Bible Strands
Matthew 8:19
And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A scribe approaches Jesus after He commands His disciples to cross the sea amid a pressing crowd. He addresses Jesus as "Teacher" and states his intention to accompany Him everywhere.
The words — The Greek term ἀκολουθήσω (akolouthēsō) literally means "I will follow" or "I will go after." It denotes a commitment to physically and relationally pursue wherever Jesus leads.
The thread — This vow parallels Peter’s later declaration of readiness to go to prison and death in Luke 22:33 and anticipates the requirement to renounce all possessions in Luke 14:33. It also mirrors John 13:36, where Peter questions how he can follow Jesus’ impending path.
Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to test whether their stated commitment matches the reality of Jesus’ itinerant and unsecured life. It demands acknowledgment that discipleship entails accepting hardship and instability without guaranteed comfort or stability.
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 a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Cross-references
- Luke 22:33 “Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.”
- Luke 14:33 In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
- John 13:36 “Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked. Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”
- Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
- Mark 12:32 “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
- Luke 9:57 As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
- Ezra 7:6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.