Matthew 9:38 · Bible study
Matthew 9:38 Commentary: Praying for God's Urgent Sending
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus commands prayer for laborers. The strong Greek 'ekballō' reveals divine sovereignty and human urgency in mission. Meaning, context, and living the verse.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus commands his disciples to urgently petition God, the owner of the harvest, to sovereignly thrust out workers to gather the waiting crowds.
- Key words: δεήθητε (pray/beseech, aorist imperative, a specific urgent command); ἐκβάλῃ (thrust out, strong force, implying necessity and divine action).
- Main debate: The tension between God's sovereign sending and human prayer, and whether the 'laborers' are vocational ministers exclusively or the whole people of God sent into mission.
- Theological theme: Missiology of prayer, the mission of God proceeds from the compassion of Christ and is activated by the prayers of the church to the sovereign Lord.
- Best use: A call to prayer for church leadership development, missionary sending, and personal willingness to be sent.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
KJV King James Version 1769
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
beseech ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he may put forth workmen to His harvest.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth workmen unto his harvest.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Rogad, pues, al Señor de la mies, que envíe obreros á su mies.
Portanto rogai ao Senhor da colheita que envie trabalhadores à sua colheita.
Priez donc le maître de la moisson d’ envoyer des ouvriers dans sa moisson.
Darum bittet den HERRN der Ernte, daß er Arbeiter in seine Ernte sende.
Bidt dan den Heere des oogstes, dat Hij arbeiders in Zijn oogst uitstote.
Pregate dunque il Signor della mèsse che spinga degli operai nella sua mèsse.
Proście tedy Pana żniwa, aby wypchnął robotniki na żniwo swoje.
итак молите Господина жатвы, чтобы выслал делателей на жатву Свою.
所以，你們當求 莊稼 的主 打發 工人 出去收 他的 莊稼。」
Make prayer, then, to the Lord of the grain-fields, that he may send out workers to get in his grain.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 9:38
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 verse establishes God as the sole owner and master of the spiritual harvest. Gill calls him the one 'who has a hearty concern for them,' while Matthew Henry describes him as the one who 'alone is able to do it.' The central imperative, 'Pray,' is grounded in Jesus's compassion at verse 36. The word 'therefore' links the prayer directly to the plentiful harvest and the scarcity of workers. The specific verb for 'send forth' in Greek is ἐκβάλῃ (ekballō). Vincent notes it means 'thrust out, force them out, as from urgent necessity.' Clarke and Wesley argue this forceful sending implies a reluctance in the worker, a man who 'knows little of God' if he is forward to the task (Clarke). The prayer is a petition for God to overcome our natural hesitancy and sovereignly supply the need. The sovereignty of God in sending and the responsibility of the church to pray are held together without contradiction.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- The Reluctant Worker View: The force of ekballō overcomes the natural human hesitancy and unworthiness for the task, a position supported by Wesley and Clarke.
- The Urgent Necessity View: The force of ekballō reflects the desperate urgency of the situation and the decisive authority of God, a position supported by Vincent and the Cambridge Bible.
