The Meaning of Matthew 9:14 Explained

Matthew 9:14

KJV: Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

YLT: Then come to him do the disciples of John, saying, 'Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?'

Darby: Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples fast not?

ASV: Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  came  to him  the disciples  of John,  saying,  Why  do we  and  the Pharisees  fast  oft,  but  thy  disciples  fast  not? 

What does Matthew 9:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The people who questioned Jesus here were disciples of John the Baptist who had not left John to follow Jesus. They, as well as the Pharisees, observed the regular fasts that the Mosaic Law did not require. During the Exile and subsequently the Jews had made several of these fasts customary (cf. Zechariah 7). The Pharisees even fasted twice a week.

Context Summary

Matthew 9:9-17 - The Friend Of Sinners
The name Levi indicates that Matthew sprang from a priestly line. He had lost all self-respect to become the abhorred instrument of the Roman government, collecting dues on the merchandise that crossed the lake. But our Lord sees veins of gold and precious gems in most unlikely places, and He detected the apostle and evangelist in this despised publican.
Wherever a man is found by Christ, He sets Himself to find others, and the Lord is willing to co-operate in any effort to bring others to know Him. He will sit with perfect grace among publicans and sinners, lifting them to His own pure and holy level. He is always to be found where there are sin-sick souls; and where hearts are famished for love and joy, He is with them as their bridegroom.
But the joy of Christ will make for itself its own impression. The ancient forms will not suffice. The old skin-bottle will not contain the ferment of the new wine. How wonderfully Christ could extract lessons from familiar objects! [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 9

1  Jesus heals a paralytic
9  calls Matthew from the receipt of custom;
10  eats with tax collectors and sinners;
14  defends his disciples for not fasting;
20  cures the sick woman;
23  raises Jairus' daughter from death;
27  gives sight to two blind men;
32  heals a mute man possessed of a demon;
36  and has compassion on the multitude

Greek Commentary for Matthew 9:14

The disciples of John [οι ματηται Ιωανου]
One is surprised to find disciples of the Baptist in the role of critics of Christ along with the Pharisees. But John was languishing in prison and they perhaps were blaming Jesus for doing nothing about it. At any rate John would not have gone to Levi‘s feast on one of the Jewish fast-days. “The strict asceticism of the Baptist (Matthew 11:18) and of the Pharisaic rabbis (Luke 18:12) was imitated by their disciples” (McNeile). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 9:14

Mark 2:18 John‘s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting [ησαν οι ματηται Ιωανου και οι Παρισαιοι νηστευοντες]
The periphrastic imperfect, so common in Mark‘s vivid description. Probably Levi‘s feast happened on one of the weekly fast-days (second and fifth days of the week for the stricter Jews). So there was a clash of standpoints. The disciples of John sided with the Pharisees in the Jewish ceremonial ritualistic observances. John was still a prisoner in Machaerus. John was more of an ascetic than Jesus (Matthew 18:1.; Luke 7:33-35), but neither one pleased all the popular critics. These learners (ματηται — mathētai) or disciples of John had missed the spirit of their leader when they here lined up with the Pharisees against Jesus. But there was no real congeniality between the formalism of the Pharisees and the asceticism of John the Baptist. The Pharisees hated John who had denounced them as broods of vipers. Here the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees (οι ματηται Ιωανου και οι ματηται των Παρισαιων — hoi mathētai Iōanou kai hoi mathētai tōn Pharisaiōn) join in criticizing Jesus and his disciples. Later we shall see Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, who bitterly detested each other, making com- mon cause against Jesus Christ. So today we find various hostile groups combining against our Lord and Saviour. See notes on Matthew 9:14-17 for comments. Matthew has here followed Mark closely. [source]
Luke 5:33 And make supplications [και δεησεις ποιουνται]
Only in Luke.But thine (οι δε σοι — hoi de soi). Sharp contrast between the conduct of the disciples of Jesus and those of John and the Pharisees who here appear together as critics of Christ and his disciples (Mark 2:18; Matthew 9:14), though Luke does not bring that out sharply. It is probable that Levi had his reception for Jesus on one of the Jewish fast days and, if so, this would give special edge to their criticism. [source]
Luke 5:33 But thine [οι δε σοι]
Sharp contrast between the conduct of the disciples of Jesus and those of John and the Pharisees who here appear together as critics of Christ and his disciples (Mark 2:18; Matthew 9:14), though Luke does not bring that out sharply. It is probable that Levi had his reception for Jesus on one of the Jewish fast days and, if so, this would give special edge to their criticism. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 9:14 mean?

Then come to Him the disciples of John saying Because of why we and Pharisees do fast many times however disciples of You not fast
Τότε προσέρχονται αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου λέγοντες Διὰ τί ἡμεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι νηστεύομεν ‹πολλά› δὲ μαθηταί σου οὐ νηστεύουσιν

προσέρχονται  come 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: προσέρχομαι  
Sense: to come to, approach.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μαθηταὶ  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
Ἰωάννου  of  John 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωάννης 
Sense: John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ.
λέγοντες  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Διὰ  Because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
τί  why 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
Φαρισαῖοι  Pharisees 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Φαρισαῖος  
Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile.
νηστεύομεν  do  fast 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: νηστεύω  
Sense: to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days.
‹πολλά›  many  times 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
μαθηταί  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
σου  of  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
νηστεύουσιν  fast 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: νηστεύω  
Sense: to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days.