Chapter
Verse

Matthew 9:10

ESV And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
NIV While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
NASB Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples.
CSB While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.
NLT Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.
KJV And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
NKJV Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

What does Matthew 9:10 mean?

For the first time in this writing, Matthew has introduced himself (Matthew 9:9). He described the moment when Jesus said to him, "Follow me" while Matthew was sitting at his tax collector's booth. Jewish tax collectors were among the most despised people in Israel. They collected taxes for the oppressive, Gentile, occupying Romans and often took money for themselves while they were doing it. Such men were thought of as immoral traitors by the Jewish people.

After being officially added to Jesus' group of disciples, Matthew hosted Jesus and the disciples for dinner at his house, along with his other friends. Describing the same event, both Mark (Mark 2:15–17) and Luke (Luke 5:29–32) make clear this was Matthew's house. They also describe Matthew's friends as being tax collectors and "sinners." All were reclining together with Jesus and the other disciples around Matthew's table.

"Sinners," as used in this context, is a broad term describing people who broke the moral codes of Jewish society. This would have included tax collectors, harlots, and others. The Pharisees will show in the following verse that they did not approve of Jesus' dining companions.
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