KJV: And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
YLT: and Jesus saith to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may lay the head.'
Darby: And Jesus says to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven roosting-places; but the Son of man has not where he may lay his head.
ASV: And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
| λέγει | says |
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Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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| αὐτῷ | to him |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| ὁ | - |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Ἰησοῦς | Jesus |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Ἰησοῦς Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor. |
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| Αἱ | - |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| ἀλώπεκες | Foxes |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural Root: ἀλώπηξ Sense: a fox. |
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| φωλεοὺς | holes |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural Root: φωλεός Sense: a lurking hole, a burrow. |
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| πετεινὰ | birds |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural Root: πετεινόν Sense: flying, winged. |
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| τοῦ | of the |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| οὐρανοῦ | air |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: οὐρανός Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it. |
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| κατασκηνώσεις | nests |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural Root: κατασκήνωσις Sense: the pitching of tents, encamping. |
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| Υἱὸς | the Son |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: υἱός Sense: a son. |
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| τοῦ | - |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| ἀνθρώπου | of Man |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ἄνθρωπος Sense: a human being, whether male or female. |
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| οὐκ | no |
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Parse: Adverb Root: οὐ Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. |
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| ποῦ | [place] where |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ποῦ Sense: somewhere. |
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| κεφαλὴν | head |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: κεφαλή Sense: the head, both of men and often of animals. |
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| κλίνῃ | He might lay |
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Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: κλίνω Sense: transitively. |
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Greek Commentary for Matthew 8:20
A lurking hole, burrow. [source]
“Roosts, i.e. leafy, σκηναι skēnai for settling at night (tabernacula, habitacula), not nests” (McNeile). In the Septuagint it is used of God tabernacling in the Sanctuary. The verb This remarkable expression, applied to himself by Jesus so often, appears here for the first time. There is a considerable modern literature devoted to it. “It means much for the Speaker, who has chosen it deliberately, in connection with private reflections, at whose nature we can only guess, by study of the many occasions on which the name is used” (Bruce). Often it means the Representative Man. It may sometimes stand for the Aramaic barnasha, the man, but in most instances that idea will not suit. Jesus uses it as a concealed Messianic title. It is possible that this scribe would not understand the phrase at all. Bruce thinks that here Jesus means “the unprivileged Man,” worse off than the foxes and the birds. Jesus spoke Greek as well as Aramaic. It is inconceivable that the Gospels should never call Jesus “the Son of man” and always credit it to him as his own words if he did not so term himself, about eighty times in all, thirty-three in Matthew. Jesus in his early ministry, except at the very start in John 4, abstains from calling himself Messiah. This term suited his purpose exactly to get the people used to his special claim as Messiah when he is ready to make it openly. [source]
This remarkable expression, applied to himself by Jesus so often, appears here for the first time. There is a considerable modern literature devoted to it. “It means much for the Speaker, who has chosen it deliberately, in connection with private reflections, at whose nature we can only guess, by study of the many occasions on which the name is used” (Bruce). Often it means the Representative Man. It may sometimes stand for the Aramaic barnasha, the man, but in most instances that idea will not suit. Jesus uses it as a concealed Messianic title. It is possible that this scribe would not understand the phrase at all. Bruce thinks that here Jesus means “the unprivileged Man,” worse off than the foxes and the birds. Jesus spoke Greek as well as Aramaic. It is inconceivable that the Gospels should never call Jesus “the Son of man” and always credit it to him as his own words if he did not so term himself, about eighty times in all, thirty-three in Matthew. Jesus in his early ministry, except at the very start in John 4, abstains from calling himself Messiah. This term suited his purpose exactly to get the people used to his special claim as Messiah when he is ready to make it openly. [source]
Wyc. has ditches, with burrows in explanation. [source]
Only here and in the parallel, Luke 9:58. Nests is too limited. The word, derived from σκηνή , a tent, has the more general meaning of shelter or habitation. In classical Greek it is used of an encampment. The nest is not to the bird what the hole is to the fox, a permanent dwelling-place, since the bird frequents the nest only during incubation. The Rev. retains nests, but puts lodging-places in the margin. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 8:20
