He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

MATTHEW 10:40KJV
Know the Bible

Matthew 10:40 (KJV)

What does Matthew 10:40 mean?

Matthew 10:40 says that anyone who welcomes or receives Jesus’s followers is, in a real sense, welcoming Jesus himself—and by extension, welcoming God who sent Jesus. The verse shows a close connection between Jesus, his messengers, and God, highlighting the importance of how people respond to those sent in Jesus’s name.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to his disciples as he sends them out on a mission. He is reassuring them that their work is deeply connected to him and to God the Father. The statement emphasizes that the way people treat Jesus’s representatives is taken as how they treat Jesus and, ultimately, God himself.

The Greek behind Matthew 10:40

  • The word “receiveth” (δέχομαι, dechomai) is used repeatedly here and often means to welcome, accept, or receive someone with hospitality. The repetition stresses the act of accepting not just the message, but the messenger.
  • The word “sent” (ἀποστέλλω, apostellō) refers to someone being sent out with a purpose or mission. This highlights that Jesus’s disciples are not acting on their own, but are sent by Jesus, who himself is sent by God.

Why Matthew 10:40 matters

  • Matthew 10:40 clarifies that honoring or welcoming Jesus’s followers is seen as honoring Jesus himself, and even God, which gives dignity and weight to the mission of the disciples.
  • The verse connects the relationship between God, Jesus, and those sent by Jesus, showing a chain of trust and representation.
  • This teaching helps the disciples understand that their mission is not just about themselves, but that they stand as representatives of Jesus and God in the world.

Where else these words appear

“receiveth” Greek G1209 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
  • Luke 16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
  • 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

“me” Greek G1691 · used in 77 verses

  • Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
  • John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
  • John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

“sent” Greek G649 · used in 130 verses

  • Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
  • Luke 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
  • John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.