes them out to be, while here they are thinking more of the future, that they have no need to take trouble, because promises for the future belong to them. Hence, perhaps, the exact expression (contrast John 8:33), "We have Abraham as father," which brings out the protecting influence of Abraham as still available. For I say unto you (λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν). The solemnity of the phrase (Matthew 6:25, 29; Matthew 8:11; Matthew 11:9) lies in the self-consciousness which it implies. The absence of the ἐγώ shows that the speaker has no desire to bring out his own personality (contrast Matthew 5:22, etc.), but the message only. That God. Not "the LORD," because(1) the thought is of power rather than of covenant relationship; (2) he is about to speak of others than members of the covenant nation. Is able of these stones. These; apodeictic (Matthew 4:3). Some have thought that by these stones John directly means certain Gentiles who were standing near; but it is much mere likely that he points to the literal stones at his feet, and with strong hyperbole says that he who once raised up offspring as the stars for multitude from persons as good as dead (Romans 4:19), and who had originally made man of the dust of the earth, can (δύναται), with both physical power and moral right, raise out of the very rawest material a new Israel (cf. Romans 4:17; 1 Corinthians 1:28, "the things that are not"). Raise up. The verb employed (ἐγείρω) is, as it seems, not used in the LXX. with reference to natural generation, but ἀνίστημι (cf. Genesis 38:8, ἐξανίστημι; Genesis 4:25; Genesis 19:32; cf. also Matthew 22:24). It is, however, very suitable here, for while ἀνίστημι regards future worth, ἐγείρω specially contrasts a later with an earlier state (e.g. sleep) - in this case the nature of children with the insensibility of stones. Children. The new Israel would possess, not merely Abraham's privileges, but his nature and character (τέκνα), in which you to whom I now speak are so deficient. Greek Andκαὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. {do} not μὴ (mē) Adverb Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether. presume δόξητε (doxēte) Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1380: A prolonged form of a primary verb, doko dok'-o of the same meaning; to think; by implication, to seem. to say λέγειν (legein) Verb - Present Infinitive Active Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command. to ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. yourselves, ἑαυτοῖς (heautois) Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself. ‘We have ἔχομεν (echomen) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold. Abraham Ἀβραάμ (Abraam) Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 11: Abraham, progenitor of the Hebrew race. Of Hebrew origin; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch. [as our] father.’ Πατέρα (Patera) Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. For γὰρ (gar) Conjunction Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason. I tell λέγω (legō) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command. you ὑμῖν (hymin) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. that ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. out of ἐκ (ek) Preposition Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out. these τούτων (toutōn) Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it. stones λίθων (lithōn) Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Strong's 3037: A stone; met: of Jesus as the chief stone in a building. Apparently a primary word; a stone. God Θεὸς (Theos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. can δύναται (dynatai) Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible. raise up ἐγεῖραι (egeirai) Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Strong's 1453: (a) I wake, arouse, (b) I raise up. Probably akin to the base of agora; to waken, i.e. Rouse. children τέκνα (tekna) Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 5043: A child, descendent, inhabitant. From the base of timoria; a child. for τῷ (tō) Article - Dative Masculine Singular Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. Abraham. Ἀβραάμ (Abraam) Noun - Dative Masculine Singular Strong's 11: Abraham, progenitor of the Hebrew race. Of Hebrew origin; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch. Links Matthew 3:9 NIVMatthew 3:9 NLT Matthew 3:9 ESV Matthew 3:9 NASB Matthew 3:9 KJV Matthew 3:9 BibleApps.com Matthew 3:9 Biblia Paralela Matthew 3:9 Chinese Bible Matthew 3:9 French Bible Matthew 3:9 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Matthew 3:9 Don't think to yourselves 'We have Abraham (Matt. Mat Mt) |
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