Matthew 16 · Verse 25

Matthew 16:25

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:25, King James Version

Matthew 16:25 in other translations

BSBFor whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
WEBFor whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.
ASVFor whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.
YLTfor whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake shall find it,
DARBYFor whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.
BBEBecause whoever has a desire to keep his life safe will have it taken from him; but whoever gives up his life because of me, will have it given back to him.
WebsterFor whoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it.

What does Matthew 16:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. For whosoever will save--is minded to save, or bent on saving. his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it--(See on Mt 10:38,39). "A suffering and dying Messiah liketh you ill; but what if His servants shall meet the same fate? They may not; but who follows Me must be prepared for the worst."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 25. Whosoever will save his life, etc. Mt 10:39

(a) "For whosoever" Jn 12:25, Est 4:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 For whosoever will save his life - That is, shall wish to save his life - at the expense of his conscience, and casting aside the cross, he shall lose it - the very evil he wishes to avoid shall overtake him; and he shall lose his soul into the bargain. See then how necessary it is to renounce one's self! But whatsoever a man loses in this world, for his steady attachment to Christ and his cause, he shall have amply made up to him in the eternal world.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 16:24-28

A true disciple of Christ is one that does follow him in duty, and shall follow him to glory. He is one that walks in the same way Christ walked in, is led by his Spirit, and treads in his steps, whithersoever he goes. "Let him deny himself." If self-denial be a hard lesson, it is no more than what our Master learned and practised, to redeem us, and to teach us. "Let him take up his cross." The cross is here put for…

Read the full comment on Matthew 16:24-28 →

Matthew 16:25 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὃςhosWho[ever]G3739
γὰρgarforG1063
ἐὰνeanmaybeG1437
θέλῃthelēshall desireG2309
τὴνtēntheG3588
ψυχὴνpsuchēnlifeG5590
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
σῶσαι,sōsaito save,G4982
ἀπολέσειapoleseiwill loseG622
αὐτήν·autēnit;G846
ὃςhoswho[ever]G3739
δ᾽d᾽howeverG1161
ἂνanmaybeG302
ἀπολέσῃapolesēshall loseG622
τὴνtēntheG3588
ψυχὴνpsuchēnlifeG5590
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
ἕνεκενhenekenon account ofG1752
ἐμοῦ,emouMe,G1473
εὑρήσειheurēseiwill findG2147
αὐτήν.¶autēnit.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 16:25

  • Matthew 10:39

    He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

  • Revelation 12:11

    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

  • Mark 8:35

    For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

  • John 12:25

    He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

  • Luke 17:33

    Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

  • Acts 20:23-24

    Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

  • Esther 4:16

    Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

  • Esther 4:14

    For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:39; Es 4:14,16; Mr 8:35; Lu 17:33; Joh 12:25; Ac 20:23,24
Re 12:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 16:24

    Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

  • Matthew 16:25

    For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

  • Matthew 16:26

    For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Read all of Matthew 16

Matthew 16:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque cualquiera que quisiere salvar su vida, la perderá, y cualquiera que perdiere su vida por causa de mí, la hallará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		car quiconque voudra sauver sa vie la perdra; et quiconque perdra sa vie pour l’amour de moi, la trouvera.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn wer irgend sein Leben erretten will, wird es verlieren; wer aber irgend sein Leben verliert um meinetwillen, wird es finden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere, perdet eam: qui autem perdiderit animam suam propter me, inveniet eam.