What Does the Great Commission Actually Say? A Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew Study of Matthew 28:18–20
What Does the Great Commission Actually Say?
A Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew Study of Matthew 28:18–20
Previously, we the discussed the ten commandment (The Heart of the Ten Commandments: Bearing the Name of the LORD)and the third commendment(Is the Third Commandment Really Only About “Taking God’s Name in Vain”?), now let's discuss the great commission.
The final three verses of Matthew are commonly called “the Great Commission.”
The familiar English translation reads approximately:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
This passage is commonly summarized as a command to evangelize. Yet the original-language texts present a much richer picture. They speak of:
The authority entrusted to the Messiah
The turning of the nations toward Israel’s God
The formation of disciples
Immersion and identification with the Name
Learning and observing the Messiah’s commandments
The continuing presence of Yeshua
The consummation of the present age
Traditional translations such as “baptizing them in the name” may also obscure an important feature of the Greek expression:
εἰς τὸ ὄνομα
eis to onoma
Its most literal sense is:
“into the Name”
or “unto the Name.”
This suggests more than merely pronouncing a formula over someone. It points toward entrance into a new allegiance, identity, and covenantal belonging.
This study will compare three texts:
The Greek critical text
The Syriac Peshitta
Franz Delitzsch’s Hebrew New Testament
One qualification is essential: Delitzsch’s Hebrew New Testament is a nineteenth-century translation from Greek, not an independently preserved first-century Hebrew manuscript of Matthew. It is valuable for understanding how the passage may be expressed in biblical Hebrew, but it is not an independent ancient witness to the original wording.
1. Matthew 28:18: Authority in Heaven and on Earth
The Great Commission does not actually begin with “Go.”
It begins with a declaration:
All authority has been given to Yeshua.
Without this declaration, the commission that follows has no foundation.
The Greek Text
καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
| Greek | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and |
| προσελθὼν | proselthōn | having approached |
| ὁ | ho | the |
| Ἰησοῦς | Iēsous | Jesus, Yeshua |
| ἐλάλησεν | elalēsen | spoke |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | to them |
| λέγων | legōn | saying |
| Ἐδόθη | edothē | was given |
| μοι | moi | to me |
| πᾶσα | pasa | all, every |
| ἐξουσία | exousia | authority, jurisdiction |
| ἐν | en | in |
| οὐρανῷ | ouranō | heaven |
| καὶ | kai | and |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon, over |
| τῆς | tēs | the |
| γῆς | gēs | earth |
A close translation would be:
Yeshua approached and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and upon the earth has been given to me.”
Authority, Not Merely Power
The key word is:
ἐξουσία
exousia
Greek can use another word for power or ability:
δύναμις
dynamis
But exousia more specifically concerns:
Authority
Jurisdiction
The right to govern
Legitimately entrusted power
Yeshua is not merely claiming supernatural ability. He is declaring that the authority to govern has been entrusted to him.
The verb:
Ἐδόθη
edothē
is passive:
“was given.”
The giver is not explicitly named, but the context naturally points to God. This is often described as a divine passive: God is understood as the one who grants the authority.
