Matthew 5:19 akjv — Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in…

American King James Version

"Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. "

— Matthew 5:19, American King James Version

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Matthew 5:19 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

  • ASV

    “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ”

  • WEB

    “Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

  • NET

    “So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

  • DRB

    “He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

  • BBE

    “Whoever then goes against the smallest of these laws, teaching men to do the same, will be named least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who keeps the laws, teaching others to keep them, will be named great in the kingdom of heaven.”

  • KJVA

    “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5 — Context

16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ¶

17

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

18

For truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one stroke or one pronunciation mark shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19

Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20

For I say to you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. ¶

21

You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22

But I say to you, That whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 5:19 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Matthew 5:19 say?
Matthew 5:19 in the American King James Version reads: “Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ”
Where is Matthew 5:19 in the Bible?
Matthew 5:19 is found in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 19.
Who wrote Matthew?
Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew (Levi), tax-collector turned apostle. It was written c. AD 50–70.
What is the book of Matthew about?
Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah — son of David, son of Abraham, fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Structured around five great teaching blocks including the Sermon on the Mount, it ends with the risen King commissioning his disciples to make disciples of all nations.
What are the major themes of Matthew?
Matthew explores themes including Kingdom of Heaven, Messiah, Fulfillment, Discipleship, Great Commission. These themes shape the meaning and context of Matthew 5:19.
What translation should I read Matthew 5:19 in?
Matthew 5:19 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Matthew 5:19?
Matthew 5:19 reads (AKJV): “Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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