ris3n's Apologetics Codex
Matthew 26.52
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Passage

Matthew 26.52

Book: Matthew · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

50. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, do that for which thou art come. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51. And behold, one of them that were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

52. Then saith Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

  1. Or thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54. How then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:50-54, ASV)
WEB

50. Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51. Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

52. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.

  1. Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54. How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:50-54, WEB)
KJV

50. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.

52. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

  1. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54. But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:50-54, KJV)
YLT

50. and Jesus said to him, 'Comrade, for what art thou present?' Then having come near, they laid hands on Jesus, and took hold on him. 51. And lo, one of those with Jesus, having stretched forth the hand, drew his sword, and having struck the servant of the chief priest, he took off his ear.

52. Then saith Jesus to him, 'Turn back thy sword to its place; for all who did take the sword, by the sword shall perish;

  1. dost thou think that I am not able now to call upon my Father, and He will place beside me more than twelve legions of messengers? 54. how then may the Writings be fulfilled, that thus it behoveth to happen?' (Matthew 26:50-54, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Jesus, to the disciple who drew a sword (named as Peter in John 18:10)
  • Audience: the disciples and the arresting crowd sent by the chief priests and elders (Matthew 26:47)
  • Location: Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem (Matthew 26:36)
  • Time period: the night before the crucifixion, c. AD 30 or 33

Theological reading

"Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matthew 26:52, KJV).

"Put up again thy sword." The command is given to Jesus' own follower, defending him against an unjust arrest. If force was refused even there, it cannot be the means of spreading his kingdom. Jesus says the same before Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight" (John 18:36).

A saying, not a full ethic of force. Christians have read this verse in different ways. Some take it as a call to nonviolence; others, in the Just War Theory tradition, read it as forbidding force to advance the gospel or to stop Jesus' mission, while allowing the state its sword (Romans 13:4). Either way, it stands against conversion by force (see Christianity Spread Only by the Sword Objection Defeater).

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

People:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.