Matthew 3:9

American Standard Version (1901)

and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ: Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι δύναται ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ.

Transliteration

And not doxēte legein in heautois, Patera we echomen the Abraam: Legō gar to you, that dynatai the Theos from the lithōn toutōn egeirai tekna to the Abraam.

Grammar Details

• *doxēte*: aorist subjunctive, 2nd plural - think/presume
• *legein*: present active infinitive - to say
• *heautois*: reflexive pronoun, dative, masculine, plural - to yourselves
• *Patera*: accusative, masculine, singular - father
• *echomen*: present active indicative, 1st plural - we have
• *Abraam*: dative, masculine, singular - to Abraham
• *Legō*: present active indicative, 1st singular - I say
• *gar*: postpositive conjunction - for/because
• *dynatai*: present middle/passive indicative, 3rd singular - is able
• *Theos*: nominative, masculine, singular - God
• *lithōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - of stones
• *toutōn*: demonstrative pronoun, genitive, masculine, plural - these
• *egeirai*: aorist active infinitive - to raise up
• *tekna*: accusative, neuter, plural - children

Word Meanings

• *doxēte*: think/presume/suppose
• *legein*: to say/to speak/to claim
• *echomen*: we have/we possess/we hold
• *Legō*: I say/I tell/I declare
• *dynatai*: is able/can/has power
• *lithōn*: stones/rocks
• *egeirai*: to raise up/to bring forth/to produce
• *tekna*: children/descendants/offspring

Referenced Verses

• Acts 13:26 : 26 Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth.
• Rom 9:7-8 : 7 neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
• John 8:33 : 33 They answered unto him, We are Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
• Luke 3:8 : 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
• Luke 16:24 : 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.
• Rom 4:1 : 1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
• John 8:53 : 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died: whom makest thou thyself?
• Rom 4:11-17 : 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them; 12 and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision. 13 For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: 15 for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. 16 For this cause [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
• Luke 19:40 : 40 And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.
• Ezek 33:24 : 24 Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
• Matt 8:11-12 : 11 And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: 12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
• Mark 7:21 : 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
• Luke 5:22 : 22 But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts?
• Luke 7:39 : 39 Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner.
• John 8:39-40 : 39 They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.
• Acts 15:14 : 14 Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
• 1 Cor 1:27-28 : 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, [yea] and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
• Gal 3:27-29 : 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. 28 There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one [man] in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.
• Gal 4:22-31 : 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman. 23 Howbeit the [son] by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the [son] by the freewoman [is born] through promise. 24 Which things contain an allegory: for these [women] are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. 31 Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.
• Eph 2:12-13 : 12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.
• Luke 12:17 : 17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?