What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Parallel translations
- WEB For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
- KJV For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
- NKJV For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
- NASB For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?
- NLT And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
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 asks what it profits a person to gain the world but forfeit his soul. It matters because it weighs the eternal worth of the soul against every earthly gain.
Overview
Jesus presses the supreme value of one's eternal life against all the world can offer. Even gaining everything is worthless if the soul is lost, and nothing can be given in exchange to buy it back. This sobering calculus calls every hearer to consider eternity. It exposes the folly of trading the soul for fleeting earthly gain and points to Christ as the only true gain.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Job 27:8For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
- Mark 8:36–37What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
- Luke 9:25What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
- Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
- Ps 49:7–8No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
- Luke 16:25But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
- Job 2:4“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.
- Matt 5:29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
- Matt 4:8–9Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 16:26 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.