Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Matthew 10:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Predicts lethal betrayal across brother, parent, and child relationships.
Sheep among wolves
This verse is one part of that explanation in Matthew 10:16–10:25. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Matthew 10:16–10:25
Read Matthew 10:21 with 10:16–10:25. In isolation, this verse's contribution—predicts lethal betrayal across brother, parent, and child relationships—can be detached from its speaker, audience, narrative or teaching sequence, and outcome. The complete unit establishes: Jesus sends disciples as sheep among wolves, calls for wise innocence, predicts hearings and family betrayal, promises Spirit-aided testimony, and ties suffering servants to their master.
What Remains True
Jesus sends disciples as sheep among wolves, calls for wise innocence, predicts hearings and family betrayal, promises Spirit-aided testimony, and ties suffering servants to their master. Matthew 10:21's proportionate contribution is this: Predicts lethal betrayal across brother, parent, and child relationships.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Matthew 10:16–10:25 — Vulnerable witnesses face courts, families, and hostilitySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Matthew 10:16–10:25, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control without treating one edition as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file data/sblgnt/text/Matt.txt, Matthew 10:16–10:25
Open the Matthew Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for the expressions actually discussed in this thought unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data TAGNT rows for Matthew 10:16–10:25
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Matthew with Translators' and Textual Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, historical, Jewish-background, and Synoptic notes for this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Matthew PDF, printed pp. 1808-1867, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 10:16–10:25
Open source ↗