Matthew 16:25

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His disciples directly, immediately after Peter's confession and Jesus' first prediction of His death (16:21). The "Then" (τότε) in verse 24 marks a deliberate pivot from the crowd to the inner circle.

The words — ψυχή (psuchē) is the same word in both halves of the verse; the English "life" here and "soul" in verse 26 is a translator's distinction the Greek does not make. σῶσαι (sōsai), "to save," appears in both clauses, creating a deliberate wordplay on the verb.

The thread — Matthew 10:39 is the earlier, tighter parallel ("whoever finds his life will lose it"); Mark 8:35 adds "and for the gospel" as a second qualifier. Revelation 12:11 echoes the motif: "they did not love their lives unto death."

Why it lands — The verse forces a single decision: the one who grips self-preservation loses it, the one who releases it recovers it. It is not a call to seek death but a reordering of what one is willing to spend.

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

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Cross-references

Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Revelation 12:11 They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
John 12:25 Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Luke 17:33 Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Acts 20:23 I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.
Esther 4:16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”