Matthew 16:7
What does Matthew 16:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 16:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 16:7 means
The disciples, still thinking on a purely physical level, completely missed the spiritual import of Jesus' warning. They began to reason among themselves, concluding that Jesus' instruction must be a rebuke for their failure to bring bread. Their internal discussion reveals their preoccupation with material needs and their current inability to grasp the deeper, metaphorical meaning of Jesus' words. This highlights a common human tendency to interpret spiritual warnings in a literal or earthly sense.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, We took no bread.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and they were reasoning in themselves, saying, `Because we took no loaves.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But they thought within themselves, saying: Because we have taken no bread.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And they reasoned among themselves, saying, Because we have taken no bread.
Context
This verse vividly illustrates the disciples' misunderstanding, directly caused by their previous forgetfulness of bread. Their internal reasoning sets up Jesus' kind rebuke in the subsequent verses, where He patiently corrects their literal thinking and redirects them to the spiritual significance of His warning. It emphasizes the need for spiritual perception beyond superficial interpretations.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Mark 9:10
And they kept the saying, questioning among themselves what the rising again from the dead should mean.
- Acts 10:14
But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean.
- Mark 8:16
And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread.
- Matthew 15:16
And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding?
- Luke 9:46
And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the greatest.
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