2. The Peshitta: “As My Father Sent Me, I Send You”
The Syriac Peshitta reads:
ܘܰܩܪܶܒ݂ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܡܰܠܶܠ ܥܰܡܗܽܘܢ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܐܶܬ݂ܺܝܗܶܒ݂ ܠܺܝ ܟ݁ܽܠ ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢ ܒ݁ܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܘܒ݂ܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܘܰܐܝܟ݁ܰܢܳܐ ܕ݁ܫܰܕ݁ܪܰܢܝ ܐܳܒ݂ܝ ܡܫܰܕ݁ܰܪ ܐ݈ܢܳܐ ܠܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܀
| Syriac | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ܘܰܩܪܶܒ݂ | wa-qreb | and he approached |
| ܝܶܫܽܘܥ | Yešūʿ | Yeshua |
| ܡܰܠܶܠ | mallel | spoke |
| ܥܰܡܗܽܘܢ | ʿamhōn | with them |
| ܘܶܐܡܰܪ | we-ʾemar | and said |
| ܠܗܽܘܢ | lehōn | to them |
| ܐܶܬ݂ܺܝܗܶܒ݂ | ʾettīheb | was given |
| ܠܺܝ | lī | to me |
| ܟ݁ܽܠ | kul | all |
| ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢ | šulṭān | authority, dominion |
| ܒ݁ܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ | ba-šmayyā | in heaven |
| ܘܒ݂ܰܐܪܥܳܐ | u-ba-ʾarʿā | and on earth |
| ܘܰܐܝܟ݁ܰܢܳܐ | wa-ʾaykannā | and just as |
| ܕ݁ܫܰܕ݁ܪܰܢܝ | d-šaddranī | he sent me |
| ܐܳܒ݂ܝ | ʾābī | my Father |
| ܡܫܰܕ݁ܰܪ | mšaddar | I send |
| ܐ݈ܢܳܐ | ʾnā | I |
| ܠܟ݂ܽܘܢ | lḵōn | you |
A close translation is:
Yeshua approached and spoke with them, saying to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Just as my Father sent me, I also send you.”
An Important Textual Difference
The Peshitta includes an additional sentence:
ܘܰܐܝܟ݁ܰܢܳܐ ܕ݁ܫܰܕ݁ܪܰܢܝ ܐܳܒ݂ܝ ܡܫܰܕ݁ܰܪ ܐ݈ܢܳܐ ܠܟ݂ܽܘܢ
“Just as my Father sent me, I also send you.”
This resembles John 20:21:
“As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
The sentence is not present in the Greek critical text used here, nor in Delitzsch’s Hebrew translation. It should therefore be identified as a longer reading preserved in the Peshitta rather than silently inserted into the Greek text.
Nevertheless, it makes the Peshitta’s theology of mission particularly clear:
The Father sends the Son, and the Son sends the disciples.
3. The Hebrew Translation and Daniel 7
Delitzsch renders Matthew 28:18:
וַיִּגַּשׁ יֵשׁוּעַ וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר נִתַּן־לִי כָּל־שָׁלְטָן בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ׃
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּגַּשׁ | vayyiggaš | he approached |
| יֵשׁוּעַ | Yēšūaʿ | Yeshua |
| וַיְדַבֵּר | vayedabbēr | he spoke |
| אֲלֵיהֶם | ʾălêhem | to them |
| לֵאמֹר | lēʾmōr | saying |
| נִתַּן | nittan | was given |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| שָׁלְטָן | šolṭān | authority, dominion |
| בַּשָּׁמַיִם | baššāmayim | in heaven |
| וּבָאָרֶץ | ūḇāʾāreṣ | and on earth |
A close translation is:
Yeshua approached and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
The Hebrew word:
שָׁלְטָן
šolṭān
and the Syriac:
ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢ
šulṭān
belong to the same Semitic word family.
Most significantly, this is also the language of Daniel 7:14:
וְלֵהּ יְהִב שָׁלְטָן
“And dominion was given to him.”
Daniel continues:
וְכֹל עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַּיָּא וְלִשָּׁנַיָּא לֵהּ יִפְלְחוּן
“And all peoples, nations, and languages shall serve him.”
The relationship between Daniel 7 and Matthew 28 is striking:
| Daniel 7:14 | Matthew 28:18–20 |
|---|---|
| Dominion is given to him | All authority is given to me |
| All peoples, nations, and languages | Make disciples of all nations |
| His dominion will not pass away | I am with you until the consummation of the age |
Jewish interpreters have understood Daniel’s “one like a son of man” in corporate, messianic, and other ways, especially in relation to the “holy ones of the Most High” later in the chapter. Matthew presents Yeshua as embodying and receiving this kingdom authority.
The Great Commission therefore does not emerge from a context detached from Israel’s Scriptures. It stands within Daniel’s vision of God’s kingdom reaching the nations.
4. Matthew 28:19: The Central Command Is “Make Disciples”
When readers hear “the Great Commission,” they often think first of the command to go.
