Matthew 8:19

19 And a scribe came up and said to him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou mayest go.

Matthew 8:19 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 8:19

And a certain Scribe came
"As they went in the way", ( Luke 9:57 ) to go to the sea side, in order to take shipping, and pass to the other shore;

and said unto him, Master, or Rabbi, I will follow thee
whithersoever thou goest.
One would have thought, that this man desired in good earnest to be a disciple of Christ, were it not for Christ's answer to him, who knew his heart: from whence it appears, that he, seeing the miracles which Christ wrought, and observing the fame of him among the people, began to think that he would be generally received as the Messiah; and by joining himself to him, promised himself much ease, honour, and wealth. These seem to be the motives, which prevailed upon him to take so sudden and hasty a step; for he did not wait to be called to follow Christ, as the other disciples were, but offers himself to be one; that is, to be one of his intimates, one of his apostles; and besides, he rashly promises to do that, which he knew nothing of, and which in some cases is impossible to be done.

Matthew 8:19 In-Context

17 so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.

18 And Jesus, seeing great crowds around him, commanded to depart to the other side.

19 And a scribe came up and said to him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou mayest go.

20 And Jesus says to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven roosting-places; but the Son of man has not where he may lay his head.

21 But another of his disciples said to him, Lord, suffer me first to go away and bury my father.