Matthew 19 · Verse 28

Matthew 19:28

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 19:28, King James Version

Matthew 19:28 in other translations

BSBJesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
WEBJesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
ASVAnd Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
YLTAnd Jesus said to them, ‘Verily I say to you, that ye who did follow me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man may sit upon a throne of his glory, shall sit--ye also--upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;
DARBYAnd Jesus said to them, Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit down upon his throne of glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
BBEAnd Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that in the time when all things are made new, and the Son of man is seated in his glory, you who have come after me will be seated on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
WebsterAnd Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, that ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

What does Matthew 19:28 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 28. Verily I say unto you. Jesus in this verse declares the reward which they would have. They were not to look for it now, but in a future period.

In the regeneration. This word occurs but once elsewhere in the New Testament, Tit 3:5. It literally means a new birth, or being born again. Applied to a man, it denotes the great change when the heart is renewed, or when the sinner begins to be a Christian. This is its meaning clearly in Titus. But this meaning cannot be applied here. Christ was not born again, and in no proper sense could it be said that they had followed him in the new birth. The word also means any great changes, or restoration of things to a former state, or to a better state. In this sense it is probably used here. It refers to that great revolution; that restoration of order in the universe; that universal new birth when the dead shall rise, and all human things shall be changed, and a new order of things shall start up out of the ruins of the old, when the Son of man shall come to judgment. The passage, then, should be read, "Ye which have followed me shall, as a reward in the great day of the resurrection of the dead, and of forming the new and eternal order of things--the day of judgment, the regeneration--be signally honoured and blessed."

When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory. That is, to judge the world. Throne of glory, means glorious throne, or a splendid throne. It is not to be taken literally, but is used to denote his character as a King and Judge, and to signify the great dignity and majesty which will be displayed by him. See Mt 24:30, 26:64; Acts 1:11, 17:31.

Sit upon twelve thrones. This is figurative. To sit on a throne denotes power and honour; and means here that they should be distinguished above others, and be more highly honoured and rewarded.

Judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus will be the Judge of quick and dead. He only is qualified for it; and the Father hath given all judgment to the Son, Jn 5:22. To judge, denotes rank, authority, power. The ancient judges of Israel were men of distinguished courage, patriotism, honour, and valour. Hence the word comes to denote, not so much an actual exercise of the power of passing judgment, as the honour attached to the office. And as earthly kings have those around them dignified with honours and office, counsellors and judges, so Christ says his apostles shall occupy the same relative station in the great day. They shall be honoured by him, and by all, as apostles; as having in the face of persecution left all; as having laid the foundations of his church, and endured all the maddened persecutions of the world.

The twelve tribes of Israel. This was the number of the ancient tribes. By this name the people of God were denoted. By this name Jesus here denotes his redeemed people. See also Jas 1:1, where Christians are called the twelve tribes. Here it also means not the Jews, not the world, not the wicked, not that the apostles are to pronounce sentence on the enemies of God; but the people of God, the redeemed. Among them Jesus says his apostles shall be honoured in the day of judgment, as earthly kings place in posts of office and honour the counsellors and judges of those who have signally served them. Comp. 1Cor 6:2.

(t) "ye shall also" Mt 20:21, Lk 22:28-30, 1Cor 6:2,3, Rev 2:26

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, etc. - The punctuation which I have observed here, is that which is followed by the most eminent critics: the regeneration is thus referred to the time when Jesus shall sit on the throne of his glory, and not to the time of following him, which is utterly improper. The regeneration, παλιγγενεσια. Some refer this to the time in which the new heavens and the new earth shall be created, and the soul and body united. The Pythagoreans termed that παλιγγενεσια, when, according to their doctrine of the transmigration or metempsychosis, the soul entered into a new body, and got into a new state of being. Clement, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, calls the restoration of the world, after the deluge, by the same name. Judging the twelve tribes - From the parallel place, Luk 22:28-30, it is evident that sitting on thrones, and judging the twelve tribes, means simply obtaining eternal salvation, and the distinguishing privileges of the kingdom of glory, by those who continued faithful to Christ in his sufferings and death. Judging, κρινοντες. Kypke has shown that κρινεσθαι is to be understood in the sense of governing, presiding, holding the first or most distinguished place. Thus, Gen 49:16, Dan shall Judge his people, i.e. shall preside in, or rule over them; shall occupy a chief place among the tribes. It is well known that the Judges among the Jews were moderators, captains, chief, or head men. The sense therefore of our Lord's words appears to be, that these disciples should have those distinguished seats in glory which seem to belong peculiarly to the first confessors and martyrs. See 1Thes 4:14, 1Thes 4:16, and particularly Rev 20:4-6. The last-quoted passage brings into view the doctrine of the Millennium, when Jesus, after having formed the new heavens and the new earth, shall reign here gloriously among his ancients 365,000 years; for the thousand years referred to above are certainly prophetical years, in which, it is well known, each day stands for a year. Others, of no mean note, are of opinion that the regeneration means the conversion of men by the preaching of the Gospel - that sitting on twelve thrones signifies the state of eminent dignity to which the apostles should be raised - and that judging the twelve tribes of Israel, means no more than exercising authority in the Church, and dispensing laws to the people of God. But I confess I do not see the propriety of this application of the terms, as the following verse seems to fix the meaning mentioned above.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 19:23-30

Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men's earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and prosperous condition. If they live more…

Read the full comment on Matthew 19:23-30 →

Matthew 19:28 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.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
εἶπενeipensaidG2036
αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846
ἀμὴνamēnAmenG281
λέγωlegōI sayG3004
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
οἱhoiwhoG3588
ἀκολουθήσαντέςakolouthēsanteshaving followedG190
μοιmoiMeG3165
ἐνeninG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
παλιγγενεσίᾳ,palingenesiaregeneration,G3824
ὅτανhotanwhenG3752
καθίσῃkathisēmay sit downG2523
ὁhotheG3588
υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ἀνθρώπουanthrōpouof ManG444
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
θρόνουthronou[the] throneG2362
δόξηςdoxēsof gloryG1391
αὐτοῦ,autouof Him,G846
καθήσεσθεkathēsesthewill sitG2521
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
ἐπὶepionG1909
δώδεκαdōdekatwelveG1427
θρόνουςthronousthronesG2362
κρίνοντεςkrinontesjudgingG2919
τὰςtastheG3588
δώδεκαdōdekatwelveG1427
φυλὰςphulastribesG5443
τοῦtou<the>G3588
Ἰσραήλ.¶Israēlof Israel.G2474

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

Cross references for Matthew 19:28

  • Luke 22:28-30

    Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:2-3

    Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

  • Matthew 25:31

    When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

  • Revelation 20:4

    And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

  • Isaiah 65:17

    For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

  • Revelation 4:4

    And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

  • Revelation 3:21

    To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

  • Revelation 20:11-15

    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. …

  • Matthew 16:27

    For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

  • Revelation 2:26-27

    And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

  • 2 Timothy 2:12

    If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

  • Revelation 21:5

    And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in the regeneration.
Isa 65:17; 66:22; Ac 3:21; 2Pe 3:13; Re 21:5
when.
16:27; 25:31; 2Th 1:7-10; Re 20:11-15
ye also.
20:21; Lu 22:28-30; 1Co 6:2,3; 2Ti 2:12; Re 2:26,27; 3:21
the twelve.
Ex 15:27; 24:4; 28:21; Le 24:5; Jos 3:12; 1Ki 18:31; Ezr 6:17; Re 7:4
Re 12:1; 21:12-14; 22:2

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

Context

  • Matthew 19:27

    Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

  • Matthew 19:28

    And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

  • Matthew 19:29

    And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Read all of Matthew 19

Matthew 19:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jesús les dijo: De cierto os digo, que vosotros que me habéis seguido, en la regeneración, cuando se sentará el Hijo del hombre en el trono de su gloria, vosotros también os sentaréis sobre doce tronos, para juzgar á las doce tribus de Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jésus leur dit: En vérité, je vous dis que vous qui m’avez suivi, – dans la régénération, quand le fils de l’homme se sera assis sur le trône de sa gloire, vous aussi, vous serez assis sur douze trônes, jugeant les douze tribus d’Israël;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus aber sprach zu ihnen: Wahrlich, ich sage euch: Ihr, die ihr mir nachgefolgt seid, auch ihr werdet in der Wiedergeburt, wenn der Sohn des Menschen sitzen wird auf seinem Throne der Herrlichkeit, auf zwölf Thronen sitzen und richten die zwölf Stämme Israels.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Jesus autem dixit illis: Amen dico vobis, quod vos, qui secuti estis me, in regeneratione cum sederit Filius hominis in sede majestatis suæ, sedebitis et vos super sedes duodecim, judicantes duodecim tribus Israël.