Yet the central imperative in the Greek sentence is:
μαθητεύσατε
mathēteusate
It means:
“Make disciples.”
The Greek Text
πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος,
| Greek | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| πορευθέντες | poreuthentes | having gone, go |
| οὖν | oun | therefore |
| μαθητεύσατε | mathēteusate | make disciples |
| πάντα | panta | all |
| τὰ | ta | the |
| ἔθνη | ethnē | nations, peoples |
| βαπτίζοντες | baptizontes | immersing, baptizing |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them |
| εἰς | eis | into, unto |
| τὸ | to | the |
| ὄνομα | onoma | name |
| τοῦ | tou | of the |
| πατρὸς | patros | Father |
| καὶ | kai | and |
| τοῦ | tou | of the |
| υἱοῦ | huiou | Son |
| καὶ | kai | and |
| τοῦ | tou | of the |
| ἁγίου | hagiou | holy |
| πνεύματος | pneumatos | Spirit |
A close translation would be:
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
An even more structurally literal version would be:
Therefore, having gone, disciple all the nations—immersing them into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
What Does It Mean to Make Disciples?
The verb:
μαθητεύω
mathēteuō
means to make someone a learner or disciple.
The related noun is:
μαθητής
mathētēs
meaning:
Student
Learner
Follower
Disciple
The corresponding Hebrew concept is:
תַּלְמִיד
talmīd
and in the plural:
תַּלְמִידִים
talmīdīm
Within a Jewish setting, discipleship meant more than agreeing with a teacher’s ideas. A disciple followed a teacher, learned the teacher’s interpretation, and gradually embodied that teaching in daily life.
To make disciples is therefore not merely to produce a momentary religious decision. Nor is it simply to recruit people into an organization.
It means helping people enter a continuing life of:
Learning
Following
Practicing
Obeying
Becoming shaped by the teacher
This is why verse 20 immediately adds:
“Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”
If proclamation is not followed by learning and practice, the full meaning of discipleship has not yet been realized.
5. “All Nations” and Covenant Continuity
The Greek expression is:
πάντα τὰ ἔθνη
panta ta ethnē
It may be translated:
All nations
All peoples
All the Gentile nations
The noun:
ἔθνη
ethnē
frequently corresponds to the Hebrew:
גּוֹיִם
gōyim
meaning the nations other than Israel.
Yet the mission to the nations does not imply that Israel has been rejected or replaced.
Within the larger biblical narrative, the blessing of the nations was already part of the Abrahamic covenant:
“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The mission to the nations is therefore not:
The nations replacing Israel.
It is:
The promise given through Abraham and Israel reaching the nations through Israel’s Messiah.
Isaiah 60 expresses this hope:
וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם לְאוֹרֵךְ
“Nations shall walk by your light.”
The nations do not erase Zion. They are drawn to the light God causes to shine through Zion.
Matthew’s commission should therefore be read within covenant continuity:
Israel’s Messiah sends Israelite disciples to carry the knowledge of Israel’s God among the nations.
6. The Grammar of the Commission
Four verbal actions appear in Matthew 28:19–20:
| Greek | Meaning | Grammatical form |
|---|---|---|
| πορευθέντες | going | participle |
| μαθητεύσατε | make disciples | imperative |
| βαπτίζοντες | immersing | participle |
| διδάσκοντες | teaching | participle |
The controlling imperative is:
μαθητεύσατε
“Make disciples.”
This does not make “go” unimportant. The participle poreuthentes can function with imperatival force as an attendant circumstance. “Go and make disciples” is therefore a legitimate translation.
Nevertheless, the grammatical center remains:
Make disciples.
The surrounding actions explain how that commission unfolds:
Go among the nations.
Immerse people into the Name.
Teach them to observe Yeshua’s commandments.
The goal is not simply to produce converts. It is to cultivate disciples.
7. “Baptizing in the Name” or “Immersing into the Name”?
One of the most easily overlooked expressions in this passage is:
εἰς τὸ ὄνομα
eis to onoma
Most English translations render it:
“in the name.”
