Matthew 20 · Verse 28

Matthew 20:28

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:28, King James Version

Matthew 20:28 in other translations

BSB	just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
WEB	even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
ASV	even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
YLT	even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'
DARBY	as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
BBE	Even as the Son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.
Webster	Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

What does Matthew 20:28 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 28. Even as the Son of man, Mt 8:20. Jesus points them to his own example. He was in the form of God in heaven, Php 2:6. He came to men in the form of a servant, Php 2:7. He came not with pomp and glory, but as a man in humble life. And since he came, he had not required them to minister to him. He laboured for them. He strove to do them good. He provided for their wants, fared as poorly as they did, went before them in dangers and sufferings, practised self-denial on their account, and for them was about to lay down his life. See Jn 13:4,5.

To give his life a ransom for many. The word ransom means, literally, a price paid for the redemption of captives. In war, when prisoners are taken by an enemy, the money demanded for their release is called a ransom. That is, it is the means by which they are set at liberty. So anything that releases any one from a state of punishment, or suffering, or sin, is called a ransom. Men are by nature captives to sin. They are sold under it. They are under condemnation, Eph 2:3, Rom 3:9-20,23, 1Jn 5:19. They are under a curse, Gal 3:10. They are in love with sin. They are under its withering dominion, and are exposed to death eternal, Eze 18:4, Ps 9:17; Ps 11:6, 68:2, 139:19, Mt 25:46, Rom 2:6-9. They must have perished unless there had been some way by which they could be rescued. This was done by the death of Jesus; by giving his life a ransom. The meaning is, that he died in the place of sinners, and that God was willing to accept the pains of his death in the place of the eternal suffering of the redeemed. The reasons why such a ransom was necessary are,

1st. that God had declared that the sinner should die--that is, that he would punish, or show his hatred to all sin.

2nd. That all men had sinned; and if justice was to take its regular course, all must perish.

3rd. That man could make no atonement for his own sins. All that he could do, were he holy would be only to do his duty, and would make no amends for the past. Repentance and future obedience would not blot away one sin.

4th. No man was pure, and no angel could make atonement. God was pleased, therefore, to appoint his only-begotten Son to make such a ransom. See Jn 16:10, 1Jn 4:10, 1Pet 1:18,19, Rev 13:8; Jn 1:29, Eph 5:2, Heb 7:27, Isa 53:1-12. This is commonly called the atonement. Rom 5:11.

For many. See also Mt 26:28, Jn 10:16, 1Timm 2:6, 1Jn 2:2 2Cor 5:14,15, Heb 2:9.

(t) "but to minister" Lk 22:27, Jn 13:1-38, 4:14, Php 2:7 (u) "and to give" Isa 53:5,8,11, Dan 9:24,26, 1Timm 2:6, Tit 2:14, Heb 9:28 1Pet 1:18,19, Rev 1:5

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 28 A ransom for many - Λυτρον αντι πολλων, or a ransom instead of many, - one ransom, or atonement, instead of the many prescribed in the Jewish law. Mr. Wakefield contends for the above translation, and with considerable show of reason and probability. The word λυτρον is used by the Septuagint for the Hebrew פדיו, pidion, the ransom paid for a man's life: see Exo 21:30; Num 3:49-51; and λυτρα is used Num 35:31, where a satisfaction (Hebrew כפר copher, an atonement) for the life of a murderer is refused. The original word is used by Lucian in exactly the same sense, who represents Ganymede promising to sacrifice a ram to Jupiter, λυτρον υπερ εμου, as a ransom for himself, provided he would dismiss him. The whole Gentile world, as well as the Jews, believed in vicarious sacrifices. Virgil, Aen. v. 85, has nearly the same words as those in the text. "Unum Pro Multis dabitur Caput," - One man must be given for many. Jesus Christ laid down his life as a ransom for the lives and souls of the children of men. In the Codex Bezae, and in most of the Itala, the Saxon, and one of the Syriac, Hilary, Leo Magnus, and Juvencus, the following remarkable addition is found; "But seek ye to increase from a little, and to be lessened from that which is great. Moreover, when ye enter into a house, and are invited to sup, do not recline in the most eminent places, lest a more honorable than thou come after, and he who invited thee to supper come up to thee and say, Get down yet lower; and thou be put to confusion. But if thou sit down in the lowest place, and one inferior to thee come after, he who invited thee to supper will say unto thee, Go and sit higher: now this will be advantageous to thee." This is the largest addition found in any of the MSS., and contains not less than sixty words In the original, and eighty-three in the Anglo-Saxon. It may be necessary to remark, that Mr. Marshall, in his edition of the Gothic and Saxon Gospels, does not insert these words in the text, but gives them, p. 496 of his observations. This addition is at least as ancient as the fourth century, for it is quoted by Hilary, who did not die till about a.d. 367.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 20:20-28

The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not…

Read the full comment on Matthew 20:20-28 →

Matthew 20:28 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.

ὥσπερhōspereven asG5618

ὁhotheG3588

υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207

τοῦtou<the>G3588

ἀνθρώπουanthrōpouof ManG444

οὐκouknotG3756

ἦλθενēlthencameG2064

διακονηθῆναιdiakonēthēnaito be servedG1247

ἀλλὰallabutG235

διακονῆσαιdiakonēsaito serveG1247

καὶkaiandG2532

δοῦναιdounaito giveG1325

τὴνtēntheG3588

ψυχὴνpsuchēnlifeG5590

αὐτοῦautouof HimG846

λύτρονlutron[as] a ransomG3083

ἀντὶantiforG473

πολλῶν.¶pollōnmany.G4183

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

Cross references for Matthew 20:28

Luke 22:27
For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Hebrews 9:28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Philippians 2:4-8
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: …
1 Timothy 2:6
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Revelation 5:8-9
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
1 Peter 1:18-19
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

came.
Lu 22:27; Joh 13:4-17; Php 2:4-8; Heb 5:8
and to.
Job 33:24; Ps 49:7; Isa 53:5,8,10,11; Da 9:24-26; Joh 10:15
Joh 11:50-52; Ro 3:24-26; Ga 3:13; Eph 1:7; 5:2; 1Ti 2:6; Tit 2:14
Heb 9:28; 1Pe 1:18,19; 2:24; 3:18; Re 1:5; 5:8,9
for.
26:28; Mr 14:24; Ro 5:15-19; Heb 9:28; 1Jo 2:2

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

Context

Matthew 20:27
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:29
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

Read all of Matthew 20

Matthew 20:28 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Como el Hijo del hombre no vino para ser servido, sino para servir, y para dar su vida en rescate por muchos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	de même que le fils de l’homme n’est pas venu pour être servi, mais pour servir et pour donner sa vie en rançon pour plusieurs.
German Elberfelder 1871	gleichwie der Sohn des Menschen nicht gekommen ist, um bedient zu werden, sondern um zu dienen und sein Leben zu geben als Lösegeld für viele.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Sicut Filius hominis non venit ministrari, sed ministrare, et dare animam suam redemptionem pro multis.