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But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
Matthew 17:7 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.”
  • KJV And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
  • BSB Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” He said. “Do not be afraid.”
  • NASB And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
  • NLT Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”

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 tenderly touches the fearful disciples and tells them to rise and not be afraid. He shows that the glorified Christ is also the gentle, approachable Savior.

Overview

The same Lord whose glory had just terrified them now reaches out to calm and restore them. His touch and reassuring word echo how God repeatedly comforts those undone by his presence (Daniel 10:10-12; Revelation 1:17). For believers, the awesome Son of God is the one who draws near to steady our fears with grace.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Dan 10:18Then there touched me again one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.
  • Dan 8:18Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
  • Matt 14:27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”
  • Rev 1:17When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last,
  • Dan 10:10Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands.
  • Luke 24:5Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
  • Acts 9:6But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
  • Dan 9:21yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 17:7YouTube · 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 17:7 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.