But the Greek does not use:
ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι
en tō onomati
which would more directly mean:
“in the name.”
Instead, it uses the preposition:
εἰς
eis
which often expresses movement:
Into
Unto
Toward
Therefore:
βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα
can be rendered quite literally:
“immersing them into the Name.”
This does not mean physically entering a word or spoken sound. In religious and covenantal language, the expression concerns allegiance, identity, and belonging.
A person immersed “into the Name” is being marked as belonging under the identity and authority represented by that Name.
8. “Name” in the Biblical World
The Hebrew word:
שֵׁם
šēm
means “name,” but in Scripture a name represents much more than pronunciation. It may include:
Identity
Character
Authority
Reputation
Representation
Presence
Belonging
Numbers 6:27 says:
וְשָׂמוּ אֶת־שְׁמִי עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
“They shall place my Name upon the children of Israel.”
The priests were not merely placing a sound upon Israel. God’s Name marked Israel as the people who belonged to him and represented him.
Deuteronomy 28:10 similarly says:
כִּי שֵׁם יְהוָה נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ
“The Name of YHWH is called upon you.”
This also illuminates the third commandment. If the command traditionally translated “You shall not take the Name of YHWH in vain” concerns bearing or carrying the Name, then immersion into the Name marks the beginning of a life that carries that Name publicly.
The issue is not merely whether the correct words were spoken during immersion.
The deeper question is:
Will the immersed person faithfully bear the identity and reputation of the God whose Name has been placed upon that life?
9. One Name
The Greek says:
τὸ ὄνομα
to onoma
The word “Name” is singular.
It does not say:
“into the names.”
Instead, three genitive expressions modify the one Name:
τοῦ πατρὸς
“of the Father”
καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ
“and of the Son”
καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
“and of the Holy Spirit”
The grammatical structure is therefore:
Into the one Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This singular form is significant, but it should not be made to answer every later systematic theological question by itself. Nor does it necessarily prescribe one particular phonetic name that must be pronounced during immersion.
The grammar primarily emphasizes a unified sphere of allegiance and belonging.
10. The Peshitta’s Version of the Commission
The Peshitta reads:
ܙܶܠܘ ܗܳܟ݂ܺܝܠ ܬ݁ܰܠܡܶܕ݂ܘ ܟ݁ܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܥܰܡ݈ܡܶܐ ܘܰܐܥܡܶܕ݂ܘ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܒ݁ܫܶܡ ܐܰܒ݂ܳܐ ܘܰܒ݂ܪܳܐ ܘܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕ݁ܩܽܘܕ݂ܫܳܐ ܀
| Syriac | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ܙܶܠܘ | zelū | go |
| ܗܳܟ݂ܺܝܠ | hāḵīl | therefore |
| ܬ݁ܰܠܡܶܕ݂ܘ | talmeḏū | make disciples |
| ܟ݁ܽܠܗܽܘܢ | kullhōn | all |
| ܥܰܡ݈ܡܶܐ | ʿammē | peoples, nations |
| ܘܰܐܥܡܶܕ݂ܘ | wa-ʾaʿmeḏū | and baptize, immerse |
| ܐܶܢܽܘܢ | ʾennūn | them |
| ܒ݁ܫܶܡ | b-šem | in the name |
| ܐܰܒ݂ܳܐ | ʾabbā | the Father |
| ܘܰܒ݂ܪܳܐ | wa-ḇrā | and the Son |
| ܘܪܽܘܚܳܐ | w-rūḥā | and the Spirit |
| ܕ݁ܩܽܘܕ݂ܫܳܐ | d-qūḏšā | of holiness |
A close translation is:
Therefore, go, make disciples of all the nations, and immerse them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit of Holiness.
Explicit Commands in the Peshitta
The Peshitta expresses each action as a direct command:
ܙܶܠܘ
“Go.”
ܬ݁ܰܠܡܶܕ݂ܘ
“Make disciples.”
ܘܰܐܥܡܶܕ݂ܘ
“Immerse.”
Verse 20 adds:
ܘܰܐܠܶܦ݂ܘ
“Teach.”
