Matthew 21 · Verse 3

Matthew 21:3

And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
Matthew 21:3, King James Version

Matthew 21:3 in other translations

BSBIf anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
WEBIf anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
ASVAnd if any one say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
YLTand if any one may say anything to you, ye shall say, that the lord hath need of them, and immediately he will send them.'
DARBYAnd if any one say anything to you, ye shall say, The Lord has need of them, and straightway he will send them.
BBEAnd if anyone says anything to you, you will say, The Lord has need of them; and straight away he will send them.
WebsterAnd if any man shall say aught to you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and immediately he will send them.

What does Matthew 21:3 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 3. The Lord hath need of them. This means no more than the master has need of them. The word lord often means no more than master as opposed to servant, Mt 10:24, Eph 6:6, 1Pet 3:5,6. The word is sometimes used in the Bible as applied to God, or as a translation of the name JEHOVAH. Its common use is a mere title of respect given by an inferior to a superior, by a servant to a master, by a disciple to a teacher. As a title of high respect it was given to Christ, or the Messiah. The persons to whom these disciples were sent were probably acquainted with the miracles of Jesus, and favourably disposed towards him. He had attracted great notice in that region particularly by raising Lazarus from the dead, and most of the people regarded him as the Messiah.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 The Lord (the proprietor of all things) hath need of them - Jesus is continually humbling himself, to show us how odious pride is in the sight of God: but in his humility he is ever giving proofs of his almighty power, that the belief of his divinity may be established.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:1-11

The barren fig-tree cursed. (18-22) Jesus' discourse in the temple. (23-27) The parable of the two sons. (28-32) The parable of the wicked husbandmen. (33-46) Verses 1-11 This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zec 9:9. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:1-11 →

Matthew 21:3 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐάνeanifG1437
τιςtisanyoneG5100
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
εἴπῃeipēmay sayG2036
τι,tianything,G5100
ἐρεῖτεereiteyou will sayG4483
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ὁhotheG3588
κύριοςkuriosLordG2962
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
χρείανchreianneedG5532
ἔχει,echeihas,G2192
εὐθὺςeuthusImmediatelyG2112
δὲdethenG1161
ἀποστελεῖaposteleihe will sendG649
αὐτούς.¶autousthem.G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 21:3

  • 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

    Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

  • Acts 17:25

    Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

  • John 3:35

    The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

  • 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.

  • Psalms 50:10-11

    For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

  • Ezra 1:5

    Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.

  • Ezra 7:27

    Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem:

  • John 17:2

    As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

  • Psalms 24:1

    A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

  • Haggai 2:8-9

    The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Ezra 1:1

    Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

  • 2 Corinthians 8:16

    But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord.
1Ch 29:14-16; Ps 24:1; 50:10,11; Hag 2:8,9; Joh 3:35; 17:2; Ac 17:25
2Co 8:9
straightway.
1Sa 10:26; 1Ki 17:9; Ezr 1:1,5; 7:27; 2Co 8:1,2,16; Jas 1:17

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

Context

  • Matthew 21:2

    Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

  • Matthew 21:3

    And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

  • Matthew 21:4

    All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y si alguno os dijere algo, decid: El Señor los ha menester. Y luego los dejará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et si quelqu’un vous dit quelque chose, vous direz: Le Seigneur en a besoin; et aussitôt il les enverra.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und wenn jemand etwas zu euch sagt, so sollt ihr sprechen: Der Herr bedarf ihrer, und alsbald wird er sie senden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et si quis vobis aliquid dixerit, dicite quia Dominus his opus habet: et confestim dimittet eos.