Matthew 11 28

Matthew 11:28 kjv

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 nkjv

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 niv

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 esv

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 nlt

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11 verses

Matthew 11 28 Meaning

Matthew 11:28 presents a compassionate and universal invitation from Jesus Christ to all who are experiencing the deep weariness and heavy burdens of life, whether from sin, the demands of legalism, or life's relentless pressures. He promises to be the sole provider of true, soul-deep rest, an inner peace and relief that only He can offer.

Matthew 11 28 Context

Matthew chapter 11 records a significant turning point in Jesus' ministry, preceding this invitation. John the Baptist, in prison, sends disciples to question Jesus, prompting Jesus to affirm His Messiahship through His works, contrasting with John's austere ministry. Jesus then pronounces woes upon unrepentant Galilean cities (Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum) that witnessed His miracles yet rejected Him. Immediately following this, in Matthew 11:25-27, Jesus expresses praise to the Father for revealing divine truths not to the wise and discerning, but to the "little children," and asserts His unique identity as the Son who intimately knows the Father and is the sole revealer of God. This divine authority and compassionate insight into humanity's spiritual state culminate in the personal, all-encompassing invitation found in verse 28. It serves as a direct counter-invitation to the burdensome religious systems of the day, particularly the legalistic interpretations and traditions imposed by the Pharisees, which weighed heavily on the people without offering true spiritual freedom or rest.

Matthew 11 28 Word analysis

• "Come" (δεῦτε - deute): This is an emphatic imperative, a strong command and urgent call. It signifies not merely a suggestion but a summons, requiring active movement towards a specific destination – Jesus Himself. It implies a personal decision and direct response.
• "to Me" (πρός με - pros me): The destination is highly specific and personal. Rest is found solely and directly in Christ, not in doctrines, rituals, or institutions apart from Him. This highlights Jesus' unique mediatorial role.
• "all" (πάντες - pantes): A word emphasizing the universal scope of the invitation. It excludes no one based on social status, past sin, nationality, or religious background. This contrasts sharply with the exclusive nature of some religious systems of that era.
• "who are weary" (οἱ κοπιῶντες - hoi kopiōntes): Literally, "those who labor to exhaustion," "toiling." This describes deep fatigue from strenuous exertion. In context, it points to spiritual and existential exhaustion from striving to keep the Mosaic Law or human traditions, or simply the burdens of a fallen world, sin, grief, and anxieties without divine peace.
• "and burdened" (καὶ πεφορτισμένοι - kai pephortismenoi): This is a perfect passive participle, indicating a state of being continuously loaded with heavy weights. These "burdens" (φορτίον - phortion) were understood to be oppressive loads, specifically the endless regulations, interpretations, and human-made traditions of the religious leaders that trapped people in guilt and futility, as well as the inherent weight of sin and its consequences.
• "and I" (κἀγώ - kagō): The addition of "and I" or "I also" stresses Christ's personal agency and responsibility in granting the rest. It is a direct, active promise from Him. The speaker is the sovereign, divine Son.
• "will give you rest" (ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς - anapausō hymas): Anapauō means "to cause to cease," "to give relief," "to refresh," or "to find rest from toil." This is a definitive future tense promise. It refers not to physical sleep, but to profound inner peace, spiritual renewal, and liberation from spiritual or emotional oppression. It’s a divine cessation from exhausting spiritual labor and moral anxiety. This rest aligns with the Old Testament concept of Sabbath rest and prophetic promises of inner tranquility.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Come to Me": This direct personal call establishes Jesus as the unique source and center of rest. It's an invitation rooted in His self-revelation (Mat 11:27) as the one through whom the Father is known.
• "all who are weary and burdened": This expansive descriptor identifies the universal condition of humanity, afflicted by spiritual exhaustion from various forms of striving – whether to earn righteousness through works (religious burden) or simply struggling under the weight of life's fallenness and sin (existential burden). The combination emphasizes both the effortful labor (kopiaō) and the resultant crushing weight (phortizō).
• "and I will give you rest": This powerful promise is exclusive to Jesus. He doesn't offer a path to rest, but Himself as the one who bestows it. This rest is a divine gift, not something earned, contrasting starkly with the conditional burdens imposed by others. It points to an inner renewal that allows one to continue living but from a place of peace, free from overwhelming strain.

Matthew 11 28 Bonus section

This verse stands in profound opposition to the prevalent religious ideology of Jesus' time. The scribes and Pharisees, while professing devotion to God, effectively created a system of rules and regulations that burdened the common people, leading to weariness and an inability to attain perceived righteousness (Lk 11:46). Jesus, by contrast, invites the very people ostracized and exhausted by this system to find an entirely different, internal, and spiritual rest in Him. His invitation is an implied polemic against human efforts to attain salvation or peace through external performance or works. Furthermore, the rest Jesus offers is not a passive inactivity but an empowered repose that enables continued service and obedience from a renewed spirit, which becomes clear in the following verses about taking His yoke.

Matthew 11 28 Commentary

Matthew 11:28 encapsulates the core of the Gospel message: an invitation from the divine Son to humanity's most profound need. Having declared His unique authority and intimate knowledge of the Father (Mat 11:27), Jesus extends a radical call that bypasses all social, economic, or religious qualifications. The "weary" are those worn down by striving—whether from sin, fruitless religious endeavor, or the sheer weight of existence. The "burdened" carry heavy loads, especially those imposed by rigorous legalism and the Rabbinic traditions that amplified the Mosaic Law into an unbearable yoke, contrary to God's original intent.

Jesus does not offer a cessation of all activity, but a rest for the soul—an internal tranquility and peace regardless of external circumstances. This rest is a gift from Him, offered freely. It is distinct from worldly respite, which is temporary. Christ's rest comes from ceasing from one's own works to earn righteousness, and instead trusting in His finished work. It reorients life, replacing a spirit of anxiety and religious performance with one of acceptance and freedom. This verse is particularly comforting for those who feel inadequate, broken, or oppressed, directing them to the sole source of true solace.