Matthew 3 9

Matthew 3:9 kjv

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Matthew 3:9 nkjv

and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Matthew 3:9 niv

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Matthew 3:9 esv

And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

Matthew 3:9 nlt

Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

Matthew 3 verses

Matthew 3 9 Meaning

Matthew 3:9 conveys John the Baptist's emphatic warning to the Jewish religious leaders against their reliance on their physical descent from Abraham for salvation or entry into God's kingdom. John asserts that genuine repentance is indispensable, as God is not limited by human lineage and possesses the power to create a spiritual posterity for Abraham from the most unlikely of sources, even inanimate stones. This challenges their false sense of security based solely on heritage, highlighting that true sonship is a matter of God's sovereign work and personal faith, not mere bloodline.

Matthew 3 9 Context

Matthew 3:9 is situated within the narrative of John the Baptist's ministry, specifically during his baptisms at the Jordan River. John's powerful, prophetic message calls for universal repentance, announcing the imminent arrival of the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven. When the Pharisees and Sadducees, two prominent and often rival Jewish religious sects, arrive at his baptism, John confronts them directly (Matt 3:7). Their self-assured presence suggests they believed their ancestral ties to Abraham and their positions of religious authority would exempt them from the need for the kind of radical repentance John demanded from the common people.

Historically and culturally, physical descent from Abraham was central to Jewish identity and spiritual privilege. Many believed this lineage guaranteed them a place in the coming Messianic kingdom, regardless of their personal conduct or spiritual state. They understood the Abrahamic covenant primarily through physical terms and saw themselves as the exclusive inheritors of God's promises. John’s words were a direct polemic against this prevailing belief of nationalistic spiritual entitlement and complacency, revealing that the true children of Abraham were defined not by bloodline but by faith and genuine spiritual transformation evidenced by "fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matt 3:8). This verse anticipates the broader theme in the New Testament of the inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant family through faith, fulfilling God's original promise to Abraham to bless all nations through him.

Matthew 3 9 Word analysis

• and do not presume: The Greek term is mē doxēte (μὴ δόξητε), a strong prohibitive command. Doxēte comes from dokeō, which means "to suppose, think, seem, imagine." Here, it carries the nuance of assuming or taking for granted, implying spiritual arrogance and a false sense of security. John is challenging their internal thought processes and their self-righteous conclusion about their status.
• to say to yourselves: The Greek eipein en heautois (εἰπεῖν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς) indicates an inner dialogue or self-justification, a deeply ingrained belief that did not even need to be articulated aloud to others. It was their foundational, unspoken conviction.
• ‘We have Abraham as our father’: Greek: Patera echomen ton Abraam (πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ). This phrase epitomized Jewish national and spiritual identity. It implied a secure, unquestionable inheritance of God's covenant blessings and a guaranteed place in the kingdom. Their confidence was solely rooted in their physical lineage, ignoring the need for personal righteousness or God's wider purpose.
• for I tell you: Greek: legō gar hymin (λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν). John speaks with divine authority, characteristic of a true prophet delivering a message from God. This pronouncement introduces a foundational truth that counters their presumption.
• God is able: Greek: dynatai ho Theos (δύναται ὁ Θεός). This highlights God's omnipotence and absolute sovereignty. It is a powerful affirmation that God is not bound by human traditions, expectations, or limitations, including those of biological lineage. His power extends infinitely beyond human capability or understanding.
• from these stones: Greek: ek tōn lithōn toutōn (ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων). "These stones" likely referred to the literal stones lying near the Jordan River where John was baptizing. Metaphorically, these represent the lowest, most unlikely, or seemingly worthless entities, devoid of life and human connection. This term also starkly contrasts with the Jewish leaders, who considered themselves superior. It strongly foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles and other "outsiders" whom the Jewish leadership would have viewed as spiritually barren, into the covenant people.
• to raise up: Greek: egeirai (ἐγεῖραι). This verb often implies resurrection or a divine act of bringing forth life from something dead or inert. Here, it denotes God's miraculous power to generate new life and create spiritual offspring for Abraham where none humanly exists or is expected.
• children for Abraham: Greek: tekna tō Abraam (τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ). These are not merely any children, but spiritual descendants who demonstrate faith and obedience, aligning with Abraham's legacy of faith (Rom 4:11-12; Gal 3:7). It points to God's intent to fulfill His promise to Abraham (Gen 12:2-3, 17:5) in a spiritual rather than purely physical manner, thus expanding Abraham's family to include all who genuinely believe, regardless of ethnic background.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’": This whole phrase encapsulates the deep-seated theological and cultural arrogance prevalent among some Jewish religious leaders. It reveals their self-deception and their dangerous reliance on external heritage rather than internal transformation and personal righteousness. It is a severe warning against presumptuous confidence in an inherited status rather than a lived relationship with God.
• "for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham": This powerful declaration fundamentally refutes their false presumption. It emphasizes God's absolute power and creative ability, demonstrating that His plans and definitions of covenant sonship transcend human bloodlines and expectations. This statement prophetically foreshadows the coming inclusion of Gentiles into the family of God, indicating that the new covenant would redefine "children of Abraham" by faith rather than mere biological descent, illustrating God's capacity to build His family from even the most unexpected sources.

Matthew 3 9 Bonus section

The metaphor of God raising up children from "stones" held a unique weight for Jewish hearers. While Abraham himself was "hewn from a rock" (Is 51:1-2), meaning a solitary beginning from which a nation grew, John takes it a step further: God could bypass even Abraham's immediate progeny and create new spiritual heirs. This implies that even if all present-day Israel failed to repent, God's promise to Abraham would still be fulfilled through others whom He supernaturally raised up.

Furthermore, this bold declaration by John prefigures Jesus' own ministry, which challenged established religious norms and welcomed outcasts and Gentiles into God's kingdom. It sets the stage for the Gospel message that would transcend ethnic and social barriers, affirming that the church is the spiritual family of Abraham, composed of all who believe (Gal 3:26-29). The judgment John preached, symbolized by the "axe laid to the root of the trees" (Matt 3:10), meant that physical lineage would offer no protection from God's wrath, especially for those who refused genuine repentance and change of heart.

Matthew 3 9 Commentary

Matthew 3:9 represents a pivotal moment in John the Baptist's ministry, as he confronts the spiritual arrogance of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Their self-assured assertion, "We have Abraham as our father," epitomized a deep-seated presumption that their lineage automatically secured their place in God's favor and kingdom. This belief fostered complacency, leading them to bypass the essential requirement of repentance that John proclaimed for all people.

John’s cutting retort forcefully asserts God's omnipotence. By declaring that God "is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham," John shatters their exclusive, ethnocentric view of God's covenant people. The "stones" represent everything opposite to their privileged status: inanimate, unliving, barren, and perhaps even symbolically the despised Gentiles or societal outcasts. John is stating that God is not confined to their physical lineage but can miraculously create true spiritual descendants for Abraham from any source, validating the future inclusion of non-Jews through faith.

This verse underlines a critical New Testament theme: true sonship in God's kingdom is not based on flesh and blood or human tradition but on God's divine act of transformation and a genuine response of repentance and faith. It anticipates the shift from an ethnocentric understanding of God's chosen people to a multi-ethnic, faith-based community united in Christ. The implied message is clear: if you are not bearing the fruit of repentance (Matt 3:8), your ancestral claim means nothing to God, who judges based on spiritual condition and not genetic heritage.

Practical examples:

• A person relying on their religious upbringing or church membership alone, without personal faith and genuine transformation.
• Individuals feeling entitled to blessings due to family legacy or inherited position, neglecting the call to personal submission and obedience.