02 · Jesus' Words

Let the Dead Bury Their Dead

Matthew 8:18–22

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Jesus reaches out toward a man holding a walking staff on a coastal road while other people walk away in the background.

A disciple wants to bury his father first. Jesus gives a shocking command to follow him.

Must the disciple leave the burial to follow Jesus?

Choose a perspective

There is no score – choose the perspective you find closest and discuss why.

Discuss: Is there anything in life that must never come before the call to follow Jesus?

After your discussion: compare with our assessment

Our assessment

A takes Jesus' response seriously. Burying a parent represented a powerful family and social obligation. Jesus' command is therefore radical and shows how highly he places the call to follow him. C is also important because Jesus speaks to a particular disciple in a particular situation. The passage is not framed as a general command that Christians must never attend burials or fulfill responsibilities toward their parents.

02 · Matthew 8:18–22

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Text & context

Full translation

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 Then a scribe came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 Jesus said to him, "Foxes have dens and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." 21 Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Translated from the Greek text – SBLGNT

What is happening here?
Matthew places two short encounters beside one another. First, a scribe says he will follow Jesus wherever he goes. Jesus responds by speaking about his own lack of a settled place to rest his head. Then another person, explicitly called a disciple, asks first to go and bury his father. Jesus replies, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Both encounters concern the cost and priority of discipleship. The passage does not tell us whether the father had already died, how far the burial process had progressed, or the precise practical circumstances. Historical reconstructions may be discussed, but should not be presented as details Matthew explicitly gives.
Notice this

The disciple does not say that he refuses to follow Jesus. He says: "Lord, allow me first ..." Jesus responds: "Follow me ..." The small word "first" exposes the tension. The question concerns what place discipleship receives among other powerful obligations. The man immediately before him confidently says, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus responds that the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head. Both encounters challenge simplistic ideas of what it means to say, "I will follow." We preserve "let the dead bury their own dead" without inserting one specific historical or theological interpretation into the main text. Several reconstructions have been proposed, including whether the father was already dead or whether the disciple's wording could refer to a longer obligation toward his father. Matthew does not provide these details.

Language & translation

From the Greek

ἀκολούθει μοι -- akolouthei moi

follow me An imperative of akoloutheō, "to follow." Jesus' response begins with a direct call.

πρῶτον -- prōton

first The disciple says, "Allow me first to go ..." The word creates an important tension: what is allowed to come first?

θάψαι -- thapsai

to bury An infinitive of thaptō, "to bury." The word itself does not tell us how far the burial process had progressed or whether the father had just died.

νεκρούς -- nekrous

dead Jesus uses the word twice in "let the dead bury their own dead." Since physically dead people cannot conduct a burial, the first use functions on a different level from the second. The main translation preserves the paradox.

ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου -- ho huios tou anthrōpou

the Son of Man In verse 20 Jesus uses this designation for himself when he says he has nowhere to rest his head, linking the preceding scene to the same theme of discipleship's cost.

Translation note

Independent English translation from the Greek text, using SBLGNT as the primary Greek edition.

Compare for yourself

Read Matthew 8:18–22 and Luke 9:57–62 in another Bible translation. Pay particular attention to: - akoloutheō - prōton - thaptō - the two uses of nekros - the Son of Man in verse 20 Also compare Luke's additional encounter where someone says, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me ..."

    Continue the conversation

    Discuss further
    1. Why does Jesus respond so harshly to a request that seems both human and respectful?
    2. What might the words say about the difference between wanting to follow Jesus and actually giving discipleship first place?
    3. How can this passage be kept from becoming an excuse for irresponsibility toward family?
    4. Can a good and legitimate obligation still compete with something more important?
    Parallel passages
    • Luke 9:57–62
    • Matthew 10:37–39
    • Luke 14:25–33
    Sources
    • The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition (SBLGNT), Michael W. Holmes, ed.
    • Matthew 8:18–22
    • Luke 9:57–62
    • Standard Greek lexical resources for akoloutheō, prōtos, thaptō, nekros, and the expression huios tou anthrōpou