But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.
Parallel translations
- WEB But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.
- KJV But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
- 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.
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 will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Luke 13:30Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.”
- Mark 10:31But many who are first will be last; and the last first.”
- Matt 21:31–32Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.
- Rom 9:30–33What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
- Luke 18:13–14But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
- Rom 5:20–21The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;
- Luke 7:29–30When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.
- Matt 8:11–12I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,
- Heb 4:1Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest.
- Gal 5:7You were running well! Who interfered with you that you 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.