The Meaning of Matthew 10:37 Explained

Matthew 10:37

KJV: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

YLT: 'He who is loving father or mother above me, is not worthy of me, and he who is loving son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me,

Darby: He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me.

ASV: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He that loveth  father  or  mother  more than  me  is  not  worthy  of me:  and  he that loveth  son  or  daughter  more than  me  is  not  worthy  of me. 

What does Matthew 10:37 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 10:34-42 - Receiving Christ's Representatives
In Jesus Christ we acquire a new affinity, stronger than that of family ties. When we enter into the family of God we belong to all His children. They are our brethren and sisters in the most intimate sense. See Matthew 12:48-50. The new love that floods our nature does not make us less but more tender and sympathetic toward our own kith and kin; but if we are compelled to choose, then we must stand with the children of God, though it should rend us from the old happy family life in which we were nurtured.
As to the closing paragraph, may we not illustrate it thus? When the widow who sustained Elijah at Zarephath entered Paradise, she found herself standing amid the great prophets of Israel. When she asked the attendant angel whether there was not some mistake, he replied, "Certainly not. In treating the prophet as you did, you proved yourself to be of the same spirit and temper as he; and it is but right that you should share in the prophet's reward."
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 10

1  Jesus sends out his apostles, enabling them with power to do miracles;
5  giving them their charge, teaches them;
16  comforts them against persecutions;
40  and promises a blessing to those who receive them

What do the individual words in Matthew 10:37 mean?

The [one] loving father or mother above Me not is of Me worthy and son daughter
φιλῶν πατέρα μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος καὶ υἱὸν θυγατέρα

  The  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
φιλῶν  loving 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: φιλέω  
Sense: to love.
πατέρα  father 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
μητέρα  mother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μήτηρ  
Sense: a mother.
ὑπὲρ  above 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπέρ 
Sense: in behalf of, for the sake of.
ἐμὲ  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
μου  of  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἄξιος  worthy 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄξιος  
Sense: weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.
υἱὸν  son 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
θυγατέρα  daughter 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: θυγάτηρ  
Sense: a daughter.