The Meaning of Matthew 9:9 Explained

Matthew 9:9

KJV: And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

YLT: And Jesus passing by thence, saw a man sitting at the tax-office, named Matthew, and saith to him, 'Be following me,' and he, having risen, did follow him.

Darby: And Jesus, passing on thence, saw a man sitting at the tax-office, called Matthew, and says to him, Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.

ASV: And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And as  Jesus  passed forth  from thence,  he saw  a man,  named  Matthew,  sitting  at  the receipt of custom:  and  he saith  unto him,  Follow  me.  And  he arose,  and followed  him. 

What does Matthew 9:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This incident probably took place in or near Capernaum. The tax office (NASB) or the tax collector"s booth (NIV) would have been a room close to the border between the territories of Philip and Herod Antipas. There Matthew sat to collect customs and excise taxes. Capernaum stood on the caravan route between Egypt and the East. Matthew thus occupied a lucrative post. As mentioned before, the Jews despised tax collectors because they were notoriously corrupt, and they worked for the occupying Romans extracting money from their own countrymen (cf. Matthew 5:46). [1]
Jesus proceeded to do the unthinkable. He called a social pariah to become one of His disciples. Matthew was a sinner and an associate of sinners in the eyes of the Jews.
"The pericope on the call of Matthew ( Matthew 9:9) illustrates yet another aspect of discipleship, to wit: the broad spectrum of those whom Jesus summons to follow him.... Matthew ... is a toll-collector. As such, he is looked upon by the Jewish society of Matthew"s story as no better than a robber and one whose testimony would not be honored in a Jewish court of law.... Not only the upright are called by Jesus, but also the despised." [2]
"Since Jesus" mission is predicated upon mercy and not merit, no one is despicable enough by the standards of society to be outside his concern and invitation." [3]
Jews frequently had two names, and Matthew"s other name was Levi ( Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). "Matthew" may derive from Mattaniah ( 1 Chronicles 9:15) meaning "gift of God," or it may come from the Hebrew emet meaning "faithful." Perhaps because of its meaning Matthew preferred to use "Matthew" in his Gospel rather than "Levi." Matthew"s response to Jesus" call to follow Him was immediate.

Context Summary

Matthew 9:9-17 - The Friend Of Sinners
The name Levi indicates that Matthew sprang from a priestly line. He had lost all self-respect to become the abhorred instrument of the Roman government, collecting dues on the merchandise that crossed the lake. But our Lord sees veins of gold and precious gems in most unlikely places, and He detected the apostle and evangelist in this despised publican.
Wherever a man is found by Christ, He sets Himself to find others, and the Lord is willing to co-operate in any effort to bring others to know Him. He will sit with perfect grace among publicans and sinners, lifting them to His own pure and holy level. He is always to be found where there are sin-sick souls; and where hearts are famished for love and joy, He is with them as their bridegroom.
But the joy of Christ will make for itself its own impression. The ancient forms will not suffice. The old skin-bottle will not contain the ferment of the new wine. How wonderfully Christ could extract lessons from familiar objects! [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 9

1  Jesus heals a paralytic
9  calls Matthew from the receipt of custom;
10  eats with tax collectors and sinners;
14  defends his disciples for not fasting;
20  cures the sick woman;
23  raises Jairus' daughter from death;
27  gives sight to two blind men;
32  heals a mute man possessed of a demon;
36  and has compassion on the multitude

Greek Commentary for Matthew 9:9

At the place of toll [επι το τελωνιον]
The tax-office or custom-house of Capernaum placed here to collect taxes from the boats going across the lake outside of Herod‘s territory or from people going from Damascus to the coast, a regular caravan route. [source]
Called Matthew []
” (Ματταιον λεγομενον — Maththaion legomenon) and in Matthew 10:3 Matthew the publican is named as one of the Twelve Apostles. Mark (Mark 2:14) and Luke (Luke 5:27) call this man Levi. He had two names as was common, Matthew Levi. The publicans (τελωναι — telōnai) get their name in English from the Latin publicanus (a man who did public duty), not a very accurate designation. They were detested because they practised graft. Even Gabinius the proconsul of Syria was accused by Cicero of relieving Syrians and Jews of legitimate taxes for graft. He ordered some of the tax-officers removed. Already Jesus had spoken of the publican (Matthew 5:46) in a way that shows the public disfavour in which they were held. [source]
Receipt of custom [τελώνιον]
Rev., place of toll. Wyc., tolbooth, toll-booth, or toll-cabin, which is an excellent word, though obsolete. Sitting at, is, literally, sitting on: the elevated platform or bench which was the principal feature of the toll-office, as in modern custom-bazaars, being put for the whole establishment. This customs-office was at Capernaum, the land-rag-place for the many ships which traversed the lake or coasted from town to town; and this not only for those who had business in Capernaum, but for those who would there strike the great road of eastern commerce from Damascus to the harbors of the West. Cicero, in his oration on the Consular Provinces, accuses Gabinius, the pro-consul of Syria, of relieving the Syrians and Jews of some of their legitimate taxes, and of ordering the small buildings to be taken down, which the publicans had erected at the approaches to bridges, or at the termination of roads, or in the harbors, for the convenience of their slaves and collectors. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 9:9

