Matthew 10:33

But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His disciples during the commissioning mission, warning them of the personal cost of following Him. The words — ἀρνήσηται (arnēsētai) translates literally as "may deny" [G720], while ἔμπροσθεν (emprosthen) means "before" [G1715]. Together they frame the verse as a public declaration of loyalty or rejection. The thread — The reciprocal denial pattern appears in 2 Timothy 2:12 and Luke 12:9, while Luke 9:26 applies the same reciprocal structure to shame rather than denial. Why it lands — The text demands a clear choice between public allegiance to Christ and public rejection, with corresponding divine recognition or repudiation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ὅστιςhostisWhoever δ᾽d᾽now ἂνanmaybe ἀρνήσηταίarnēsētaimay deny μεmeMe ἔμπροσθενemprosthenbefore τῶνtōn<the>ἀνθρώπων,anthrōpōnmen,ἀρνήσομαιarnēsomaiwill deny κἀγὼkagōI myself also αὐτὸνautonhim ἔμπροσθενemprosthenbefore τοῦtouthe πατρόςpatrosFather μουmouof Mine τοῦtouwho [is]ἐνenin τοῖςtoisthe οὐρανοῖς.¶ouranoisheavens.

King James Version

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Cross-references

2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
Luke 9:26 If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 12:9 But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
2 Peter 2:1 Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Mark 14:30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
Matthew 26:70 But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Mark 14:72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.