Matthew 9:37 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 9:37

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

KJV

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

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Commentary

1 voice

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew (420)

(Verse 37, 38.) Indeed, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. The abundant harvest signifies the multitude of people, while the few laborers represent a shortage of workers. And it is commanded to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. These are the laborers whom the Psalmist speaks of, saying: Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Going forth, they went and wept, carrying their seeds.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

The harvest truly is great - When Christ came into the world, it was properly the time of harvest; till then it was the seed time only. But the labourers are few - Those whom God sends; who are holy, and convert sinners.

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

The harvest truly is plenteous ... - Another beautiful image. A waving field of golden grain invites many reapers and demands haste. By the reference to the harvest here, he meant that the multitude of people that flocked to his ministry was great. The people expected the Messiah. They were prepared to receive the gospel; but the laborers were few. He directed them, therefore, to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth reapers. God is the proprietor of the great harvest of the world, and he only can send people to gather it in.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

13 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Τότε	Tote	Then	G5119 →
λέγει	legei	He says	G3004 →
τοῖς	tois	to the	G3588 →
μαθηταῖς	mathētais	disciples	G3101 →
αὐτοῦ·	autou	of Him;	G846 →
ὁ	ho	The	G3588 →
μὲν	men	indeed	G3303 →
θερισμὸς	therismos	harvest	G2326 →
πολύς,	polus	[is] plentiful,	G4183 →
οἱ	hoi	the	G3588 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
ἐργάται	ergatai	workmen	G2040 →
ὀλίγοι·	oligoi	[are] few;	G3641 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
leads to
- Mark 16:15–16
  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Acts 1:8
  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Luke 24:47–48
  and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Acts 2:38–39
  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 19:3–5
  “Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.
Through
Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
leads to
- Matthew 28:19
  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
- Mark 13:10
  And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.
- Psalms 96:3
  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples.