Matthew 11:28
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Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest--Incomparable, ravishing sounds these--if ever such were heard in this weary, groaning world! What gentleness, what sweetness is there in the very style of the invitation--"Hither to Me"; and in the words, "All ye that toil and are burdened," the universal wretchedness of man is depicted, on both its sides--the active and the passive forms of it.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The constant and unwearied diligence of our Lord Jesus in his great work of preaching the gospel (Mat 11:1). II. His discourse with the disciples of John concerning his being the Messiah (Mat 11:2-6). III. The honourable testimony that Christ bore to John Baptist (Mat 11:7-15). IV. The sad account he gives of that generation in general, and of some particular places with reference to the success, both of John's ministry and of his own (v. 16-24). V. His thanksgiving to his Father for the wise and gracious method he had taken in revealing the great mysteries of the gospel (v. 25, 26). VI. His gracious call and invitation of poor sinners to come to him, and to be ruled, and taught, and saved by him (v. 27-30). No Where have we more of the terror of gospel woes for warning to us, or of the sweetness of gospel grace for encouragement to us, than in this chapter, which sets before us life and death, the blessing and the curse.
Open source ↗11:28 The heavy burdens were likely caused by the legal requirements of the teachers of religious law and Pharisees (see 23:4). • rest: Spiritual refreshment in either a present or a future sense (cp. 1:21; Heb 4:8-11).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
From the web
What trusted teachers and preachers say about this passage, from around the web.
spurgeon.org
Open source ↗ccel.org
Open source ↗thegospelcoalition.org
Open source ↗ccel.org
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Open source ↗desiringgod.org
Open source ↗thegospelcoalition.org
Open source ↗thegospelcoalition.org
Open source ↗spurgeon.org
Open source ↗ccel.org
Open source ↗spurgeon.org
Open source ↗spurgeon.org
Open source ↗ccel.org
Open source ↗ccel.org
Open source ↗spurgeon.org
Open source ↗ccel.org
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’
Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.