The Syriac translation therefore makes the instructions especially direct:
Go.
Disciple.
Immerse.
Teach.
It does not preserve the same hierarchy between the Greek imperative and participles, but it communicates the practical force of the commission.
“The Spirit of Holiness”
The Peshitta says:
ܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕ݁ܩܽܘܕ݂ܫܳܐ
rūḥā d-qūḏšā
Literally:
“the Spirit of Holiness.”
This closely resembles the Hebrew:
רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ
rūaḥ haqqōdeš
The expression reminds us that “Holy Spirit” is not a term detached from Israel’s Scriptures. It belongs to the biblical language of God’s Spirit, holiness, presence, and transforming activity.
11. Delitzsch’s Hebrew Rendering
Delitzsch translates Matthew 28:19:
וְאַתֶּם לְכוּ אֶל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וַעֲשׂוּ תַלְמִידִים וּטְבַלְתֶּם אֹתָם לְשֵׁם־הָאָב וְהַבֵּן וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ׃
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וְאַתֶּם | wə-ʾattem | and you |
| לְכוּ | ləḵū | go |
| אֶל | ʾel | to, toward |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| הַגּוֹיִם | haggōyim | the nations |
| וַעֲשׂוּ | wa-ʿăśū | and make |
| תַלְמִידִים | talmīdīm | disciples |
| וּטְבַלְתֶּם | ū-ṭəḇaltem | and immerse |
| אֹתָם | ʾōṯām | them |
| לְשֵׁם | lə-šēm | unto the name |
| הָאָב | hā-ʾāḇ | the Father |
| וְהַבֵּן | wə-habbēn | and the Son |
| וְרוּחַ | wə-rūaḥ | and the Spirit |
| הַקֹּדֶשׁ | haqqōḏeš | of holiness |
A close translation is:
You are to go to all the nations, make disciples, and immerse them unto the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit of Holiness.
A Translation Adjustment
The Greek says:
μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη
“Make disciples of all the nations.”
Delitzsch rearranges the sentence:
לְכוּ אֶל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם
“Go to all the nations.”
Then:
וַעֲשׂוּ תַלְמִידִים
“Make disciples.”
This is a natural Hebrew rendering, but it slightly changes the direct grammatical relationship between “make disciples” and “all nations.”
Disciple: תַּלְמִיד
The Hebrew:
תַּלְמִיד
talmīd
comes from the root:
למד
l-m-d
which concerns:
Learning
Teaching
Training
A disciple is therefore, by definition, a learner.
Discipleship cannot be reduced to a one-time decision because the word itself assumes an ongoing process of learning.
Immersion: טבל
The Hebrew verb:
טבל
ṭaval
means:
To dip
To immerse
To submerge
This language naturally recalls Jewish practices of immersion and purification. Yet first-century messianic immersion should not be mechanically equated with every later form of mikveh practice.
A more responsible conclusion is:
The immersion of Yeshua’s disciples arose within a Jewish world already familiar with immersion, purification, repentance, renewal, and communal identity.
12. Matthew 28:20: Teaching Them to Observe
The Great Commission does not end with immersion.
Immersion is followed by teaching:
“Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”
The Greek Text
διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος.
| Greek | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| διδάσκοντες | didaskontes | teaching |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them |
| τηρεῖν | tērein | to keep, observe |
| πάντα | panta | all |
| ὅσα | hosa | whatever, all that |
| ἐνετειλάμην | eneteilamēn | I commanded |
| ὑμῖν | hymin | you |
| καὶ | kai | and |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold |
| ἐγὼ | egō | I |
| μεθ’ | meth’ | with |
| ὑμῶν | hymōn | you |
| εἰμι | eimi | am |
| πάσας | pasas | all |
| τὰς | tas | the |
| ἡμέρας | hēmeras | days |
| ἕως | heōs | until |
| τῆς | tēs | the |
| συντελείας | synteleias | consummation, completion |
| τοῦ | tou | of the |
| αἰῶνος | aiōnos | age |
A close translation is:
Teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you throughout all the days, until the consummation of the age.
