But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Parallel translations
- WEB But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.
- BSB But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
- NKJV But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
- NASB But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
- NLT But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.
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 warns that many who are first will be last, and the last first. God's Kingdom overturns human rankings of worth and reward.
Overview
This reversal saying caps the discussion of riches and reward, cautioning against pride and presumption. Those who seem foremost by worldly measures may find themselves least, while the humble and overlooked are exalted. Jesus illustrates this principle next in the parable of the vineyard workers, showing that the Kingdom runs on grace, not human merit.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 20:16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
- Luke 13:30And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
- Mark 10:31But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
- Matt 21:31–32Whether 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.
- Rom 9:30–33What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
- Luke 18:13–14And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
- Rom 5:20–21Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
- Luke 7:29–30And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
- Matt 8:11–12And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
- Heb 4:1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
- Gal 5:7Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
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 19:30 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.