Matthew 23:39

“For I tell you, you will never see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’””
Matthew 23:39 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

ForγὰρI tellλέγωyou,ὑμῖνyou will neverοὐ μήseeἴδητεmeμεfromἀπ’nowἄρτιuntilἕως ἂνyou say,εἴπητε‘Blessed isΕὐλογημένοςthe one who comesὁ ἐρχόμενοςinἐνthe nameὀνόματιof the Lord.’”κυρίου

Quotation · Psalms 118:26

Go to Psalms 118:26

Jesus announces that they will not see him until they say the words of Psalm 118:26.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν οὐ μή με ἴδητε ἀπ’ ἄρτι ἕως ἂν εἴπητε Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה בֵּרַכְנוּכֶם מִבֵּית יְהוָה

Septuagint (Psalms 117:26 in the Septuagint numbering): εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου· εὐλογήκαμεν ὑμᾶς ἐξ οἴκου Κυρίου.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Matthew 23:39, word by word

I tellλέγωlegō

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “legō” appears

seeἴδητεidēte

see

To perceive with sight, to look and notice what is in front.

Where else “idēte” appears

nowἄρτιarti

now

Now, just now, at this moment.

Where else “arti” appears

‘Blessed isΕὐλογημένοςEulogēmenos

bless abundantly

God filling someone with good things.

Where else “Eulogēmenos” appears

the one who comesἐρχόμενοςerchomenos

come

To move to where someone is or to a place, and be present there.

Where else “erchomenos” appears

the nameὀνόματιonomati

name

The word by which a person or thing is called, which often says who they are.

Where else “onomati” appears

of the Lord.’κυρίουkyriou

Lord

The Lord: God, whose name is YHWH; also Jesus.

Where else “kyriou” appears

Parallel passages

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

Lament over Jerusalem

Luke 13:34-35

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

See them side by side

Matthew 23:37-39

³⁷Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁸Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹For I tell you, you will never see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Luke 13:34-35

³⁴Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children the way a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁵Look, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will never see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Quotation · Psalms 118:26

Jesus announces that they will not see him until they say the words of Psalm 118:26.

See them side by side

Matthew 23:39

³⁹For I tell you, you will never see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Psalms 118:26

²⁶Blessed is the one who comes in the name of YHWH; we bless you from the house of YHWH.

The context

38Look, your house is left to you desolate.

39 · This verse (above)

Read all of Matthew 23

To study Matthew 23 in a group

1. What it says
What does Jesus criticize the scribes and Pharisees for regarding how they burden others and how they themselves live (vv. 3–4)?
2. What it means
Why does Jesus say “the greatest among you will be your servant” (vv. 11–12)?
3. How I live it
Jesus criticizes doing things to be seen (v. 5). What good thing could you do today without anyone noticing?

How to use it