Observing Is More Than Remembering
The key verb is:
τηρεῖν
tērein
Its semantic range includes:
To keep
To guard
To preserve
To observe
To obey faithfully
Yeshua does not say merely:
“Teach them to know what I taught.”
He says:
“Teach them to keep what I commanded.”
This recalls the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. The wise builder is the one who both hears Yeshua’s words and does them.
The mark of discipleship is therefore not merely how much a person knows, but whether the teaching is being embodied.
13. The Peshitta: Guarding What Was Commanded
The Syriac text reads:
ܘܰܐܠܶܦ݂ܘ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܕ݁ܢܶܛܪܽܘܢ ܟ݁ܽܠ ܡܳܐ ܕ݁ܦ݂ܰܩܶܕ݁ܬ݁ܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܘܗܳܐ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܥܰܡܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܐ݈ܢܳܐ ܟ݁ܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܝܰܘܡܳܬ݂ܳܐ ܥܕ݂ܰܡܳܐ ܠܫܽܘܠܳܡܶܗ ܕ݁ܥܳܠܡܳܐ ܐܰܡܺܝܢ ܀
| Syriac | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ܘܰܐܠܶܦ݂ܘ | wa-ʾallepū | and teach |
| ܐܶܢܽܘܢ | ʾennūn | them |
| ܕ݁ܢܶܛܪܽܘܢ | d-neṭrūn | that they may keep |
| ܟ݁ܽܠ | kul | all |
| ܡܳܐ | mā | whatever |
| ܕ݁ܦ݂ܰܩܶܕ݁ܬ݁ܟ݂ܽܘܢ | d-paqqeḏtḵōn | I commanded you |
| ܘܗܳܐ | w-hā | and behold |
| ܐܶܢܳܐ | ʾenā | I |
| ܥܰܡܟ݂ܽܘܢ | ʿamḵōn | with you |
| ܐ݈ܢܳܐ | ʾnā | am |
| ܟ݁ܽܠܗܽܘܢ | kullhōn | all |
| ܝܰܘܡܳܬ݂ܳܐ | yawmāṯā | days |
| ܥܕ݂ܰܡܳܐ | ʿḏammā | until |
| ܠܫܽܘܠܳܡܶܗ | l-šūlāmēh | its completion |
| ܕ݁ܥܳܠܡܳܐ | d-ʿālmā | of the age |
| ܐܰܡܺܝܢ | ʾamīn | amen |
A close translation is:
Teach them to keep everything that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you throughout all the days, until the consummation of the age. Amen.
Guarding: ܢܛܪ
The Syriac verb:
ܢܛܪ
n-ṭ-r
means:
To guard
To preserve
To watch over
To observe
It portrays the commandments as something valuable entrusted to the disciples’ care.
They are not merely to remember Yeshua’s teaching. They are to guard it by living it.
Completion: ܫܠܡ
The Syriac noun:
ܫܽܘܠܳܡ
šūlām
comes from the root:
ܫܠܡ
š-l-m
It is related to the concepts of:
Completion
Fulfillment
Wholeness
Consummation
Thus:
ܠܫܽܘܠܳܡܶܗ ܕ݁ܥܳܠܡܳܐ
does not necessarily mean the destruction of the physical world.
It may be understood more precisely as:
“until the present age reaches its consummation.”
The Peshitta ends with:
ܐܰܡܺܝܢ
“Amen.”
The Greek critical text used here does not include a final Amen, though some later Greek textual traditions do.
