13
Andκαὶifἐὰνit happens thatγένηταιhe findsεὑρεῖνit,αὐτόtrulyἀμὴνI tellλέγωyouὑμῖνthatὅτιhe rejoicesχαίρειoverἐπ’itαὐτῷmoreμᾶλλονthanἢoverἐπὶthe ninety-nineτοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέαthatτοῖςdid notμὴgo astray.πεπλανημένοις
Matthew 18:13
Study it in the app“And if it happens that he finds it, truly I tell you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.”
With the Greek beneath
Matthew 18:13, word by word
- it happens thatγένηταιgenētai
happen
For an event to occur, for something to take place in history.
Where else “genētai” appears- he findsεὑρεῖνheurein
find
To come upon something or someone, after searching or by surprise.
Where else “heurein” appears- trulyἀμὴνamēn
truly
"I assure you": Jesus says it to affirm something.
Where else “amēn” appears- I tellλέγωlegō
say
To express something in words to others.
Where else “legō” appears- he rejoicesχαίρειchairei
rejoice
To feel joy and gladness about something.
Where else “chairei” appears- moreμᾶλλονmallon
more
To a greater degree; how much more, when comparing.
Where else “mallon” appears- the ninety-nineἐνενήκονταenenēkonta
ninety
Ninety.
Where else “enenēkonta” appears- the ninety-nineἐννέαennea
nine
Nine.
Where else “ennea” appears- go astrayπεπλανημένοιςpeplanēmenois
go astray
To lose one's way, or be wrong.
Where else “peplanēmenois” appears
Parallel passages
Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
The lost sheep
A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.
See them side by side
Matthew 18:12-14
12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is going astray? 13And if it happens that he finds it, truly I tell you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
4“What man among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes into the house, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his mind than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of a change of mind.
The context
12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is going astray?
13 · This verse (above)
14So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
To study Matthew 18 in a group
1. What it says
What did Jesus put in the middle of the disciples when they asked who is greatest (vv. 1–3)?
2. What it means
Why does Jesus tell the parable of the slave who was forgiven a huge debt (vv. 23–35)?
3. How I live it
Peter asked how many times to forgive (v. 21). Whom do you find hard to forgive, and what small first step can you take?