Matthew 12 32

Matthew 12:32 kjv

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Matthew 12:32 nkjv

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Matthew 12:32 niv

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Matthew 12:32 esv

And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Matthew 12:32 nlt

Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

Matthew 12 verses

Matthew 12 32 Meaning

Matthew 12:32 declares a critical distinction concerning blasphemy: "And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." This verse means that while misunderstandings or even slanders against Jesus in His earthly, human form are forgivable by God, a deliberate, conscious, and unrepentant opposition to the undeniable work of God's Holy Spirit, specifically attributing His divine actions to Satan, seals a person's eternal destiny outside of forgiveness. It is a persistent rejection of the ultimate and final revelation of God's truth and salvific power.

Matthew 12 32 Context

The verse Matthew 12:32 directly follows a dramatic confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus had just performed a remarkable miracle: healing a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute (Mt 12:22). This astounding act caused the crowds to wonder if Jesus might be the Son of David, the Messiah. However, the Pharisees, unable to deny the miracle itself, attributed Jesus' power to "Beelzebul, the prince of demons" (Mt 12:24), accusing Him of working for Satan.

Jesus immediately refutes their baseless accusation with several logical arguments: a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, Satan would not cast out Satan, and if He casts out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do their own exorcists cast them out? He then declares the truth: "If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt 12:28). This statement sets the stage for the warning in verse 32. The Pharisees' sin was not just misunderstanding or ignorance, but a deliberate, hostile, and malicious rejection of the clear, undeniable manifestation of God's power through the Holy Spirit in Jesus, knowingly calling the Spirit's work evil. This profound spiritual blindness and hardened opposition, against evident divine truth, is the specific context of the unforgivable sin.

Matthew 12 32 Word analysis

• And whoever speaks a word:
  • Greek: Kai hos ean eipē logon (καὶ ὃς ἐὰν εἴπῃ λόγον).
  • Hos ean eipē signifies a decisive, deliberate utterance or statement, not merely an accidental or passing thought. It denotes a person taking a definitive stand in speech.
• against the Son of Man:
  • Greek: kata tou huiou tou anthrōpou (κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου).
  • Son of Man (huiou tou anthrōpou): Jesus' preferred self-designation. This title encapsulates both His true humanity and His divine, messianic identity, drawing from Dan 7:13-14, where the Son of Man is given everlasting dominion. At this time, Jesus was perceived by many as a man, even if a remarkable one. Sins against His human persona, perhaps out of ignorance, weakness, or misguided opposition to His perceived status (e.g., denying He was the Messiah based on outward appearance), were forgivable because true understanding of His divine nature might not yet have been fully available to them, and such individuals could still repent.
• will be forgiven:
  • Greek: aphethēsetai autō (ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ).
  • Will be forgiven (aphethēsetai): Passive voice, indicating divine action ("it will be sent away from him" or "released to him"). This points to God as the agent of forgiveness. It underscores the boundless nature of God's grace for the vast majority of human sins, even serious ones, provided there is repentance.
• but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit:
  • Greek: hos d' an eipē kata tou Pneumatos tou Hagiou (ὃς δ' ἂν εἴπῃ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Ἁγίου).
  • Holy Spirit (Pneumatos tou Hagiou): The third person of the Triune God, the Spirit of God (as referenced by Jesus Himself in Mt 12:28, "by the Spirit of God I cast out demons"). This refers to a direct, conscious blasphemy against God's power and divine nature as uniquely manifested through the Spirit's undeniable work in Christ. The issue here is not merely slandering the name but fundamentally denying the divine source of God's revealed truth and power, as clearly demonstrated.
• will not be forgiven:
  • Greek: ouk aphethēsetai autō (οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ).
  • Will not be forgiven (ouk aphethēsetai): An absolute negation. This is the pivotal contrast. The irrevocability lies in the nature of the sin: a final and absolute rejection of God's ultimate witness for salvation. When someone deliberately attributes the undeniable divine power of the Holy Spirit to demonic forces, they harden their heart against the very agent (the Holy Spirit) who brings conviction, repentance, and faith, thereby cutting off their path to forgiveness.
• either in this age or in the age to come:
  • Greek: oute en toutō tō aiōni oute en tō mellonti (οὔτε ἐν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι).
  • This age (toutō tō aiōni): Refers to the current era, characterized by sin, earthly life, and human weakness.
  • The age to come (tō mellonti): Refers to the future eschatological age, the age of the consummated Kingdom of God, eternal life, and divine judgment. This phrase emphasizes the absolute and eternal finality of the unforgivability of this particular sin, signifying that there is no hope of forgiveness, either now in this earthly life or in eternity.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Speaks a word against the Son of Man" vs. "Speaks against the Holy Spirit": The distinction is crucial. "Son of Man" implies Christ's earthly, humble, veiled appearance, allowing for people to reject Him due to misunderstanding or His ordinary human form without committing ultimate offense against divine power itself. "Holy Spirit" points to the undeniable, supernatural manifestation of God's power. Blasphemy against the Son of Man refers to verbal insults or opposition to Jesus' person based on misjudgment of His humble appearance. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing God's clear, powerful, undeniable, Spirit-driven works to Satan, thus deliberately rejecting the divine witness and the source of salvation.
• "Will be forgiven" vs. "Will not be forgiven": This stark contrast highlights God's extensive mercy for all sins save one. The unforgivable nature of blasphemy against the Spirit stems from its willful and definitive rejection of the only path to repentance and salvation. If one denies and attributes to evil the very means by which God draws people to Himself (the work of the Holy Spirit), then no means of forgiveness remains available to them because they have completely closed off their hearts to it.
• "Either in this age or in the age to come": This phrase confirms the eternal and absolute nature of the consequence. It means that there will be no future opportunity for forgiveness or repentance for this particular sin. The individual has definitively chosen their eternal path by irrevocably hardening their heart against God's Spirit.

