Matthew 21 · Verse 21

Matthew 21:21

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Matthew 21:21, King James Version

Matthew 21:21 in other translations

BSB	“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
WEB	Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.
ASV	And Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, it shall be done.
YLT	And Jesus answering said to them, ‘Verily I say to you, If ye may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig-tree shall ye do, but even if to this mount ye may say, Be lifted up and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass;
DARBY	And Jesus answering said to them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and do not doubt, not only shall ye do what is done to the fig-tree, but even if ye should say to this mountain, Be thou taken away and be thou cast into the sea, it shall come to pass.
BBE	And Jesus in answer said to them, Truly I say to you, If you have faith, without doubting, not only may you do what has been done to the fig-tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and put into the sea, it will be done.
Webster	Jesus answered and said to them, Verily I say to you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also, if ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

What does Matthew 21:21 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 21. Jesus answered and said, etc. Jesus took occasion from this to establish their faith in God, Mk 11:22. He told them that any difficulty could be removed by faith. To remove a mountain, denotes the power of overcoming any difficulty. The phrase was so used by the Jews. There is no doubt that this was literally true, that if they had the faith of miracles, they could remove the mountain before them the mount of Olives--for this was as easy for God to do by them as to heal the sick, or raise the dead. But he rather referred, probably, to the difficulties and trials which they would be called to endure in preaching the gospel.

(k) "If ye have faith" Mt 17:20, Lk 17:6, Jas 1:6 (l) "???" Mt 8:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 21 If ye have faith, and doubt not - See on Mat 17:20 (note). Removing mountains, and rooting up of mountains, are phrases very generally used to signify the removing or conquering great difficulties - getting through perplexities. So, many of the rabbins are termed rooters up of mountains, because they were dexterous in removing difficulties, solving cases of conscience, etc. In this sense our Lord's words are to be understood. He that has faith will get through every difficulty and perplexity; mountains shall become molehills or plains before him. The saying is neither to be taken in its literal sense, nor is it hyperbolical: it is a proverbial form of speech, which no Jew could misunderstand, and with which no Christian ought to be puzzled.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:18-22

This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:18-22 →

Matthew 21:21 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.

ἈποκριθεὶςApokritheisAnsweringG611

δὲdenowG1161

ὁho<the>G3588

ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424

εἶπενeipensaidG2036

αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846

ἀμὴνamēnAmenG281

λέγωlegōI sayG3004

ὑμῖν·huminto you;G4771

ἐὰνeanifG1437

ἔχητεechēteyou shall haveG2192

πίστινpistinfaithG4102

καὶkaiandG2532

μὴmēnotG3361

διακριθῆτε,diakrithēteshall doubt,G1252

οὐounotG3756

μόνονmonononlyG3441

τὸtothe [miracle]G3588

τῆςtēsof theG3588

συκῆςsukēsfig treeG4808

ποιήσετε,poiēsetewill you do,G4160

ἀλλὰallabutG235

κἂνkaneven ifG2532

τῷtōto theG3588

ὄρειoreimountainG3735

τούτῳtoutōthisG3778

εἴπητε·eipēteyou shall say;G2036

ἄρθητιarthētido be taken awayG142

καὶkaiandG2532

βλήθητιblēthētido be castG906

εἰςeisintoG1519

τὴνtēntheG3588

θάλασσαν,thalassansea,G2281

γενήσεται·genēsetaiit will come to pass;G1096

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

Cross references for Matthew 21:21

James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mark 11:22-23
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Luke 17:6-7
And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
Romans 4:19-20
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
1 Corinthians 13:2
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

If ye have.
17:20; Mr 11:22,23; Lu 17:6,7; Ro 4:19,20; 1Co 13:2; Jas 1:6
Be thou removed.
8:12

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

Context

Matthew 21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Matthew 21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:21 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y respondiendo Jesús les dijo: De cierto os digo, que si tuviereis fe, y no dudareis, no sólo haréis esto de la higuera: mas si á este monte dijereis: Quítate y échate en la mar, será hecho.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Jésus, répondant, leur dit: En vérité, je vous dis: Si vous avez de la foi et que vous ne doutiez pas, non seulement vous ferez ce qui a été fait au figuier, mais si même vous disiez à cette montagne: Ôte-toi et jette-toi dans la mer, cela se ferait.
German Elberfelder 1871	Jesus aber antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Wahrlich, ich sage euch: Wenn ihr Glauben habt und nicht zweifelt, so werdet ihr nicht allein das mit dem Feigenbaum Geschehene tun, sondern wenn ihr auch zu diesem Berge sagen werdet: Werde aufgehoben und ins Meer geworfen! so wird es geschehen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Respondens autem Jesus, ait eis: Amen dico vobis, si habueritis fidem, et non hæsitaveritis, non solum de ficulnea facietis, sed et si monti huic dixeritis: Tolle, et jacta te in mare, fiet.