And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.
Explanation:
Okay, letโs break down this incredibly rich and symbolic verse from Matthew 8:20. It's a really interesting and layered quote about Jesus. Hereโs a simple explanation:
The Basic Idea:
Jesus is saying that while he ๐can๐ be with people, he doesnโt have a place to settle down or rest comfortably. Heโs feeling a bit restless and needs space to do his work.
Let's unpack it piece by piece:
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โAnd Jesus saith unto himโฆโ
: This sets up a conversation โ Jesus is speaking to someone.
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โโฆThe foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests;โ
: This compares life to things that ๐do๐ have a place to live. Foxes and birds build their homes. Itโs a picture of comfort and security.
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โBut the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.โ
: This is the key part! Jesus is saying he doesn't have a permanent, settled place to be. He's feeling a need for freedom and isn't comfortable being tied down.
What does this mean in terms of Jesusโ role?
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Heโs focused on his mission:
Jesus is busy working to heal people, teach them, and show them the Kingdom of God. He needs to be free to do that work without constant worry about where he'll rest.
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Heโs a traveler:
The image of him not having a place to settle suggests heโs constantly moving and working.
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It speaks to his future role:
This verse is often interpreted as foreshadowing Jesusโ future role as the Messiah โ that he will return to earth and be with us fully, establishing His Kingdom.
In short, it's a beautiful description of Jesusโ desire for freedom and peace.
It emphasizes his importance as a worker who needs space to do what He was called to do.
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Resources if you want to learn more:
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Bible Gateway:
[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/english](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/english) - This allows you to read the verse in different translations and see how itโs been interpreted throughout history.
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Different Bible Websites:
Search for "Matthew 8:20 interpretation" on reputable Bible websites like BibleHub or BibleProject.org
Do you have any specific questions about this verse that you'd like me to answer? For example, would you like to know:
๐ How it relates to the idea of the Kingdom of God?
๐ What some people interpret it as signifying about Jesusโ future?