Matthew 9:16 Meaning and Explanation
“No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus illustrates with a homely image: a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment only tears it further.
What Does Matthew 9:16 Mean?
Jesus turns from the wedding to a piece of everyday wisdom that any householder would know. A patch of new, unshrunk cloth sewn onto a worn old garment will shrink as it is washed and pull hard against the weaker fabric, tearing the cloth worse than the original hole. The patch and the garment simply do not belong together; forcing them ruins both.
The little parable says that the new thing he is bringing cannot merely be stitched onto the old religious forms. What Jesus is doing is not a patch on the familiar but something whole and fresh in its own right. To press the new life of the kingdom into worn-out frameworks does justice to neither one; the old is torn and the new is wasted. His coming calls not for repair but for renewal that goes all the way down.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 9:16
What does Matthew 9:16 mean?
Jesus illustrates with a homely image: a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment only tears it further.