Limitless Word
For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
Matthew 10:35 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
  • KJV For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
  • BSB For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
  • NASB For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
  • NLT ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Allegiance to Christ can set family members against one another. Loyalty to Him may cost a person their closest earthly relationships.

Overview

Echoing Micah 7:6, Jesus describes how commitment to Him can divide parents and children. The gospel's claim is so total that it reorders even the dearest bonds. This sobering reality is not Jesus' aim but the effect of a fallen world's resistance to the King who demands first place.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • Mic 7:5–6Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!
  • Matt 10:21“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
  • Luke 21:16You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.
  • Matt 24:10Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.
  • Mark 13:12“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 10:35YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 10:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.