Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.
- BSB “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
- NKJV But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
- NASB Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.
- NLT “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword.
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 commands the disciple to sheathe his sword, warning that violence breeds violence. He rejects the way of force for His kingdom.
Overview
Jesus stops the bloodshed and teaches that those who live by the sword will perish by it. His kingdom advances not through violence but through His own sacrificial death. The command reveals the peaceable character of Christ's mission and rebukes any attempt to defend Him by carnal means.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Gen 9:6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
- Rev 13:10He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
- Rom 12:19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
- 1 Pet 2:21–23For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
- Rev 16:6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
- 1 Pet 3:9Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
- Ps 55:23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
- Ezek 35:5–6Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
- Matt 23:34–36Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
- 1 Cor 4:11–12Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
- 1 Th 5:15See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
- Matt 5:39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
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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 26:52 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.