Matthew 25:31

What does Matthew 25:31 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 25:31 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 25:31 means

Jesus describes His glorious return, stating that "the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him," to sit upon "the throne of his glory." This portrays Christ's second coming not as a humble advent, but as a majestic, authoritative, and public display of divine power and majesty. As the Son of Man, He comes as both human and divine judge, accompanied by His angelic host, signifying the universal scope and ultimate authority of the impending judgment.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:

KJV

King James Version · 1611

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then will he be seated in his glory:

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

`And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory,

Context

This verse initiates the final major section of Matthew 25, the description of the Last Judgment, directly following the parables of readiness and stewardship. It powerfully announces the glorious return of Jesus as the Son of Man, setting the majestic and authoritative tone for the universal judgment that is about to unfold. This dramatic introduction prepares the reader for the gathering of all nations before His throne.

v.30And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

v.31This passage

v.32and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats;

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • John 1:51

    And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

  • Matthew 25:6

    But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him.

  • Matthew 26:64

    Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.

  • Psalms 9:7

    But Jehovah sitteth as king for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment;

  • Hebrews 1:8

    but of the Sonhe saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

  • John 5:27

    and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.

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