Matthew 9:10 · Bible study
Matthew 9:10 Commentary: Jesus Dines with Sinners, Study
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore what Jesus' willingness to eat with tax collectors and sinners at Matthew's house reveals about his mission and the kingdom's inclusive welcome.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus' table fellowship with outcasts demonstrates the inclusive, mercy-driven nature of his kingdom mission.
- Key words: reclining (anakeimai/sunanakeimai), intimate fellowship; tax collectors (telōnai), socially despised; sinners (hamartōloi), those considered outside God's covenant.
- Main debate: Timing of the feast, immediately after Matthew's call (most) or later (JFB). Also whether 'sinners' includes Gentiles (Clarke) or refers mainly to immoral Jews (majority view).
- Theological theme: Grace precedes repentance; Jesus seeks the sick, not the self-righteous.
- Best use: Evangelism and hospitality, the church as a table where the undeserved are welcomed.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.
WEB World English Bible 2000
As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
KJV King James Version 1769
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And it came to pass, he reclining (at meat) in the house, that lo, many tax-gatherers and sinners having come, were lying (at meat) with Jesus and his disciples,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And it came to pass, as he lay at table in the house, that behold, many tax-gatherers and sinners came and lay at table with Jesus and his disciples.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y aconteció que estando él sentado á la mesa en casa, he aquí que muchos publicanos y pecadores, que habían venido, se sentaron juntamente á la mesa con Jesús y sus discípulos.
E aconteceu que, enquanto Jesus estava reclinado à mesa na casa de Mateus , eis que muitos cobradores de impostos e pecadores vieram e se reclinaram à mesa juntamente com Jesus e seus discípulos.
Comme Jésus était à table dans la maison, voici, beaucoup de publicains et de gens de mauvaise vie vinrent se mettre à table avec lui et avec ses disciples.
Und es begab sich, da er zu Tische saß im Hause, siehe, da kamen viele Zöllner und Sünder und saßen zu Tische mit Jesu und seinen Jüngern.
En het geschiedde, als Hij in het huis van Mattheus aanzat, ziet, vele tollenaars en zondaars kwamen en zaten mede aan, met Jezus en Zijn discipelen.
Ed avvenne che, essendo Gesù a tavola in casa di Matteo, ecco, molti pubblicani e peccatori vennero e si misero a tavola con Gesù e co’ suoi discepoli.
I stało się, gdy Jezus siedział za stołem w domu jego, że oto wiele celników i grzeszników przyszedłszy, usiedli z Jezusem i z uczniami jego.
И когда Иисус возлежал в доме, многие мытари и грешники пришли и возлегли с Ним и учениками Его.
耶穌 在 屋 裡坐席 的時候， 有好些 稅吏 和 罪人 來，與耶穌 和 他的 門徒 一同坐席。
And it came about, when he was in the house taking food, that a number of tax-farmers and sinners came and took their places with Jesus and his disciples.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 9:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this scene takes place at Matthew's house shortly after his call (Luke 5:29 makes the feast explicit). Jesus reclines at table, in Jewish custom, a sign of close fellowship and acceptance, with 'many tax collectors and sinners.' The Greek verb sunanekeinto (imperfect tense, 'they were reclining with') paints a picture of ongoing shared table life. Barnes, Gill, and Matthew Henry all emphasize that Matthew himself invited his old associates, hoping they might encounter Jesus. Clarke notes that 'sinners' (hamartōloi) often refers to Gentiles in the Gospels, though most commentators read it as morally disreputable Jews. The core point is unanimous: Jesus deliberately enters the company of the socially and spiritually marginalized, and his presence at the table signals the arrival of grace for the undeserving.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus deliberately shared table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners at Matthew's house, revealing that his mission was to call the sick and the outcast, not the self-righteous.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of the meal | The meal took place in Matthew's (Levi's) house | Commentators disagree on whether the feast occurred immediately after Matthew's call (majority view) or later, after Jesus' return from the Gadarenes (JFB). |
| Meaning of 'sinners' (hamartōloi) | Tax collectors and sinners were groups considered outside normative Jewish piety. | Clarke argues that in many gospel contexts, 'sinners' refers specifically to Gentiles. Other commentators (Barnes, Gill) take it as Jews living immoral lives. Both agree they were socially and religiously marginalized. |
| Matthew's omission of his own hospitality | Matthew does not say 'my house' or 'a feast I made.' | Barnes sees this as modesty and obedience to Jesus' teaching on almsgiving. Others (Henry) suggest Matthew used his former name as an act of humility. No major disagreement, only emphasis. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Jewish society placed heavy stigma on tax collectors (telōnai). They worked for the Roman occupiers, often pocketing surplus from collections, and were classed alongside robbers and prostitutes. Religious law considered their money tainted, and pious Jews avoided their company. Eating with someone, especially reclining at a shared meal, was an act of deep social bonding. To share a table was to share life, to grant forgiveness and acceptance.
Matthew (also called Levi) was a tax collector at Capernaum's toll booth. When Jesus called him, Matthew immediately left his post and hosted a great feast. Luke 5:29 says he 'made him a great feast,' presumably inviting his fellow publicans and others of ill repute. The house belonged to Matthew, though the evangelist modestly omits that detail (as Barnes notes, this shows Matthew's humility). Reclining on couches around a low table was the standard posture for festive meals. The imperfect verb 'were reclining with' suggests a scene of extended table fellowship, not a quick snack but a deliberate, unhurried communion.
