Matthew 10:35

“For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;”
Matthew 10:35 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

ForγὰρI cameἦλθονto setδιχάσαιa manἄνθρωπονagainstκατὰhisαὐτοῦfather,τοῦ πατρὸςandκαὶa daughterθυγατέραagainstκατὰherαὐτῆςmother,τῆς μητρὸςandκαὶa daughter-in-lawνύμφηνagainstκατὰherαὐτῆςmother-in-law;τῆς πενθερᾶς

Allusion · Micah 7:6

Go to Micah 7:6

Both texts describe division within the family: the son against the father, the daughter against the mother, the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law; one’s enemies are those of one’s own household.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

πατρὸςpatrosG3962אָבavH1“father”
μητρὸςmētrosG3384אִמָּimaH517“mother”
πενθερᾶςpentherasG3994חֲמֹתָjamotaH2545“mother-in-law”
νύμφηνnymphēnG3565כַּלָּהkalaH3618“bride”

Matthew 10:35, word by word

I cameἦλθονēlthon

come as Messiah

The coming of Jesus; "the one who comes" is the awaited one.

Where else “ēlthon” appears

to setδιχάσαιdichasai

set against

Divide, set at odds, turn one against another.

Where else “dichasai” appears

a manἄνθρωπονanthrōpon

person

A person, man or woman.

Where else “anthrōpon” appears

fatherπατρὸςpatros

parents

A family's father; sometimes father and mother.

Where else “patros” appears

a daughterθυγατέραthygatera

daughter

The girl or woman born to a father and mother.

Where else “thygatera” appears

motherμητρὸςmētros

mother

The woman who gives birth to a child and raises it.

Where else “mētros” appears

a daughter-in-lawνύμφηνnymphēn

daughter-in-law

A son's wife.

Where else “nymphēn” appears

mother-in-lawπενθερᾶςpentheras

mother-in-law

Mother-in-law.

Where else “pentheras” appears

Translation note

10:35-36 takes up Micah 7:6.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Not peace, but a sword

Luke 12:51-53 Luke 14:26-27

A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.

See them side by side

Matthew 10:34-39

³⁴Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household. ³⁷The one who holds father or mother dearer than me is not worthy of me; and the one who holds son or daughter dearer than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And whoever does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. ³⁹The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Luke 12:51-53

⁵¹Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵²For from now on there will be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three; ⁵³they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against the mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law.”

Luke 14:26-27

²⁶“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life as well, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

The context

34Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 · This verse (above)

36and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.

Read all of Matthew 10

To study Matthew 10 in a group

1. What it says
What instructions did Jesus give the twelve when he sent them out (vv. 7–10)?
2. What it means
Why does Jesus say not to be afraid, even while he announces that there will be opposition (vv. 26–31)?
3. How I live it
Jesus says whoever gives a cup of cold water will not lose their reward (v. 42). Whom can you serve this way today?

How to use it