Matthew 9:38

Last updated
Matthew 9:38
  9:37
10:1  
Book Gospel of Matthew
Christian Bible part New Testament

Matthew 9:38 is the final verse in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

Contents

Content

In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort, this verse reads:

δεήθητε οὖν τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦ, ὅπως ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ.

In the King James Version of the Bible, the text reads:

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The New International Version translates the passage as:

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Analysis

There is some debate about whether "the Lord of the harvest" means Jesus, or God the Father.[ clarification needed ] Jesus calls His Father "the Lord of the vineyard" in Matthew 21:40, [1] and "the husbandman" in John 15:1. [2] However, the term could also refer to Jesus, who sends out his the labourers, i.e. the apostles: see the quotation from John Chrysostom below. These labourers are alluded to in Psalm 126, "who sow in tears, shall reap in exultation", and are to be contrasted with the false labourers spoken of in Jeremiah 23:21, "I did not send prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." [3]

Johann Bengel sees in this verse an illustration of the importance of prayer:

See of how great value prayers are. The Lord of the harvest Himself wishes Himself to be moved by them. [4]

Commentary from the Church Fathers

Chrysostom: "He privately insinuates Himself to be the Lord; for it is He Himself who is Lord of the harvest. For if He sent the Apostles to reap what they had not sown, it is manifest that He sent them not to reap the things of others, but what He had sown by the Prophets. But since the twelve Apostles are the labourers, He said, Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he would send labourers into his harvest; and notwithstanding He added none to their number, but rather He multiplied those twelve many times, not by increasing their numbers, but by giving them more abundant grace." [5]

Saint Remigius: "Or, He then increased their number when He chose the seventy and two, and then when many preachers were made what time the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers." [5]

Chrysostom: "He shews us that it is a great gift that one should have the power of rightly preaching, in that He tells them that they ought to pray for it. Also we are here reminded of the words of John concerning the threshing-floor, and the fan, the chaff, and the wheat." [5]

Hilary of Poitiers: "Figuratively; When salvation was given to the Gentiles, then all cities and towns were enlightened by the power and entrance of Christ, and escaped every former sickness and infirmity. The Lord pities the people troubled with the violence of the unclean Spirit, and sick under the burden of the Law, and having no shepherd at hand to bestow on them the guardianship of the Holy Spirit. But of that gift there was a most abundant fruit, whose plenty far exceeded the multitude of those that drank thereof; how many soever take of it, yet an inexhaustible supply remains; and because it is profitable that there should be many to minister it, He bids us ask the Lord of the harvest, that God would provide a supply of reapers for the ministration of that gift of the Holy Spirit which was made ready; for by prayer this gift is poured out upon us from God." [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord's Prayer</span> Christian prayer taught by Jesus

The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father, is a central Christian prayer that Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and a shorter form in the Gospel of Luke when "one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples'". Regarding the presence of the two versions, some have suggested that both were original, the Matthean version spoken by Jesus early in his ministry in Galilee, and the Lucan version one year later, "very likely in Judea".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epiclesis</span> Christian Eucharistic prayer

The epiclesis refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in religious contexts. The term was borrowed into the Christian tradition, where it designates the part of the Anaphora by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit upon the Eucharistic bread and wine in some Christian churches. In most Eastern Christian traditions, the Epiclesis comes after the Anamnesis ; in the Western Rite it usually precedes. In the historic practice of the Western Christian Churches, the consecration is effected at the Words of Institution though during the rise of the Liturgical Movement, many denominations introduced an explicit epiclesis in their liturgies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 3:11</span>

Matthew 3:11 is the eleventh verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verse occurs in the section relating the preachings of John the Baptist. In this verse he predicts that he will be followed by someone much greater than himself. The main theme of this verse is that John will soon be supplanted by a much greater figure and that John's water baptism is just a preparation for the much greater baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. That person in the original version of verse 11 is the word "ܚܤܝܢ" which means "Hussein". The original version of verse 11:  . ܐܢܐ ܡܥܡܕ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܒܡܝܐ ܠܬܝܒܘܬܐ ܗܘ ܕ

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 6:9</span> Verse of the New Testament

Matthew 6:9 is the ninth verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse is the opening of the Lord's Prayer, one of the best known parts of the entire New Testament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 6:10</span>

Matthew 6:10 is the tenth verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse is the second one of the Lord's Prayer, one of the best known parts of the entire New Testament. This verse contains the second and third petitions to God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 6:5</span>

Matthew 6:5 is the fifth verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse opens discussion on the proper procedure for praying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 7:11</span>

Matthew 7:11 is the eleventh verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse summarizes the preceding metaphors in favour of prayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 7:15</span> Bible verse warning of false prophets

Matthew 7:15 is the fifteenth verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse begins the section warning against false prophets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 7:16</span> Bible verse

Matthew 7:16 is the sixteenth verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse continues the section warning against false prophets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 7:21</span> Bible verse

Matthew 7:21 is the twenty-first verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse continues Jesus' warning against false prophets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 7:22</span>

Matthew 7:22 is the twenty-second verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse continues Jesus' warning against false prophets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew 10:1</span>

Matthew 10:1 is the first verse of the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. In this verse, Jesus gathers his disciples and grants them healing powers in what is known as the commissioning the twelve apostles.

Matthew 9:37 is a verse in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

Matthew 10:20 is a verse in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

Matthew 12:28 is the 28th verse in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John 1:42</span>

John 1:42 is the 42nd verse in the first chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John 1:45</span>

John 1:45 is the 45th verse in the first chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

Matthew 12:17-18 are two verses in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

Matthew 12:31-32 are two verses in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

Matthew 14:15-21 is a set of verses in the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

References

  1. Matthew 21:40: King James Version
  2. John 15:1: King James Version
  3. John MacEvilly (1879), An Exposition of the Gospel of St. John consisting of an analysis of each chapter and of a Commentary critical, exegetical, doctrinal and moral, Dublin, Gill & Son
  4. Bengel, J. A., Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament on Matthew 9, 1860 translation from the second edition of 1759, accessed on 11 July 2024
  5. 1 2 3 4 Thomas Aquinas (1874). "Catena aurea: commentary on the four Gospels, collected out of the works of the Fathers: Volume 6, St. John. Oxford: Parker, 1874". pp. 360–361.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
Preceded by
Matthew 9:37
Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 9
Succeeded by
Matthew 10:1