Matthew 8:22 is the 22nd verse in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Content In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort this verse is: In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: The New International Version translates the passage as: Analysis Lapide says concerning this verse that "Christ does not intend to condemn the burial of the dead," because this was widely considered an important work of mercy in Jewish Israel (see book of Tobit). Instead, he sought to teach that when God summons or commands someone, his summons should be immediately obeyed, above human summons or commands. This same issue comes up in Acts 6, when the disciples appoint deacons to deal with acts of mercy such as feeding widows. The same message is also heard in 2 Timothy 2, where Paul writes, "No man, being a soldier to God, entangles himself with worldly business" (cf. 2 Timothy 2:4,9). The dead here referred to by Jesus are thought to be those that are 'spiritually' dead, rather than physically dead. Commentary from the Church Fathers Augustine: "The Lord when He prepares men for the Gospel will not have any excuse of this fleshly and temporal attachment to interfere, therefore it follows; Jesus said unto him, Follow me, and, leave the dead to bury their dead." Chrysostom: "This saying does not condemn natural affection to our parents, but shows that nothing ought to be more binding on us than the business of heaven; that to this we ought to apply ourselves with all our endeavours, and not to be slack, however necessary or urgent are the things that draw us aside. For what could be more necessary than to bury a father? What more easy? For it could not need much time. But in this the Lord rescued him from much evil, weeping, and mourning, and from the pains of expectation. For after the funeral there must come examination of the will, division of the inheritance, and other things of the same sort; and thus trouble following trouble, like the waves, would have borne him far from the port of truth. But if you are not yet satisfied, reflect further that oftentimes the weak are not permitted to know the time, or to follow to the grave; even though the dead be father, mother, or son; yet are