Matthew 9 · Verse 13

Matthew 9:13

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 9:13, King James Version

Matthew 9:13 in other translations

BSB	But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
WEB	But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
ASV	But go ye and learn what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice: for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
YLT	but having gone, learn ye what is, Kindness I will, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'
DARBY	But go and learn what that is — I will have mercy and not sacrifice; for I have not come to call righteous men but sinners.
BBE	But go and take to heart the sense of these words, My desire is for mercy, not offerings: for I have come not to get the upright, but sinners.
Webster	But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

What does Matthew 9:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth--(Ho 6:6), I will have mercy, and not sacrifice--that is, the one rather than the other. "Sacrifice," the chief part of the ceremonial law, is here put for a religion of literal adherence to mere rules; while "mercy" expresses such compassion for the fallen as seeks to lift them up. The duty of keeping aloof from the polluted, in the sense of "having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," is obvious enough; but to understand this as prohibiting such intercourse with them as is necessary to their recovery, is to abuse it. This was what these pharisaical religionists did, and this is what our Lord here exposes. for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance--The italicized words are of doubtful authority here, and more than doubtful authority in Mr 2:17; but in Lu 5:32 they are undisputed. We have here just the former statement stripped of its figure. "The righteous" are the whole; "sinners," the sick. When Christ "called" the latter, as He did Matthew, and probably some of those publicans and sinners whom he had invited to meet Him, it was to heal them of their spiritual maladies, or save their souls: "The righteous," like those miserable self-satisfied Pharisees, "He sent empty away."

Mt 9:14-17. Discourse on Fasting.

See on Lu 5:33-39.

Mt 9:18-26. The Woman with the Issue of Blood Healed.--The Daughter of Jairus Raised to Life. ( = Lu 8:40-56; Mr 5:21-43).

For the exposition, see on Mr 5:21-43.

Mt 9:27-34. Two Blind Men and a Dumb Demoniac Healed.

These two miracles are recorded by Matthew alone. Two Blind Men Healed (Mt 9:27-31).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 13. But go ye and learn, etc. To reprove them, and to vindicate his own conduct, he appealed to a passage of Scripture with which they ought to have been acquainted: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," Hos 6:6. This is not a declaration on the part of God that he was opposed to sacrifices or offerings for sin; for he had appointed and commanded many, and had therefore expressed his approbation of them. It is a Hebrew mode of speaking, and means, I prefer mercy to sacrifice; or, I am more pleased with acts of benevolence and kindness than with a mere external compliance with the duties of religion. Mercy, here, means benevolence or kindness towards others. Sacrifices were offerings made to God on account of sin, or as an expression of thanksgiving. They were commonly bloody offerings, or animals slain, signifying that the sinner offering them deserved to die himself, and pointing to the great sacrifice or offering which Christ was to make for the sins of the world. Sacrifices were the principal part of the worship of the Jews, and hence came to signify external worship in general. This is the meaning of the word here. The sense in which our Saviour applies it is this. You Pharisees are exceedingly tenacious of the external duties of religion; but God has declared that he prefers benevolence or mercy to those external duties. It is proper, therefore, that I should associate with sinners for the purpose of doing them good.

I am not come to call the righteous, etc. No human beings are by nature righteous, Ps 14:3; Rom 1:18-32, 3:10-18. The Pharisees, however, pretended to be righteous. Christ might have meant, by this answer, that it was not the design of his coming to call such persons to repentance, knowing that they would spurn his efforts, and that, to a great extent, they would be vain; or, more probably, he meant to affirm that his proper and only business was to call to repentance such men as he was now with. He came to seek and save such, and it was his proper business, therefore, to associate with them.

Repentance. Mt 3:2.