Matthew 12 32 Bonus section

The unforgivable sin as described in Matthew 12:32 is distinct from ordinary sin. All other sins, no matter how grievous, can be forgiven if confessed and repented of (1 Jn 1:9). God's mercy and the atoning work of Christ are infinite for those who come to Him in faith. The gravity of this particular sin lies in its deliberate, knowledgeable, and unrepentant rejection of the Holy Spirit's primary work: testifying to Christ, convicting of sin, and drawing individuals to salvation.

It's crucial to understand that no one accidentally commits this sin. It's a progression of spiritual hardening that ultimately leads to a complete spiritual insensitivity. The Pharisees had sufficient light and evidence from Jesus' miraculous works and teaching, yet they consciously chose to reject it and attribute it to Satan. This final stage of rejection of divine light is the "sin that leads to death" mentioned in 1 Jn 5:16, where one prays for an unrepentant sinner who shows no inclination towards God. It speaks to a profound, internal turning away from God that makes it impossible for the individual to receive forgiveness because they reject the very mechanism for it. Therefore, anyone who truly seeks God's forgiveness for any sin, including great ones, has not committed this specific, unpardonable sin because their desire for forgiveness proves they are still open to the Holy Spirit's conviction.

Matthew 12 32 Commentary

Matthew 12:32, within its context, is not a statement about accidental sins, doubts, or a singular thought of anger, but about a deliberate, hardened, and continuous resistance to the evident work of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees, in this narrative, witnessed a powerful miracle—Jesus healing a blind and mute demoniac—an undeniable act of divine power that pointed to God's Kingdom. Instead of acknowledging the divine source, they maliciously attributed it to Beelzebul, Satan. This was not born of ignorance but of resolute opposition and a spiritual hatred that blinded them to the truth.

The "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is therefore a sin that fundamentally refuses repentance. It involves consciously rejecting and reviling the Spirit's undeniable witness to Christ's divine power and the truth of His gospel, choosing instead to ascribe it to evil. This sin is unforgivable precisely because it hardens the heart against the Spirit, who is the agent of conviction, faith, and regeneration. Without the Spirit's work, repentance is impossible, and thus, forgiveness, which is predicated on repentance and faith, is inaccessible. It is a state of determined and unyielding enmity toward God's ultimate self-revelation.

For practical understanding:

• This sin is not committed by a fearful believer who worries they have blasphemed, as that very fear indicates a conscience sensitive to the Spirit.
• It is not every severe sin or apostasy, but a specific, conscious, and ongoing rejection of the Spirit's clear, persuasive work in demonstrating Christ's power.
• It signifies a complete closing off of the heart to God's drawing power and light, rendering repentance impossible from the inside out.