The Pharisees' question in verse 11 ('Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?') reveals the scandal. Religious leaders maintained purity boundaries by avoiding contact with the impure. Jesus' choice to dine with such people was provocative. He was not merely tolerating them; he was sharing the intimate space of a meal, thereby enacting the very mercy he would soon preach in verse 13.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 9:10. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts. The only minor variation is the presence or absence of the article before 'house' in some early manuscripts, but it does not affect meaning, all traditions agree the reference is to Matthew's dwelling.
Reception History
Early church fathers like John Chrysostom praised Matthew's humility in recording the feast without naming himself, and saw the scene as a model of evangelistic hospitality. During the Reformation, commentators such as Calvin and Luther highlighted Jesus' role as physician for the sick, emphasizing justification by faith apart from works. In the modern era, this verse has been central to movements emphasizing God's preferential option for the poor and the church's call to break down social barriers. Across traditions, Matthew 9:10 has been read as a gospel in miniature: the King sits down with the outcast.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Jesus calls a tax collector. Matthew's response is immediate and total, he leaves his booth and follows (v.9). Grace does not require a cleaned-up resume.
- Matthew opens his home. He invites his old friends to meet Jesus. The address 'the house' (οἰκία) is Matthew's own, though he does not say so. New faith does not isolate; it reaches back.
- Jesus reclines with sinners. He does not stand at a distance or lecture. He sits and eats, the closest sign of fellowship in that culture. The kingdom comes not by avoiding sinners but by sharing a table with them.
Five-point outline
- Setting: Matthew's house, a feast held in honor of Jesus.
- Guests: Many tax collectors and sinners, the very people religious society had written off.
- Action: They recline together. The imperfect tense of sunanekeinto stresses ongoing fellowship, not a brief visit.
- Reaction: Pharisees object. Their question (v.11) shows that table fellowship was seen as endorsing sin.
- Response: Jesus announces his mission: a physician for the sick, mercy over sacrifice, and a call to repentance (vv.12-13).
Illustration hooks
- An office worker whose colleagues assume he will distance himself now that he has 'gotten religious', instead he invites them to his home for a meal.
- A church potluck where the most tattooed, pierced, or rough-looking guest is the one Jesus is sitting beside.
- The tension a family feels when an estranged relative is invited to Thanksgiving dinner. The table becomes the place of risky grace.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does eating with someone who lives a sinful life mean I approve of their choices?
- How do I balance the call to be holy and the call to be welcoming?
- Why did the Pharisees think Jesus was wrong to eat with sinners, and what does that tell us about our own attitudes?
Leading a Discussion
Jesus' willingness to recline at table with tax collectors and sinners remains one of the most striking pictures of grace in the Gospels. This small-group guide invites you to reflect on how Jesus' table fellowship challenges our boundaries and expands our understanding of his mission.
Discussion questions
- Observation: Who is present in this scene? List the groups mentioned.
- Observation: What does Jesus do when the tax collectors and sinners come? (Read the key verb forms from the Greek: he was reclining, they came, they were reclining together.)
- Interpretation: Why would the Pharisees find this meal so offensive? What did table fellowship mean in first-century Jewish culture?
- Interpretation: How does Jesus' response in verses 12-13 (the physician, mercy not sacrifice, calling sinners) clarify his mission?
- Application: Who are the 'tax collectors and sinners' in your community today, the people you would feel awkward inviting to a meal?
- Application: What fears or objections arise when you consider opening your home or church fellowship to people whose lives do not match Christian standards?
- Application: How can your small group create a truly welcoming table without compromising on truth or holiness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 5:46 | For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? |
| Matthew 5:47 | If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? |
| Mark 2:15 | He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. |
| Mark 2:17 | When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” |
| Luke 5:29 | Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. |
| Luke 5:32 | I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” |
| John 9:31 | We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, he listens to him. |
| I Timothy 1:13 | although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the Greek word for sinners in this passage does not mean morally bad people but specifically points to Gentiles or heathens. He contends that throughout the Gospels this term regularly identifies non-Jews, making Matthew's companions a distinct religious category rather than merely disreputable individuals.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that Matthew omits the detail that the feast was held in his own home, a fact Luke records for him. This silence shows Matthew’s freedom from self-praise and illustrates Jesus’ teaching on avoiding ostentation in good deeds, as given in Matthew 6.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes that Luke's Gospel clarifies the setting: Levi hosted the meal in his own house. Mark's account does not specify whose house it was, but Luke calls it "a great feast" made by Levi, making the location certain.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And it came to passe, as Iesus sate at meate in his house, beholde, many Publicanes and sinners, that came thither, sate downe at the table with Iesus and his disciples.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights Matthew's motive for the feast: true grace makes a converted soul eager for others, especially sinful companions, to also receive it. Matthew invited fellow publicans and sinners not by accident but from heartfelt desire for their conversion. Christ gladly welcomed them, always ready to do good to the worst of people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues the feast Matthew hosted in his house did not happen right after his call. The timing, he contends, was later, after Jesus returned from the Gadarenes. Matthew's motive was compassion for his former colleagues, hoping they too would hear Christ and be transformed as he had been.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Matthew humbly used the name he was known by as a tax collector rather than the more honorable name Levi. He also highlights that Christ called Matthew while he was actively working at his post, showing that Jesus often summons people who are already engaged in their daily occupations.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that Matthew, though he does not mention it himself, made a great feast for Jesus and invited many former associates. The guests were tax collectors infamous for illegal extortion and open, notorious sinners. Jesus sat at table with them despite their reputation.