thumb|The Coronation and Adoration of Christ, by Jan Baptist Berterham, captioned with the text of Matthew 10:34.

Matthew 10:34 is the 34th verse in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

Content

In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort, this verse is:

:

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

:

The New International Version translates the passage as:

:"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Analysis

This wording seems to be at variance with Jesus' title of "Prince of Peace" (see Isaiah 9:6,7; 65:25). However, Lapide explains He comes to bring a spiritual peace of mind and a peace among the faithful, but not an earthly peace.

This is a much-discussed passage, often explained in terms of the "apocalyptic-eschatological" context of the 1st century.

R. T. France explains the verse, in context with the subsequent verse 35: "The sword Jesus brings is not here military conflict, but, as vv. 35–36 show, a sharp social division which even severs the closest family ties. … Jesus speaks here, as in the preceding and following verses, more of a division in men’s personal response to him."

The text of Matthew's Gospel in the Book of Kells alters ', the Vulgate translation of 'sword", to ', 'joy', resulting in a reading of "I came not <nowiki>[</nowiki>only<nowiki>]</nowiki> to bring peace, but [also] joy".

Commentary from the Church Fathers

Jerome: "He had before said, What I say to you in darkness, that speak ye in the light; He now tells them what will follow upon that preaching, saying, Think not that I am come to send peace upon earth; I am not come to send peace, but a sword."

See also

References

  • Other translations of Matthew 10:34 at BibleHub