Matthew 10:35

Wednesday, 11 June 2025

 

For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; Matthew 10:35

 

“For I came to sunder man against his father, and daughter against her mother, and bride against her mother-in-law” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that He did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. In explanation of that, He next cites Micah 7:6, turning it from a proclamation concerning the conduct of the people of Israel to a statement concerning the sword He referred to. He does this beginning with, “For I came to sunder man against his father.”

 

In Micah, this clause reads, “For son dishonors father.” In Jesus’ statement is a word found only once in the New Testament, dichazó, The word is derived from dis, twice. Thus, it is a cutting apart. Hence, to sunder. Figuratively, it means to set at variance. It is akin to our modern prefix dis, such as in discord, disharmony, or the commonly used idiom to dis someone.

 

Jesus is probably saying that those who dishonor their father are the type to reject Christ. Such a person has ignored the Fifth Commandment, placing himself as one who rejects the structure of the home as ordained by God. As such, there will be a sword between the unrepentant son and the repentant father when the gospel is presented. Next, Jesus says, “and daughter against her mother.”

 

Micah 7:6 says, “Daughter rises against her mother.” This is like the first clause in that the daughter is set at variance with her mother, similar to that of the son dishonoring the father. There will be strife between the two because of His gospel. He next says, “and bride against her mother-in-law.”

 

Another new word is introduced here, numphé, a bride or a daughter-in-law. It is derived from nupto, to veil, as in a veiled bride. This is cognate to the Latin nupto, to marry. The word extends to a betrothed girl.

 

Micah 7:6 says, “Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Again, we see a discord being explained by Jesus as cited by Micah. In the Hebrew of Micah, the word kalah, completer is used to describe the daughter-in-law. It signifies a bride because the daughter-in-law is what completes a family unit.

 

In other words, having a son allows a man to continue his name and family, but without a daughter-in-law, a completer, the family remains incomplete. As such, she is to be a treasured member of the family.

 

But that should go both ways. She should honor those of the family she is uniting with. However, with the gospel introduced, this special bond between the mother and the household completer is divided.

 

Life application: Despite the fact that Jesus is speaking to Israel while under the law, the truths explained by Him do not end there because these are truths that extend beyond to law. The family unit was established prior to the law. When something interrupts that unit, discord leading to dishonor will naturally result.

 

Paul even refers to the necessity of maintaining the soundness of the Fifth Commandment in Ephesians 6:1-3 –

 

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: 3 ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’”

 

This is not a matter of salvation in the church, but it is a precept that bears the weight of the family unit established by God at the very beginning. Son is born to father. Because of this, there should be honor given to him. This is not explicitly stated prior to the law, but it is a precept clearly understood in the Genesis and Exodus narrative prior to the giving of the law.

 

This follows through with respect by the females within the house as well. Honoring the mother is conside