What is clear: Jesus commands his disciples to pray to God for more workers. The prayer is grounded in Jesus's compassion and the desperate spiritual need of the crowds.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'the Lord of the Harvest' | God alone owns the harvest and has the authority to send workers. Prayer is directed to Him as the source of missionary calling. | Some identify this specifically with God the Father (Gill, Matthew Henry). Others note that in the broader context, Christ himself sends the Twelve in the very next chapter (Matt 10:1), implying Christ is also Lord of the harvest who answers this prayer. |
| Meaning of the verb 'send forth' (ekballō) | The word implies urgency, authority, and a powerful initiative from God. | Commentators disagree on the reason for the force. Clarke and Wesley emphasize the 'backwardness' and reluctance of the human worker, requiring God to 'thrust' them against their natural hesitation. Vincent and Cambridge focus on the urgency of the mission itself, the necessity of getting workers quickly into the ripe field. |
| Application of 'laborers' in the modern church | Primarily refers to those called to public ministry of the Word (teaching, preaching, pastoring). | A historic reading (Reformed/Protestant) sees this grounding a distinct ordained ministry called by God. A broader contemporary application (Evangelical/Catholic) extends 'laborer' to every baptized believer who is sent into their daily field of work, family, and neighborhood. |
| The relationship between prayer and God's sovereignty | Prayer is an essential, commanded means through which God provides laborers. | Some traditions (Wesleyan/Arminian) emphasize prayer as a condition that God responds to. Others (Reformed) see prayer as a means by which God sovereignly accomplishes his decree. Both agree the command stands. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Matthew 9:38 forms the bridge between Jesus's Galilean ministry of power (chapters 8, 9) and the mission of the Twelve (chapter 10). The context opens with Jesus touring 'all the cities and villages.' His work is threefold: teaching in synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease. This is the peaceful, authoritative work of a king.
Yet the true state of the nation is seen through his eyes. The crowds are ἐσκυλμένοι (eskulmenoi), 'harassed' or 'torn', and ῥιπτάμενοι (errimmenoi), 'thrown down' or 'scattered' like a flock without a shepherd. This is a devastating image for a Jewish audience. Ezekiel 34 decried Israel's false shepherds who fed themselves instead of the flock. The religious leaders of Jesus's day had left the people spiritually stranded.
The agricultural metaphor of the 'harvest' is common in the Old Testament for judgment (Joel 3:13), but here it is clearly for salvation. The fields are ripe to gather people into the Kingdom. The laborers are not farmhands; they are God's messengers. By commanding prayer 'to the Lord of the harvest,' Jesus redirects the disciples' concern from the magnitude of the problem to the character of God. Prayer is not a passive wish; it is the strategy of the Kingdom. It recognizes that the harvest does not belong to the workers, but to the Lord who owns it. This understanding of ownership has shaped how the church understands vocation. God sends, and the church prays for his sending.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 9:38. The manuscript tradition for this verse is stable, and the reading found in the Byzantine and Alexandrian text types is identical in meaning. Minor variations in word order in some Latin witnesses do not affect the interpretation of the verse.
Reception History
Matthew 9:38 has served as a foundational text for Christian mission across all major traditions. The early church read it as legitimating the apostolic office and grounding the ministry in divine calling rather than human ambition.
During the Reformation, it was used to critique an unspiritual clergy and to pray for the raising up of faithful preachers who actually labored in the Word. In the modern era, this verse ignited the modern missionary movement. Missionary leaders exhorted congregations to pray the 'Lord of the harvest' prayer as the first step in sending workers to the ends of the earth.
The verse is sung in hymns of mission and invocation across denominations. Its primary function has been to anchor the missional impulse in prayerful dependence on God, rather than in human strategy or planning.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Seeing Heart of Jesus (v. 36). The sermon begins with compassion, not command. Jesus sees the people not as problems, but as harassed sheep. Our prayer for workers must start with the same spiritual eyes. We pray out of a heart broken for what breaks God's heart.
- The Waiting Field (v. 37). The harvest overwhelms the resources. There is a mismatch between the abundance of the harvest and the scarcity of workers. The church's real problem is rarely a lack of opportunities, but a lack of mobilized, sent workers.
- The Urgent Prayer (v. 38). This is the hinge. The only proper response to the overwhelming need is direct petition to the Owner. The Greek verb ekballō suggests God must press the workers out. Our prayer is that God overcomes the world's resistance and the worker's own fear to send them into the field.
Five-point outline
- The Context of Ministry: Jesus goes about teaching, preaching, healing. Kingdom action sets the stage for the prayer request.
- The Heart of the Shepherd: Compassion for the harassed and helpless. The impetus for the prayer is love.
- The Diagnosis of the Need: A plentiful harvest, but few laborers. The problem is a labor shortage, not a harvest failure.
- The Direction of the Prayer: Directed to the Lord of the harvest, not the marketplace or the pool of volunteers. To God.
