And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

MATTHEW 17:20KJV
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Matthew 17:20 (KJV)

What does Matthew 17:20 mean?

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus tells his disciples that their unbelief was the reason they could not drive a demon out of a boy. He contrasts their unbelief with faith, saying that faith even as small as a mustard seed could accomplish what seems impossible.

The mustard seed gives the listeners a picture of something very small. The mountain gives them a picture of something immense and seemingly immovable. Jesus uses these contrasting images as he answers the disciples’ question about their failure in verse 19.

The Greek behind Matthew 17:20

  • “unbelief” — ἀπιστία (apistia): This word carries the sense of a lack of belief or trust. Jesus uses it to name the reason for the disciples’ failure.
  • “faith” — πίστις (pistis): This word can mean belief or trust. Here Jesus compares faith to a mustard seed, drawing attention to its small size.
  • “impossible” — ἀδύνατος (adynatos): This word means unable to be done or beyond one’s power. It gives force to Jesus’ statement that “nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Why Matthew 17:20 matters

  • Jesus addresses the disciples’ own question, “Why could not we cast him out?” in verse 19. His answer concerns their failure in that encounter, rather than a question raised by the crowd.
  • The mountain is part of Jesus’ striking way of describing something that seems beyond human ability. His words move from that single image to the wider statement, “nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
  • Christians differ on whether Jesus’ words about moving a mountain describe a literal possibility or use an image for overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.

Where else these words appear

“impossible” Greek G101 · used in 2 verses

  • Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

“seed” Greek G4615 · used in 5 verses

  • Matthew 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
  • Mark 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
  • Luke 13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

“grain” Greek G2848 · used in 7 verses

  • Matthew 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
  • Luke 13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
  • John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

“Remove” Greek G3327 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
  • Matthew 15:29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
  • John 7:3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.