Matthew 25 · Verse 34

Matthew 25:34

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Matthew 25:34, King James Version

Matthew 25:34 in other translations

BSB	Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
WEB	Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
ASV	Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
YLT	‘Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
DARBY	Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the world's foundation:
BBE	Then will the King say to those on his right, Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was:
Webster	Then will the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

What does Matthew 25:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

34. Then shall the King--Magnificent title, here for the first and only time, save in parabolical language, given to Himself by the Lord Jesus, and that on the eve of His deepest humiliation! It is to intimate that in then addressing the heirs of the kingdom, He will put on all His regal majesty. say unto them on his right hand, Come--the same sweet word with which He had so long invited all the weary and heavy laden to come unto Him for rest. Now it is addressed exclusively to such as have come and found rest. It is still, "Come," and to "rest" too; but to rest in a higher style, and in another region. ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world--The whole story of this their blessedness is given by the apostle, in words which seem but an expression of these: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." They were chosen from everlasting to the possession and enjoyment of all spiritual blessings in Christ, and so chosen in order to be holy and blameless in love. This is the holy love whose practical manifestations the King is about to recount in detail; and thus we see that their whole life of love to Christ is the fruit of an eternal purpose of love to them in Christ.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 34. The King. That is, the Lord Jesus, the King of Zion and of the universe, now acting as Judge, Lk 19:38, Jn 18:37, Rev 17:14, 19:16.

Blessed of my Father. Made happy, or raised to felicity by my Father. Mt 5:3.

Inherit the kingdom. Receive as heirs the kingdom, or be received there as the sons of God. Christians are often called heirs of God, Rom 8:17, Gal 4:6,7, Heb 1:14, 1Jn 3:2.

Prepared for you, etc. That is, designed for you, or appointed for you. The phrase, from the foundation of the world, is used to denote that this was appointed for them in the beginning; that God has no new plan; that the rewards which he will now confer on them he always intended to confer. Christ says to the righteous that the kingdom was prepared for them. Of course God meant to confer it on them. They were individuals; and it follows that he intended to bestow his salvation on them as individuals. Accordingly, the salvation of his people is uniformly represented as the result of the free gift of God, according to his own pleasure, bestowed on individuals, and by a plan which is eternal, Rom 8:29,30, Eph 1:4, 5, 11, 12, 2Thes 2:13; 1Pet 1:2, Jn 6:37. This is right and consistent with justice; for,

(1.) all men are by nature equally undeserving.

(2.) Bestowing favours on one does not do injustice to another, where neither deserves favour. Pardoning one criminal is not injuring another. Bestowing great talents on Locke, Newton, or Paul, did not injure me.

(3.) If it is right for God to give eternal life to his people, or to admit them to heaven, it was right to determine to do it, which is but another way of saying that God resolved from all eternity to do right. Those who perish choose the paths which lead to death, and will not be saved by the merits of Jesus. No blame can be charged on God if he does not save them against their will, Jn 5:40, Mk 16:15, 16.

(a) "blessed of" Ps 115:15 (b) "inherit" Rom 8:17, 1Pet 1:4 (c) "the kingdom" 1Thes 2:12, Rev 5:10 (d) "prepared" 1Cor 2:9, Heb 11:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 34 Ye blessed of my Father - This is the king's address to his followers; and contains the reason why they were found in the practice of all righteousness, and were now brought to this state of glory - they were blessed - came as children, and received the benediction of the Father, and became, and continued to be, members of the heavenly family. Inherit - The inheritance is only for the children of the family - if sons, then heirs, Gal 4:7, but not otherwise. The sons only shall enjoy the father's estate. Prepared for you - That is, the kingdom of glory is designed for such as you - you who have received the blessing of the Father, and were holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners. From the foundation of the world - It was God's purpose and determination to admit none into his heaven but those who were made partakers of his holiness, Heb 12:14. The rabbins say, Seven things were created before the foundation of the world. 1. The law. 2. Repentance. 3. Paradise. 4. Hell. 5. The throne of God. 6. The temple; and 7. The name of the Messiah.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 25:31-46

This is a description of the last judgment. It is as an explanation of the former parables. There is a judgment to come, in which every man shall be sentenced to a state of everlasting happiness, or misery. Christ shall come, not only in the glory of his Father, but in his own glory, as Mediator. The wicked and godly here dwell together, in the same cities, churches, families, and are not always to be known the one…

Read the full comment on Matthew 25:31-46 →

Matthew 25:34 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.

ΤότεToteThenG5119

ἐρεῖereiwill sayG4483

ὁhotheG3588

βασιλεὺςbasileusKingG935

τοῖςtoisto thoseG3588

ἐκekonG1537

δεξιῶνdexiōn[the] right handG1188

αὐτοῦ·autouof Him;G846

δεῦτεdeuteComeG1205

οἱhoiyou who [are]G3588

εὐλογημένοιeulogēmenoiblessedG2127

τοῦtouof theG3588

πατρόςpatrosFatherG3962

μου,mouof mine,G3165

κληρονομήσατεklēronomēsatedo inheritG2816

τὴνtēntheG3588

ἡτοιμασμένηνhētoimasmenēnpreparedG2090

ὑμῖνhuminfor youG4771

βασιλείανbasileiankingdomG932

ἀπὸapofrom [the]G575

καταβολῆςkatabolēsfoundationG2602

κόσμου.kosmouof [the] world.G2889

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

Cross references for Matthew 25:34

1 Peter 1:19-20
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
James 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Revelation 21:7
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Matthew 20:23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Hebrews 4:3
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Isaiah 6:5
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
1 Corinthians 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the King.
21:5; 22:11-13; 27:37; Ps 2:6; 24:7-10; Isa 9:7; 32:1,2; 33:22
Jer 23:5,6; Eze 37:24,25; Da 9:25; Zep 3:15; Zec 9:9,10; Lu 1:31-33
Lu 19:38; Joh 1:49; 12:13; 19:15,19-22; Re 19:16
Come.
21,23,41; 5:3-12; Ge 12:2,3; De 11:23-28; Ps 115:13-15; Lu 11:28
Ac 3:26; Ga 3:13,14; Eph 1:3; 1Th 2:12; 1Pe 1:3
inherit.
Lu 12:32; Ro 8:17; 1Co 6:9; Ga 5:21; Eph 5:5; 2Ti 2:12; 4:8; Jas 2:5
1Pe 1:4,5,9; 3:9; Re 5:10; 21:7
prepared.
20:23; Mr 10:40; Joh 14:2,3; 1Co 2:9; Heb 11:16
from.
Ac 15:18; Eph 1:4-6; 1Pe 1:19,20; Re 13:8

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

Context

Matthew 25:33
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25:34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:35
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Read all of Matthew 25

Matthew 25:34 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces el Rey dirá á los que estarán á su derecha: Venid, benditos de mi Padre, heredad el reino preparado para vosotros desde la fundación del mundo:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Alors le roi dira à ceux qui seront à sa droite: Venez, les bénis de mon Père, héritez du royaume qui vous est préparé dès la fondation du monde;
German Elberfelder 1871	Dann wird der König zu denen zu seiner Rechten sagen: Kommet her, Gesegnete meines Vaters, ererbet das Reich, das euch bereitet ist von Grundlegung der Welt an;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Tunc dicet rex his qui a dextris ejus erunt: Venite benedicti Patris mei, possidete paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi: