# Matthew 28:20 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_28:20 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_28:20.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_28%3A20 > Source revision: 1340138867 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Matthew 28:20** is the twentieth and final [verse](/source/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible) of [Matthew 28](/source/Matthew_28), the twenty-eighth and final chapter of the [Gospel of Matthew](/source/Gospel_of_Matthew) in the [New Testament](/source/New_Testament). This verse is part of the [Great Commission](/source/Great_Commission) narrative. ## Content The original [Koine Greek](/source/Koine_Greek), according to the [Textus Receptus](/source/Textus_Receptus) and [Byzantine/Majority Text](/source/Byzantine_text_type), reads as follows: - 20: διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδού, ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος Ἀμήν[1][a] In the [King James Version](/source/King_James_Version) of the Bible it is translated as: - 20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. The modern [World English Bible](/source/World_English_Bible) translates the passage as: - 20: teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.[b][c] ## Analysis The word "all" (Ancient Greek: πάντα; πάσας, ) are found multiple times in the verses 18–20, tying them together: *all* power/authority, *all* nations, *all* things ("that I have commanded you") and *all* the days ("always").[2] [Dale Allison](/source/Dale_Allison) notes a persistent correlation of the Great Commission narrative (verses 16–20) with Moses, starting with "the mountain", as 'Moses ended his earthly course on a mountain'; the commissioning of Joshua by God through Moses; and the close parallels in , ; and , which are 'all about God'.[3] In , Joshua was commanded to 'go' (cf. [Matthew 28:19](/source/Matthew_28:19)) and cross the [Jordan River](/source/Jordan_River), whereas in Joshua was to 'act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you', then in (the pericope's conclusion) God promises his presence: 'for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go'.[3] The undeniable strong presence of a Moses typology in the Gospel Matthew rises up suggestions that this passage, like the commissioning stories in and , 'deliberately borrows from the traditions about Moses'.[3] Just as Moses, at the end of his life on earth, commissioned Joshua to 'go into the land peopled by foreign nations' and 'to observe all the commandments in the law', then further promised 'God's abiding presence', so similarly is Jesus at the end of his earthly ministry commands his disciples 'to go into all nations' (the world) and 'to teach the observance of all the commandments' of the "new Moses", and then further promises 'his continual assisting presence'.[3] Matthew's narrative up to this point portrays Jesus as "teacher", but here the verb "teach" is linked to the disciples as the subject, but they are to teach "what Jesus has commanded" (Greek: '**), not their own ideas.[4] The "commandments" given by Jesus is to be the basis of living for the believers, in comparison to the "commandments" (cognate Greek noun: *entolē*) given by God through Moses (cf. [Matthew 5:19](/source/Matthew_5:19); ; ; ).[4]** "I am with you always" forms an *inclusio* with the Isaiah's prophecy quoted in [Matthew 1:23](/source/Matthew_1:23) that 'they shall name him "Emmanuel", which means, God is with us'[5] (cf. ,[6] but also contrast : "For you always have [the poor](/source/The_poor) with you, but you will not always have me"). The phrase "the end of the age" (or "the end of the world") recurs in ,; , and points to Jesus' teachings about the end of times.[6] ## Uses The [irmos](/source/Eirmos) of the ninth ode of the Paschal Canon[7] in the [Orthodox Church](/source/Eastern_Orthodox_Church), which is sung during [Pascha](/source/Easter) and subsequent [Matins](/source/Matins) services, references Matthew 28:20:[8] How noble, O how dear, How sweet is Thy voice, O Christ. **Thou hast promised to be with us** **To the end of all ages**. A promise to which we believers hold, A promise we hold as an anchor of hope, As we sing, rejoicing [*emphasis added*]. This [hymnological](/source/Hymn) stanza (entitled "Shine, shine", Greek: "Φωτίζου, φωτίζου") originated from the writings of [St. John Damascene](/source/John_of_Damascus).[9] ## Notes 1. [Westcott and Hort](/source/The_New_Testament_in_the_Original_Greek)/[NA27 and UBS4 variants] omits Ἀμήν.[1] 1. According to the [BibleGateway](/source/BibleGateway) website, the World English Bible is based on the [American Standard Version](/source/American_Standard_Version), first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is in draft form, and currently being edited for accuracy and readability.[10] 1. For a collection of other versions see [BibleHub: Matthew 28:20](http://biblehub.com/matthew/28-20.htm) ## References 1. [Greek Text Analysis: Matthew 28:20](https://biblehub.com/text/matthew/28-20.htm). Biblehub 1. Carson, D. A. (2017). *Matthew*. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. revised ed. Zondervan Academic. ISBN 9780310531982. 1. Allison 2007, p. 885. 1. France, R.T. (2007). [*The Gospel of Matthew*](https://books.google.com/books?id=0ruP6J_XPCEC). New international commentary on the New Testament. Bruce, Frederick Fyvie (ed.). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 1118. ISBN 9780802825018. 1. Coogan 2007, p. 55 New Testament. 1. Allison 2007, p. 886. 1. ["The Paschal Canon"](https://orthochristian.com/7406.html). *OrthoChristian.Com*. Retrieved 2022-05-16. 1. ["Orthros on Sunday, May 21, 2017"](http://ww1.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/liturgical_guides/may_21_2017_orthros_0.pdf). *Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese* 1. ["Hymns and Poetry of the Eastern Church page 115 | Hymnary.org"](https://hymnary.org/hymn/HPEC1908/page/115). *hymnary.org*. Retrieved 2022-05-16. 1. BibleGateway.com, [World English Bible: Version Information](https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/World-English-Bible-WEB/#vinfo), accessed on 14 October 2025 ## Sources - Allison, Dale C. Jr. (2007). ["57. Matthew"](https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ). *The Oxford Bible Commentary*. first (paperback) ed. Barton, John & Muddiman, John (eds.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019. - Coogan, Michael David (2007). [*The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48*](https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ). Augmented 3rd ed. Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matthew 28:20](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_28%3A20) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_28%3A20?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.