14. Covenant Language in the Hebrew Translation
Delitzsch renders Matthew 28:20:
וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי אִתְּכֶם כָּל־הַיָּמִים עַד־קֵץ הָעוֹלָם אָמֵן׃
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וְלִמַּדְתֶּם | wə-limmadtem | and you shall teach |
| אֹתָם | ʾōṯām | them |
| לִשְׁמֹר | lišmōr | to keep, observe |
| אֶת | ʾet | object marker |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăšer | that which |
| צִוִּיתִי | ṣiwwītī | I commanded |
| אֶתְכֶם | ʾeṯḵem | you |
| וְהִנֵּה | wə-hinnēh | and behold |
| אָנֹכִי | ʾānōḵī | I |
| אִתְּכֶם | ʾittəḵem | with you |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| הַיָּמִים | hayyāmīm | the days |
| עַד | ʿad | until |
| קֵץ | qēṣ | end, endpoint |
| הָעוֹלָם | hāʿōlām | the age, world |
| אָמֵן | ʾāmēn | amen |
A close translation is:
Teach them to observe everything that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you throughout all the days, until the end of the age. Amen.
The key Hebrew expression is:
לִשְׁמֹר
lišmōr
from the root:
שׁמר
š-m-r
meaning:
To guard
To keep
To observe faithfully
This is classic covenant language.
Deuteronomy 5:1 says:
וּלְמַדְתֶּם אֹתָם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשֹׂתָם
“You shall learn them, and you shall keep them to do them.”
The conceptual pattern is:
Learn → Guard → Practice
Delitzsch’s Hebrew rendering of Matthew 28:20 produces the same pattern:
Teach → Observe → Live
This does not mean Matthew 28:20 by itself defines every detail of how Israel’s covenant responsibilities apply to Gentile disciples. Acts 15 shows that the status and obligations of Gentiles required careful discernment; Gentiles were not required to become Jews before joining the messianic community.
Nevertheless, Yeshua’s commission clearly does not define discipleship as a life detached from commandments, obedience, or Israel’s Scriptures.
The language remains deeply covenantal.
15. “I Am with You”: The Final Echo of Emmanuel
At the beginning of Matthew, Yeshua is identified as:
Ἐμμανουήλ
Emmanouēl
Matthew explains the name as:
Μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός
“God with us.”
The underlying Hebrew is:
עִמָּנוּ אֵל
ʿimmānū ʾēl
At the end of Matthew, Yeshua says:
ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι
“I am with you.”
This language forms a literary frame around the Gospel:
| Beginning of Matthew | End of Matthew |
|---|---|
| Emmanuel—God with us | I am with you |
| The promised child | The risen and authorized Messiah |
| God’s presence entering the story | God’s presence accompanying the mission |
Yeshua does not say that he will be with the disciples only during extraordinary moments.
The Greek says:
πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας
Literally:
“all the days.”
The Hebrew similarly says:
כָּל־הַיָּמִים
kol hayyāmīm
And the Peshitta:
ܟ݁ܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܝܰܘܡܳܬ݂ܳܐ
kullhōn yawmāṯā
All three express continuing presence:
Every day
Throughout all the days
Through the whole course of the mission
The commission depends not merely on the disciples’ determination, but on the continuing presence of the one to whom all authority has been given.
16. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: A Textual Note
It is sometimes claimed that the words “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” must have been added much later.
This question requires several issues to be distinguished:
What the surviving manuscripts contain
How early communities practiced immersion
How early writers cited or paraphrased the passage
How later systematic theology developed
These are related but not identical questions.
The three texts examined here all contain the threefold expression:
| Text | Wording |
|---|---|
| Greek | τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος |
| Peshitta | ܐܰܒ݂ܳܐ ܘܰܒ݂ܪܳܐ ܘܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕ݁ܩܽܘܕ݂ܫܳܐ |
| Delitzsch Hebrew | הָאָב וְהַבֵּן וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ |
Delitzsch’s Hebrew is a modern translation and therefore not independent ancient evidence. The Greek and Syriac traditions, however, do preserve the wording.
The fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus also contains the threefold expression in Matthew 28:19. View Matthew 28 in Codex Sinaiticus
The Didache 7:1 likewise reads:
βαπτίσατε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
“Immerse into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
The dating and compositional history of the Didache remain debated, but it nevertheless demonstrates that this language belonged to an early stream of Christian immersion practice. Read the Greek text of the Didache
Acknowledging this textual evidence does not mean that every later formulation of Trinitarian doctrine was already fully articulated in Matthew 28:19.
