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The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Matthew 20:31 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
  • KJV And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
  • NKJV Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
  • NASB But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
  • NLT “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

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

The crowd tries to silence the blind men, but they cry out all the more for mercy. Their persistence in faith refuses to be discouraged.

Overview

The crowd's rebuke does not silence the blind men; instead they cry out even louder for the Son of David's mercy. Their dogged persistence pictures the kind of faith that presses through obstacles to reach Christ. Despite opposition, they keep appealing to the one they trust will save them.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Matt 19:13Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
  • Col 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,
  • 1 Th 5:17Pray without ceasing.
  • Gen 32:25–29When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled.
  • Matt 15:23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
  • Luke 11:8–10I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
  • Matt 7:7–8Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
  • Luke 18:1–8Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
  • Luke 18:39Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

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 20:31YouTube · 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 20:31 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.