- The Action of God: That He would ekballō (thrust/send out) workers. This is an aggressive, merciful act of sovereignty.
Illustration hooks
- The Wheat Field: A farmer has a field of ripe wheat that will rot within days if not harvested. He has two workers. He does not need a new field. He needs more workers. The urgency of the hour.
- The Lifeguard: A crowded beach with a strong rip current. One lifeguard sees dozens struggling. The need is not for more people to watch, but for lifeguards to enter the water.
- The Push: Many sense a call to ministry but feel deep inadequacy. They need God to ekballō them, to push them past their fears into the field. The prayer is for God to do the pushing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is the Lord of the harvest and wants it harvested, why does He need us to pray for workers?
- Am I supposed to be one of these laborers, or is this a prayer I pray for other people? How do I know which one I am?
- What does this prayer look like practically? Is it just a sentence in my daily prayers, or something more?
Leading a Discussion
This passage turns a moment of compassion into a commission of prayer. Jesus gives his disciples a clear task before he gives them the great commission. Their first work is prayer that God would provide workers for the work. The impetus is Jesus's own compassion for the crowds.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does Jesus see when he looks at the crowds in verse 36? What specific words describe their condition?
- Interpretation: Why does Jesus describe the crowds first as 'sheep without a shepherd' and then as a 'plentiful harvest'? What is the difference between these two images?
- Interpretation: The Greek verb for 'send forth' is ekballō, which literally means 'to thrust out' or 'cast out.' Why would such a strong verb be used for sending workers? What does it suggest about the task and the worker?
- Interpretation: Why is the prayer directed specifically to 'the Lord of the harvest'? What does this title tell us about God's role and authority in mission?
- Connection: How does this command to pray relate to Jesus's own prayer life before he chose the Twelve (Luke 6:12)?
- Application: How does this passage challenge the way our small group or church prays for ministry? Do we pray with the same urgency Jesus commands here?
- Application: If God is the one who sends, how can we be open to being sent ourselves, even if the work feels beyond our strength?
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)
| Psalms 68:11 | The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company. |
| Psalms 68:18 | You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there. |
| Jeremiah 3:15 | I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. |
| Micah 5:7 | The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man nor wait for the sons of men. |
| Matthew 10:1 | He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. |
| Matthew 10:3 | Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; |
| Luke 6:12 | In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. |
| Luke 6:13 | When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles: |
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 emphasizes that the Greek word behind "send forth" means "to thrust out" or drive. Those fittest for gospel work are often the most reluctant, so God himself must compel and send them. Our duty is to pray earnestly that he will raise up such laborers.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools note that the original Greek word behind "send forth" is much stronger, carrying the force of a powerful driving or impulsion. The same word appears for the Spirit driving Jesus into the wilderness and for casting out demons or casting into outer darkness.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note turns the metaphor into a direct call to action: believers must ask God himself to supply workers for his own harvest. The emphasis falls on prayer as the essential means, not on human effort or planning, to meet the urgent need.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that "the Lord of the harvest" can refer to either God the Father or Christ himself, since only God can send gospel laborers. He stresses the word "thrust" which implies both God's authority and the workers
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that God is the great Lord and Proprietor of the harvest, holding all authority. The original word for "send forth" literally means "thrust forth," though this emphatic force is not always maintained in every use of the term.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that Christ's compassion directly reveals the people's desperate misery under their leaders, which then triggers His royal decision to establish the apostolic office. The Lord's move from Prophet to King is not abstract; it is a practical response to a helpless, scattered flock, using human laborers to spread His salvation.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent emphasizes that the Greek verb behind "send forth" actually means to thrust or force out, suggesting an urgent necessity rather than a gentle dismissal. The original word carries a stronger compulsion than a simple sending.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that the work of gathering souls is so difficult and unattractive to human nature that only God can call and equip laborers for it. Those who never felt reluctance toward this task have not truly understood what it means to work in Christ's harvest.