Matthew 17 20

Matthew 17:20 kjv

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Matthew 17:20 nkjv

So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20 niv

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:20 esv

He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:20 nlt

"You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. "

Matthew 17 verses

Matthew 17 20 Meaning

Matthew 17:20 teaches that even a small amount of genuine, active faith in God enables believers to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and perform acts that appear impossible, because God's power flows through such faith. It contrasts the disciples' lack of faith, which hindered them from healing the boy, with the transformative power available through even a mustard-seed sized faith, demonstrating that true faith has God as its object and makes His power operative.

Matthew 17 20 Context

This verse occurs immediately after the disciples' inability to cast out a demon from a boy. Jesus had just descended from the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13) and encountered a large crowd bringing a severely afflicted boy, whom His disciples had tried but failed to heal (Matthew 17:14-16). Jesus then rebukes their "faithless and twisted generation" (Matthew 17:17) and easily heals the boy Himself (Matthew 17:18). This specific dialogue in verse 20 takes place privately between Jesus and His disciples (Matthew 17:19) who question why they failed. Jesus' answer directly attributes their failure to their "unbelief" and proceeds to explain the power of true faith. The broader chapter highlights Jesus' divine power contrasting with human limitations and the challenges faced by those seeking His help, all against the backdrop of Jewish expectation of messianic signs and wonders.

Matthew 17 20 Word analysis

• He said (εἶπεν): Simple declarative, signifying direct instruction from Jesus to His disciples, establishing the teaching as authoritative.
• to them (αὐτοῖς): Refers specifically to the disciples, who had questioned why they could not cast out the demon (Mt 17:19). This is a private, corrective lesson.
• Because of your unbelief (διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν ὑμῶν):
  • Unbelief (ἀπιστίαν - apistian): More than just a lack of faith; it implies distrust, unfaithfulness, or even a hardened refusal to believe. It speaks of a deficiency in their spiritual trust in God's power working through them, rather than an absence of belief in God's existence. It's a key spiritual impediment.
• For assuredly, I say to you (Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν - Amēn gar legō hymin): A strong, emphatic declaration by Jesus, equivalent to "Truly, truly," or "Verily, I tell you." It introduces a profound truth, demanding attention and conveying divine authority.
• If you have faith (ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν - ean echēte pistin):
  • Faith (πίστιν - pistin): Trust, belief, confidence, reliance. Here, it signifies active, living confidence in God's power and word. It's not passive assent but active reliance.
• as a mustard seed (ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως - hōs kokkon sinaperos): A vivid illustration. The mustard seed was colloquially the smallest known seed to Jesus' audience. This metaphor emphasizes not the quantity of faith, but its quality – that it be true, alive, genuine, and capable of growth, however small its initial expression. It implies a true, dynamic faith that relies entirely on God's omnipotence, contrasting it with a "dead" faith or a total lack of trust.
• you will say to this mountain (ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ - ereite tō orei toutō):
  • Mountain (ὄρει - orei): Symbolically represents an immense, immovable obstacle, difficulty, or a humanly impossible task (e.g., in Zechariah 4:7). While literal movement is implied for dramatic effect, the primary meaning in application is the removal of any formidable hindrance. "Saying to" denotes authoritative command, born out of faith.
• ‘Move from here to there,’ (Μεταβῆθι ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖ): Commands the impossible to occur. The certainty of the command flows from the certainty of the faith.
• and it will move (καὶ μεταβήσεται): The absolute outcome, emphasizing the power of God unleashed by true faith.
• and nothing will be impossible for you (καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν): This phrase promises divine enablement for tasks consistent with God's will. It means that no spiritual or physical challenge aligned with God's purpose will be unattainable for the one operating in true faith. It's God working through believers, not believers achieving personal omnipotence.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Because of your unbelief": This phrase directly identifies the spiritual root of their failure. It's not the demon's strength or the complexity of the illness, but the disciples' own internal spiritual state.
• "If you have faith as a mustard seed": This forms the core of Jesus' corrective teaching. It pivots from the problem (unbelief) to the solution (active, however small, faith). The metaphor underlines that even a seemingly insignificant amount of true faith is profoundly effective.
• "you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move": This demonstrates the effect and power of such faith. The mountain here represents any immense barrier in life or ministry, emphasizing that faith activates God's power to overcome such obstacles.
• "and nothing will be impossible for you": This conclusion assures the disciples of divine empowerment. It clarifies that with this quality of faith, within the scope of God's will and kingdom purposes, all things become possible through God, who works in and through the believer.

Matthew 17 20 Bonus section

The deeper implications of this verse include:

• Discerning True Faith: Jesus distinguishes between nominal belief and true, living faith that actively trusts God for results.
• Faith and Authority: Saying "Move" implies a delegated spiritual authority from Christ, wielded through faith. It is not self-empowerment but God-empowerment.
• Progressive Understanding: While Mark 9:29 adds "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting," this indicates that profound faith often matures through spiritual disciplines, deepening one's reliance on God. Matthew's emphasis here on "unbelief" points to the fundamental prerequisite.
• Context of Kingdom Advance: The "mountains" in a broader sense represent spiritual and practical barriers to the advancement of God's Kingdom on earth. Through faith, believers are empowered to overcome these for His glory.
• Not a Blank Check: The promise "nothing will be impossible" is within the parameters of God's will and purpose. It is not a promise of wish-fulfillment for any desire, but enablement for divine assignments when faith is placed wholly in God.

Matthew 17 20 Commentary

Matthew 17:20 is Jesus' pivotal response to His disciples' spiritual impotence. Their inability to cast out a demon stemmed not from the demon's power, but from their unbelief—a deficiency in trust and reliance on God. Jesus highlights that the quantity of faith is less important than its quality and object. A true, living faith, even if metaphorically as small as a mustard seed, is intrinsically dynamic and powerful because it genuinely connects to the infinite power of God. The "mountain" signifies any overwhelming, seemingly immovable obstacle that confronts believers in their service or lives. When a disciple operates with this genuine faith, addressing such a "mountain" (an illness, a difficult situation, spiritual bondage) with the authority of Christ, God's power is unleashed, and the obstacle is removed. This passage teaches absolute reliance on God for the impossible, rather than on one's own perceived strength or accumulation of great faith. It encourages disciples to focus on nurturing authentic trust in God, for then nothing aligned with His will can ultimately hinder them.