Matthew 9:36 Meaning and Explanation
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Seeing the crowds, Jesus is moved with deep compassion, for they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
What Does Matthew 9:36 Mean?
Looking out over the great crowds that press around him, Jesus is stirred to the very depths of his being with compassion. He sees the people as weary and scattered, harassed and helpless, "as sheep having no shepherd," a phrase that runs all through Scripture to describe a people left without true guidance, protection, and care, wandering and exposed to harm.
His compassion is no passing flicker of pity but a deep movement of his whole being out toward the lost and the helpless. Where others might have seen only a faceless and bothersome multitude, Jesus saw shepherdless sheep and longed with his whole heart to gather them in and feed them. He himself is the very Shepherd they so plainly lack, the one who will at last lay down his own life for the sake of the flock.
Matthew 9:36 in the Original Language
esplanchnisthe (ἐσπλαγχνίσθη), 'moved with compassion' -- to be stirred in the inward parts, a pity felt in the depths of one's being.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 9:36
What does Matthew 9:36 mean?
Seeing the crowds, Jesus is moved with deep compassion, for they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.