It is historically responsible to affirm both that:
The threefold language is present in the textual tradition.
And that:
Later systematic formulations developed through centuries of theological debate.
These two observations do not contradict each other.
17. Key Terms in the Three Languages
| Concept | Greek | Peshitta | Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authority | ἐξουσία | ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢ | שָׁלְטָן | authority, dominion |
| Nations | τὰ ἔθνη | ܥܰܡ݈ܡܶܐ | הַגּוֹיִם | nations, peoples |
| Make disciples | μαθητεύσατε | ܬ݁ܰܠܡܶܕ݂ܘ | וַעֲשׂוּ תַלְמִידִים | form disciples |
| Immerse | βαπτίζοντες | ܘܰܐܥܡܶܕ݂ܘ | וּטְבַלְתֶּם | immerse, baptize |
| Name | ὄνομα | ܫܶܡ | שֵׁם | name, identity, belonging |
| Father | πατρός | ܐܰܒ݂ܳܐ | הָאָב | Father |
| Son | υἱοῦ | ܒ݂ܪܳܐ | הַבֵּן | Son |
| Holy Spirit | ἁγίου πνεύματος | ܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕ݁ܩܽܘܕ݂ܫܳܐ | רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ | Spirit of Holiness |
| Teach | διδάσκοντες | ܘܰܐܠܶܦ݂ܘ | וְלִמַּדְתֶּם | teach, train |
| Observe | τηρεῖν | ܕ݁ܢܶܛܪܽܘܢ | לִשְׁמֹר | guard, keep, obey |
| With you | μεθ’ ὑμῶν | ܥܰܡܟ݂ܽܘܢ | אִתְּכֶם | with you |
| Consummation | συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος | ܫܽܘܠܳܡܶܗ ܕ݁ܥܳܠܡܳܐ | קֵץ הָעוֹלָם | completion of the age |
18. The Four “Alls” of the Great Commission
Matthew 28:18–20 contains a striking fourfold pattern.
All Authority
πᾶσα ἐξουσία
“All authority.”
The foundation of the mission is the authority entrusted to Yeshua.
All Nations
πάντα τὰ ἔθνη
“All nations.”
The scope of the mission is the nations whom God promised to bless through Abraham.
Everything Commanded
πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην
“Everything that I commanded.”
The content of discipleship is faithful learning and practice.
All the Days
πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας
“All the days.”
The promise of the mission is Yeshua’s continuing presence.
The entire passage can therefore be summarized:
All authority.
All nations.
Everything commanded.
All the days.
Or, expressed theologically:
Complete authority.
Universal scope.
Comprehensive teaching.
Continual presence.
Conclusion: Entering a New Allegiance and Way of Life
If Matthew 28:18–20 is reduced to:
“Go and recruit more people into a religion,”
then much of its depth is lost.
The Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew texts portray something much richer:
The authority granted by God to the Messiah opens a path of discipleship for the nations.
That path includes:
Entering the allegiance represented by God’s Name
Learning the teaching of Yeshua
Guarding and practicing what he commanded
Living in his continuing presence
Looking toward the consummation of the present age
“Immersion into the Name” is therefore more than a ritual action.
It marks:
A new belonging.
“Teaching them to observe” is more than transferring information.
It establishes:
A new way of life.
“I am with you all the days” is more than a comforting closing sentence.
It is:
The foundation that makes the mission possible.
The Great Commission is not a new plan disconnected from Israel’s Scriptures. It continues:
The Abrahamic promise of blessing to the nations
Daniel’s vision of kingdom authority
The Torah’s covenantal pattern of learning and doing
The biblical promise of God’s presence with his people
The commission may therefore be summarized this way:
The Great Commission does not call the nations to erase every history and identity. It calls them, through Israel’s Messiah, to enter the allegiance of God’s Name, learn the Messiah’s teaching, embody it faithfully, and walk in his presence toward the future God has promised.
Notes;
the ten commandment (The Heart of the Ten Commandments: Bearing the Name of the LORD)
the third commendment(Is the Third Commandment Really Only About “Taking God’s Name in Vain”?),
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