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Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:29 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
  • BSB Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
  • NKJV Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
  • NASB Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
  • NLT Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

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

Jesus calls people to take His yoke and learn from Him, the gentle and humble Teacher. In submitting to Him they find rest for their souls.

Overview

The 'yoke' pictures discipleship under Christ's teaching, contrasted with the heavy yoke of legalistic religion. Because He is 'gentle and humble in heart', words echoing the meek Servant of Zechariah 9:9, His rule brings rest, not crushing burden. True soul-rest is found in glad submission to the lowly, loving Lord.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 33

  • Jer 6:16Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
  • 1 Jn 2:6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
  • Phil 2:7–8But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
  • John 13:15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
  • Luke 6:46–48And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
  • Matt 7:24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
  • John 15:10–14If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
  • 1 Pet 2:21–23For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
  • Heb 5:9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
  • Phil 2:5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
  • Matt 28:20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
  • 2 Cor 10:1Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
  • Zech 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
  • Num 12:3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
  • Isa 42:1–4Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
  • Luke 10:39–42And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
  • Heb 4:3–11For 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.
  • Matt 21:5Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
  • Matt 11:27–28All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
  • 2 Cor 10:5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
  • 1 Th 4:2For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
  • Matt 17:5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
  • John 13:17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
  • 2 Th 1:8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
  • 1 Cor 9:21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
  • Acts 7:37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
  • Acts 3:22–23For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
  • Luke 8:35Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
  • John 14:21–24He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
  • Eph 4:20–21But ye have not so learned Christ;
  • Ps 131:1Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
  • Matt 12:19–20He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
  • Luke 9:51–56And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

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 11:29YouTube · 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 11:29 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.