(u) "I will have" Prov 21:3, Hos 6:6, Mic 6:8, Mt 12:7 (v) "to repentence" Lk 24:47, Acts 5:31, 2Pet 3:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 13 I will have mercy, and not sacrifice - Quoted from 1Sam 15:22. These are remarkable words. We may understand them as implying, 1st. That God prefers an act of mercy, shown to the necessitous, to any act of religious worship to which the person might be called at that time. Both are good; but the former is the greater good, and should be done in preference to the other. 2dly. That the whole sacrificial system was intended only to point out the infinite mercy of God to fallen man, in his redemption by the blood of the new covenant. And 3dly. That we should not rest in the sacrifices, but look for the mercy and salvation prefigured by them. This saying was nervously translated by our ancestors, I will mild-heartedness, and not sacrifice. Go ye and learn - צא ולמד tse velimmed, a form of speech in frequent use among the rabbins, when they referred to any fact or example in the Sacred Writings. Nothing tends more to humble pretenders to devotion than to show them that they understand neither Scripture nor religion, when, relying on external performances, they neglect love to God and man, which is the very soul and substance of true religion. True holiness has ever consisted in faith working by love. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners - Most of the common editions add, εις μετανοιαν, unto repentance; but this is omitted in the Codex Vatic. and Bezae, sixteen others, both the Syriac, both the Persic, Ethiop. Armen. Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, all the Itala except three, the Vulgate, Clemens Roman, Origen, Basil, Jerome, Augustin, Ambrose, and Barnabas. The omission is approved by Mill and Bengel. Griesbach leaves it out of the text.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 9:10-13

Some time after his call, Matthew sought to bring his old associates to hear Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and would not despair concerning them. Those who are effectually brought to Christ, cannot but desire that others also may be brought to him. Those who suppose their souls to be without disease will not welcome the spiritual Physician. This was the case with the Pharisees…

Read the full comment on Matthew 9:10-13 →

Matthew 9:13 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.

πορευθέντεςporeuthentesHaving goneG4198

δὲdehoweverG1161

μάθετεmathetedo learnG3129

τίtiwhatG5101

ἐστιν·estinis;G1510

ἔλεοςeleosMercyG1656

θέλωthelōI desireG2309

καὶkaiandG2532

οὐounot [desire]G3756

θυσίαν·thusiansacrifice;’G2378

οὐouNotG3756

γὰρgarforG1063

ἦλθονēlthonI cameG2064

καλέσαιkalesaito callG2564

δικαίουςdikaious[the] righteousG1342

ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235

ἁμαρτωλούςhamartōloussinnersG268

εἰςeisintoG1519

μετάνοιαν.¶metanoianrepentance.G3341

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

Cross references for Matthew 9:13

Mark 2:17
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Hosea 6:6
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Luke 5:32
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Matthew 12:7
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
1 Timothy 1:13-16
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Proverbs 21:3
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Micah 6:6-8
Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Matthew 21:28-32
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. …
Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

go.
12:3,5,7; 19:4; 21:42; 22:31,32; Mr 12:26; Lu 10:26; Joh 10:34
I will.
Pr 21:3; Ho 6:6; Mic 6:6-8
to call.
18:11-13; Mr 2:17; Lu 5:32; 15:3-10; 19:10; Ro 3:10-24
1Co 6:9-11; 1Ti 1:13-16
but.
3:2,8; 4:17; 11:20,21; 21:28-32; Isa 55:6,7; Lu 15:7; 24:47
Ac 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; 17:30,31; 20:21; 26:18-20; Ro 2:4-6
1Ti 1:15; 2Ti 2:25,26; 2Pe 3:9

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

Context

Matthew 9:12
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Matthew 9:13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Matthew 9:14
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

Read all of Matthew 9

Matthew 9:13 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Andad pues, y aprended qué cosa es: Misericordia quiero, y no sacrificio: porque no he venido á llamar justos, sino pecadores á arrepentimiento.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais allez et apprenez ce que c’est que: « Je veux miséricorde et non pas sacrifice »; car je ne suis pas venu appeler des justes, mais des pécheurs.
German Elberfelder 1871	Gehet aber hin und lernet, was das ist: "Ich will Barmherzigkeit und nicht Schlachtopfer"; denn ich bin nicht gekommen, Gerechte zu rufen, sondern Sünder.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Euntes autem discite quid est: Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium. Non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.