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While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
Matthew 9:18 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
  • BSB While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.”
  • NKJV While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
  • NASB While He was saying these things to them, behold, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.”
  • NLT As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”

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

A synagogue ruler worships Jesus and asks him to raise his just-deceased daughter. His bold faith trusts Jesus even over death.

Overview

A leader of standing humbles himself before Jesus, believing that the touch of his hand can restore life. His confidence that his dead daughter 'will live' is striking faith. The request leads to one of Jesus' clearest displays of power over death itself, foreshadowing his own resurrection victory.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Luke 8:41–56Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’ feet, and begged him to come into his house,
  • Mark 5:22–43Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,
  • Matt 8:2Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
  • Luke 13:14The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”
  • 2 Kgs 5:11But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’
  • John 11:32Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
  • John 4:47–49When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
  • Matt 9:24he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him.
  • John 11:21–22Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
  • Luke 7:2A certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death.
  • Matt 15:25But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
  • Acts 10:25–26When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.
  • Luke 17:15–16One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice.
  • John 11:25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
  • Acts 13:15After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”
  • Luke 18:18A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
  • Matt 14:33Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”
  • Matt 28:17When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.
  • Matt 8:8–9The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
  • Matt 17:14When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, and saying,
  • Matt 20:20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

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 9:18YouTube · 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 9:18 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.