Bible Strands
Matthew 13:57
And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the locals and relatives who are questioning the source of His wisdom and miracles. They take offense at Him immediately after listing His earthly family and asking where He acquired His teachings.
The words — The Greek verb ἐσκανδαλίζοντο (eskandalizonto) literally means "they were tripped up" or "they stumbled," describing the people's reaction to His ordinary origins. The conjunction δὲ (de) marks a sharp pivot as Jesus responds to their stumbling with a proverbial statement.
The thread — This proverb appears in Luke 4:24 and John 4:44, where Jesus explicitly states that prophets face rejection in their own communities. Matthew 11:6 provides the positive counterweight, blessing those who do not fall away because of Him.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers separate the messenger from the message and recognize that familiarity often breeds dismissal. It asks the reader to examine whether they are tripping over Jesus' ordinary humanity rather than receiving His words.
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
King James Version
And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Cross-references
- John 4:44 Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.
- Luke 4:24 Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
- Matthew 11:6 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”
- Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
- Isaiah 49:7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
- John 6:61 Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?
- Isaiah 8:14 And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare.
- Luke 2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
- Luke 7:23 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”
- John 6:42 They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”