Matthew 10:28

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι: φοβηθήτε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ.

Transliteration

And mē phobēthēte from the ones apoktennontōn the sōma, the de psychēn mē dynamenōn apokteinai: phobēthēte de mallon the one dynamenon both psychēn and sōma apolesai in geennē.

Grammar Details

• *mē*: negative particle - not
• *phobēthēte*: aorist passive subjunctive, 2nd plural - fear/be afraid
• *apoktennontōn*: present active participle, genitive masculine plural - killing
• *sōma*: accusative neuter singular - body
• *de*: postpositive particle - but/and
• *psychēn*: accusative feminine singular - soul/life
• *dynamenōn*: present middle participle, genitive masculine plural - being able
• *apokteinai*: aorist active infinitive - to kill
• *mallon*: comparative adverb - rather/more
• *dynamenon*: present middle participle, accusative masculine singular - being able
• *apolesai*: aorist active infinitive - to destroy
• *geennē*: dative feminine singular - hell/Gehenna

Word Meanings

• *phobēthēte*: fear/be afraid of/be frightened by
• *apoktennontōn*: killing/slaying/murdering
• *sōma*: body/physical form
• *psychēn*: soul/life/inner self
• *dynamenōn*: being able/having power
• *apokteinai*: to kill/slay/put to death
• *mallon*: rather/more/instead
• *dynamenon*: being able/having power
• *apolesai*: to destroy/ruin/cause to perish
• *geennē*: hell/Gehenna/place of punishment

Referenced Verses

• Isa 8:12-13 : 12 “Do not say,‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified. 13 You must recognize the authority of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. He is the one you must respect; he is the one you must fear.
• Luke 12:4-5 : 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
• Isa 51:12 : 12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. Why are you afraid of mortal men, of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?
• 2 Thess 1:8-9 : 8 With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10 when he comes to be glorified among his saints and admired on that day among all who have believed– and you did in fact believe our testimony.
• Rom 8:35-39 : 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,“For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Heb 10:31 : 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
• Heb 12:28-29 : 28 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire.
• Jas 4:12 : 12 But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge– the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor?
• Rev 2:10 : 10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison so you may be tested, and you will experience suffering for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself.
• Luke 16:22-26 : 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So he called out,‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said,‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’
• Eccl 5:7 : 7 Just as there is futility in many dreams, so also in many words. Therefore, fear God!
• Jer 5:22 : 22 “You should fear me!” says the LORD.“You should tremble in awe before me! I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it can never cross. Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail. They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary.”
• Eccl 8:12-13 : 12 Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people– for they stand in fear before him. 13 But it will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.
• Isa 51:7 : 7 Listen to me, you who know what is right, you people who are aware of my law! Don’t be afraid of the insults of men; don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
• Isa 66:2 : 2 My hand made them; that is how they came to be,” says the LORD. I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say.
• Matt 25:46 : 46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
• 1 Pet 3:14 : 14 But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken.
• Heb 11:35 : 35 and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life.
• Ps 119:120 : 120 My body trembles because I fear you; I am afraid of your judgments.
• 2 Tim 4:6-8 : 6 For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart is at hand. 7 I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! 8 Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day– and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing.
• Rev 20:10-15 : 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever. 11 The Great White Throne Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened– the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death– the lake of fire. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.
• Mark 9:43-48 : 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.
• John 5:29 : 29 and will come out– the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation.
• Acts 20:23-24 : 23 except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. 24 But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself, so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.
• Acts 21:13 : 13 Then Paul replied,“What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
• Dan 3:10-18 : 10 You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. 11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon– Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego– and these men have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them,“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? 15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar,“We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. 17 If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 18 But if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
• Matt 5:22 : 22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell.
• Matt 10:26 : 26 Fear God, Not Man“Do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known.