Jesus' Compassion and the Call for Workers
Matthew 9:35-38
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
Matt.9.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- περιηγεν: VERB,imperfect,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- πολεις: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- πασας: ADJ,acc,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- κωμας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- διδασκων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- συναγωγαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,c
- και: CONJ
- κηρυσσων: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- ευαγγελιον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- βασιλειας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- θεραπευων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- πασαν: ADJ,acc,sg,f
- νοσον: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- πασαν: ADJ,acc,sg,f
- μαλακιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 4:23 (verbal): Near-duplicate wording: Jesus goes throughout the region, teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the kingdom/good news, and healing every disease — strong verbal and structural parallel.
- Mark 1:38-39 (structural): Mark describes Jesus traveling to neighboring towns, preaching in synagogues throughout Galilee and performing healings/exorcisms — parallels the itinerant ministry of teaching, proclamation, and healing.
- Luke 4:43 (quotation): Jesus states his mission to 'preach the kingdom of God to other towns also,' echoing Matthew’s emphasis on proclaiming the kingdom in multiple places.
- Luke 8:1 (thematic): Luke records Jesus traveling 'from town to town and village to village,' preaching the good news of the kingdom with the Twelve, closely reflecting Matthew’s summary of itinerant teaching and proclamation.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
- And Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.
Matt.9.36 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ιδων: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- οχλους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- εσπλαγχνισθη: VERB,aor,pas,ind,3,sg
- περι: PREP
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,c
- οτι: CONJ
- ησαν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- εσκυλμενοι: VERB,perf,pas,ptc,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ερριμμενοι: VERB,perf,pas,ptc,nom,pl,m
- ωσει: ADV
- προβατα: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- μη: PART
- εχοντα: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,pl,n
- ποιμενα: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 6:34 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel: Jesus sees the crowd, is moved with compassion, and treats them like sheep without a shepherd; same context and wording in Mark's Gospel.
- Matthew 14:14 (verbal): Another Matthean instance of Jesus' compassion for crowds (moved with compassion, heals and feeds), showing the recurring theme of compassionate care for the needy.
- Luke 7:13 (thematic): Jesus is described as moved with compassion when meeting a bereaved mother; parallels Matthew's emphasis on Jesus' compassion as a defining response to human need.
- Ezekiel 34:5-6, 11-16 (allusion): Prophetic critique of Israel's leaders as bad shepherds who scatter the flock and God's promise to shepherd his sheep — background for Jesus' image of people as 'sheep without a shepherd.'
- John 10:11-14 (thematic): Jesus' self-identification as the Good Shepherd who cares for and lays down his life for the sheep echoes and develops the shepherd/sheep imagery implicit in Matthew 9:36.
Alternative generated candidates
- When he saw the crowds he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
- When he saw the crowds he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matt.9.37 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- τοτε: ADV
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- μαθηταις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- αυτου·Ο: PRON,gen,sg,m
- μεν: PART
- θερισμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- πολυς: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- εργαται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- ολιγοι·: ADJ,nom,pl,m
Parallels
- Luke 10:2 (quotation): Nearly identical saying: 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,' followed by the call to pray for workers — a direct verbal parallel.
- John 4:35-38 (verbal): Uses harvest imagery ('fields are white for harvest') and the sower/reaper motif to urge immediate mission work, echoing the urgency of Matt 9:37.
- Matthew 13:37-39 (thematic): Explains the parable's harvest as the end of the age and identifies reapers, developing the eschatological dimension of 'the harvest' motif in Matthew.
- Mark 4:26-29 (thematic): Parable of the growing seed ends with the harvest as the moment of reaping; shares the agricultural metaphor linking growth, readiness, and harvest.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."
- Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."
Matt.9.38 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- δεηθητε: VERB,aor,pass,imper,2,pl
- ουν: PART
- του: ART,gen,sg,m
- κυριου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,m
- θερισμου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- οπως: CONJ
- εκβαλη: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,sg
- εργατας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- θερισμον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 10:2 (verbal): Uses the same 'Lord of the harvest' language and the plea that he 'send out' workers—direct synoptic parallel to Matthew's petition.
- John 4:35-38 (thematic): Harvest imagery: Jesus speaks of fields 'white for harvest' and contrasts sowing and reaping, emphasizing the need for workers to gather the harvest.
- Mark 6:7-13 (thematic): Jesus sends out the Twelve as laborers into the mission field, echoing the sending motif and the need for workers to do harvest-like mission work.
- Matthew 28:19-20 (thematic): The Great Commission charges the disciples to go make disciples of all nations—an expanded mission/harvest mandate that presumes sending and laboring in the harvest.
- Acts 13:2-3 (structural): The church, after prayer and fasting, commissions Barnabas and Saul and 'sends them off'—an early-principle instance of communities responding to God's call by sending out workers into the mission field.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may send out laborers into his harvest.
- Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may send out workers into his harvest.
And Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. And seeing the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.'
Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may send out laborers into his harvest.