Matthew 9:27 As Jesus passed by [παραγοντι Ιησου]
Associative instrumental case with ηκολουτησαν — ēkolouthēsan It was the supreme opportunity of these two blind men. Note two demoniacs in Matthew 8:28 and two blind men in Matthew 20:30. See the same word παραγων — paragōn used of Jesus in Matthew 9:9. [source]
Luke 5:27 Receipt of custom []
See on Matthew 9:9. [source]
Luke 19:1 Jericho []
The city was close to the fords of the Jordan, on the frontier of Peraea, and on the richest plain of Palestine, abounding most in the choicest productions, especially balsam; and was, therefore, an appropriate seat for an officer of superior rank to preside over the collection of revenues. See on Matthew 9:9; Luke 3:12. [source]
Luke 19:1 Jericho []
The city was close to the fords of the Jordan, on the frontier of Peraea, and on the richest plain of Palestine, abounding most in the choicest productions, especially balsam; and was, therefore, an appropriate seat for an officer of superior rank to preside over the collection of revenues. See on Matthew 9:9; Luke 3:12. [source]
Luke 5:27 A publican named Levi [τελωνεν ονοματι Λευειν]
Mark 2:13 has also “The son of Alphaeus” while Matthew 9:9 calls him “Matthew.” He had, of course, both names. All three use the same words (επι το τελωνιον — epi to telōnion) for the place of toll. See note on publican (τελωνης — telōnēs) on Matthew 9:9. [source]
Luke 5:28 Followed him [ηκολουτει αυτωι]
Imperfect active, perhaps inchoative. He began at once to follow him and he kept it up. Both Mark 2:14; Matthew 9:9 have the aorist (ηκολουτησεν — ēkolouthēsen), perhaps ingressive. [source]
John 1:43 Follow [ἀκολούθει]
Often used in the New Testament with the special sense of following as a disciple or partisan. See Matthew 4:20, Matthew 4:22; Matthew 9:9; Mark 1:18; John 8:12. Also with the meaning of cleaving steadfastly to one and conforming to his example. See Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; John 12:26. The verb occurs but once outside of the writings of the Evangelists, 1 Corinthians 10:4. It appears in the noun acolyte, or acolyth, or acolothist, a church-servant ranking next below a subdeacon, whose duty it was to trim the lamps, light the church, prepare the sacramental elements, etc. Under the Byzantine emperors the captain of the emperor's bodyguard was called Acolouthos, or the Follower. See Scott's “Count Robert of Paris.” [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 9:9 mean?

And passing on - Jesus from there He saw a man sitting at the tax booth Matthew named He says to him Follow Me having arisen he followed Him
Καὶ παράγων Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον Μαθθαῖον λεγόμενον λέγει αὐτῷ Ἀκολούθει μοι ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ

παράγων  passing  on 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παράγω  
Sense: pass by.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
ἐκεῖθεν  from  there 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐκεῖθεν  
Sense: thence, from that place.
εἶδεν  He  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
ἄνθρωπον  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
καθήμενον  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κάθημαι  
Sense: to sit down, seat one’s self.
ἐπὶ  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
τελώνιον  tax  booth 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τελωνεῖον 
Sense: customs, toll.
Μαθθαῖον  Matthew 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Μαθθαῖος 
Sense: son of Alphaeus, one of the 2 disciples.
λεγόμενον  named 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
λέγει  He  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἀκολούθει  Follow 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀκολουθέω  
Sense: to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.
μοι  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀναστὰς  having  arisen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀναπηδάω 
Sense: to cause to rise up, raise up.
ἠκολούθησεν  he  followed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκολουθέω  
Sense: to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.