What Does Matthew 10:37 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Jesus does not erase family love here; he exposes the bond that has been given greater weight than him.
THE MEANING
Your love for your family remains present; the verse names the point where that affection takes precedence over Jesus. “Worthy” carries a sense of fit or corresponding value: the verse reveals what your attachments place at the center.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that this verse condemns loving parents or children. The wording turns on “more than”: it confronts priority while leaving the love itself in view.
THE ROOT
φιλῶν
philōn
GROWS FROM
φιλέω
phileō
To love, feel affection for, or be fond of.
“loveth” in this verse is philōn. The Greek verb is phileō, also found in words for friend and friendship. The fracture in the verse is not between love and no love, but between the family bond and the one it is ranked above.
ALSO GROWS
philos: Friend; a loved or dear person.
φίλος
The shared word family keeps love close to the language of personal bonds and attachment.
philia: Friendship; affection between friends.
φιλία
This branch echoes the verse’s focus on relational affection rather than an abstract idea of love.
ἄξιος
axios
GROWS FROM
ἀξι-
axi-
The Greek word stem for worthy, fitting, or of corresponding value.
The word translated “worthy” carries the sense of what fits or corresponds in value. It gives the verse a measure: the issue is not whether family is loved, but what receives first place.
ALSO GROWS
axia: Worth; value.
ἀξία
This related noun makes the measure of value within “worthy” more visible.
axioō: To consider worthy; to deem deserving.
ἀξιόω
This verb shares the same stem and shows how the word family expresses an act of assigning worth.
THE PATTERN
What a person ranks first sets the measure for every other bond.
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.THE THREAD
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.The Greek verb is phileō in both places: Matthew uses it for love of family, while Jesus uses it to ask Peter, “Lovest thou me?” The shared root turns the comparison inward: the same word names both bonds, while Matthew asks which one is ranked first.
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