See on Matthew 8:20. Lit., pitch their tents. [source]
A different picture from Matthew‘s in the branches thereof But both use κατασκηνοιν kataskēnoin to tent or camp down, make nests in the branches in the shade or hop on the ground under the shade just like a covey of birds. In Matthew 8:20 the birds have nests The use of the mustard seed for smallness seems to have been proverbial and Jesus employs it elsewhere (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6). [source]
But both use κατασκηνοιν kataskēnoin to tent or camp down, make nests in the branches in the shade or hop on the ground under the shade just like a covey of birds. In Matthew 8:20 the birds have nests The use of the mustard seed for smallness seems to have been proverbial and Jesus employs it elsewhere (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6). [source]
See on Matthew 8:20. [source]
See on Matthew 8:20. [source]
See on Luke 6:22. Notice the titles successively applied to our Lord in this chapter: the greater Successor of the Baptist, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Israel. These were all given by others. The title Son of man He applies to Himself. In John's Gospel, as in the Synoptists, this phrase is used only by Christ in speaking of Himself; and elsewhere only in Acts 7:56, where the name is applied to Him by Stephen. It occurs less frequently in John than in the Synoptists, being found in Matthew thirty times, in Mark thirteen, and in John twelve. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- Jesus' use of the term here is explained in two ways. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- I. That He borrows the title from the Old Testament to designate Himself either: (a ) as a prophet, as in Ezekiel 2:1-3; Ezekiel 3:1, etc.; or (b ) as the Messiah, as prefigured in Daniel 7:13. This prophecy of Daniel had obtained such wide currency that the Messiah was called Anani, or the man of the clouds. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- (a.) This is untenable, because in Ezekiel, as everywhere in the Old Testament, the phrase Son of man, or Sons of men, is used to describe man under his human limitations, as weak, fallible, and incompetent by himself to be a divine agent. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- (b.) The allusion to Daniel's prophecy is admitted; but Jesus does not mean to say, “I am the Messiah who is prefigured by Daniel.” A political meaning attached in popular conception to the term Messiah; and it is noticeable throughout John's Gospel that Jesus carefully avoids using that term before the people, but expresses the thing itself by circumlocution, in order to avoid the complication which the popular understanding would have introduced into his work. See John 8:24, John 8:25; John 10:24, John 10:25. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- Moreover, the phrase Son of man was not generally applied to the Messiah. On the contrary, John 5:27and John 12:34show that it was set off against that term. Compare Matthew 16:13, Matthew 16:15. Son of God is the Messianic title, which, with one exception, appears in confessions (John 1:34, John 1:49; John 11:27; John 20:31). -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- In Daniel the reference is exclusively to the final stage of human affairs. The point is the final establishment of the divine kingdom. Moreover, Daniel does not say “the Son of man,” but “one like a Son of man.” Compare Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14, where also the article is omitted. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- II. The second, and correct explanation is that the phrase Son of man is the expression of Christ's self-consciousness as being related to humanity as a whole: denoting His real participation in human nature, and designating Himself as the representative man. It thus corresponds with the passage in Daniel, where the earthly kingdoms are represented by beasts, but the divine kingdom by a Son of man. Hence, too, the word ἄνθρωπος is purposely used (see on a man, John 1:30, and compare John 8:40). -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- While the human element was thus emphasized in the phrase, the consciousness of Jesus, as thus expressed, did not exclude His divine nature and claims, but rather regarded these through the medium of His humanity. He showed Himself divine in being thus profoundly human. Hence two aspects of the phrase appear in John, as in the Synoptists. The one regards His earthly life and work, and involves His being despised; His accommodation to the conditions of human life; the partial veiling of His divine nature; the loving character of His mission; His liability to misinterpretation; and His outlook upon a consummation of agony. On the other hand, He is possessed of supreme authority; He is about His Father's work; He reveals glimpses of His divine nature through His humanity; His presence and mission entail serious responsibility upon those to whom He appeals; and He foresees a consummation of glory no less than of agony. See Matthew 8:20; Matthew 11:19; Matthew 12:8, Matthew 12:32; Matthew 13:37; Matthew 16:13; Matthew 20:18; Matthew 26:64; Mark 8:31, Mark 8:38; Mark 14:21; Luke 9:26, Luke 9:58; Luke 12:8; Luke 17:22; Luke 19:10; Luke 22:69. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- The other aspect is related to the future. He has visions of another life of glory and dominion; though present in the flesh, His coming is still future, and will be followed by a judgment which is committed to Him, and by the final glory of His redeemed in His heavenly kingdom. See Matthew 10:23; Matthew 13:40sqq.; Matthew 16:27sqq.; Matthew 19:28; Matthew 24:27, Matthew 24:37, Matthew 24:44; Matthew 25:31sqq.; Mark 13:26; Luke 6:22; Luke 17:24, Luke 17:30; Luke 18:8; Luke 21:27. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- [source]
Shall tabernacle, pitch a tent, make one‘s abode (cf. Matthew 13:32). See note on Matthew 8:20 about kataskēnōseis (nests) In hope (ep' elpidi). On hope, the hope of the resurrection. [source]
From ἄστατος unstablestrolling about. Only here in the New Testament. Compare Matthew 8:20; Matthew 10:23; Hebrews 11:37. Wyc., we ben unstable. [source]