Matthew 9:16
New International Version
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.

New Living Translation
“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

English Standard Version
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.

Berean Standard Bible
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.

Berean Literal Bible
But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on old clothing, for the filling up of it tears away from the garment, and a worse tear emerges.

King James Bible
No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

New King James Version
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

New American Standard Bible
But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

NASB 1995
“But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

NASB 1977
“But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

Legacy Standard Bible
But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

Amplified Bible
But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

Christian Standard Bible
No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse.

American Standard Version
And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made.

Contemporary English Version
No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and tear a bigger hole.

English Revised Version
And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. When the patch shrinks, it will rip away from the coat, and the tear will become worse.

Good News Translation
"No one patches up an old coat with a piece of new cloth, for the new patch will shrink and make an even bigger hole in the coat.

International Standard Version
"No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

Majority Standard Bible
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.

NET Bible
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.

New Heart English Bible
And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.

Webster's Bible Translation
No man putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment: for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

Weymouth New Testament
No one ever mends an old cloak with a patch of newly woven cloth. Otherwise, the patch put on would tear away some of the old, and a worse hole would be made.

World English Bible
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And no one puts a patch of undressed cloth on an old garment, for its filling up takes from the garment, and a worse split is made.

Berean Literal Bible
But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on old clothing, for the filling up of it tears away from the garment, and a worse tear emerges.

Young's Literal Translation
'And no one doth put a patch of undressed cloth on an old garment, for its filling up doth take from the garment, and a worse rent is made.

Smith's Literal Translation
And no one puts on a cover of uncombed fragment upon an old garment, for its filling takes away from the garment, and the division is Worse.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And nobody putteth a piece of raw cloth unto an old garment. For it taketh away the fullness thereof from the garment, and there is made a greater rent.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For no one would sew a patch of new cloth onto an old garment. For it pulls its fullness away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

New American Bible
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.

New Revised Standard Version
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
No man puts a new patch on an old garment, so as not to weaken that garment, and make the hole larger.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“No man places a new patch of cloth on an old coat, lest its fulness tears from that coat, and the rip would be greater.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
No one puts a patch of new cloth on an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up, takes from the garment, and a worse rent is made.

Godbey New Testament
But no one puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment; for it takes its fullness from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

Haweis New Testament
But no man ingrafts a patch of undressed cloth into an old garment, for the piece supplied taketh from the garment, and the rent becomes worse.

Mace New Testament
new cloth is never patch'd upon an old garment: for the patch will draw the garment, and rend it still worse.

Weymouth New Testament
No one ever mends an old cloak with a patch of newly woven cloth. Otherwise, the patch put on would tear away some of the old, and a worse hole would be made.

Worrell New Testament
"And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse rent is made."

Worsley New Testament
As no one putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment; for its new patch teareth away from the old garment, and the rent is made worse:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Patches and the Wineskins
15Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”…

Cross References
Mark 2:21
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result.

Luke 5:36
He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will tear the new garment as well, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

Romans 7:6
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

Hebrews 8:13
By speaking of a new covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

Colossians 2:14
having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!

Ephesians 4:22-24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; / to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; / and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:24-25
So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. / Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Isaiah 43:18-19
“Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old. / Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. / It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. / “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. ...

Ezekiel 36:26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Isaiah 65:17
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.


Treasury of Scripture

No man puts a piece of new cloth to an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

new cloth.

Genesis 33:14
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

Psalm 125:3
For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Jump to Previous
Cloak Cloth Fill Filling Garment Hole Making Mends New Newly Otherwise Patch Piece Pull Puts Putteth Rent Sews Tear Undressed Unshrunk Worse Woven
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Cloak Cloth Fill Filling Garment Hole Making Mends New Newly Otherwise Patch Piece Pull Puts Putteth Rent Sews Tear Undressed Unshrunk Worse Woven
Matthew 9
1. Jesus heals a paralytic
9. calls Matthew from the receipt of custom;
10. eats with tax collectors and sinners;
14. defends his disciples for not fasting;
20. cures the sick woman;
23. raises Jairus' daughter from death;
27. gives sight to two blind men;
32. heals a mute man possessed of a demon;
36. and has compassion on the multitude.














No one
This phrase emphasizes the universality of the principle Jesus is about to explain. In the Greek, "oudeis" implies an absolute negation, suggesting that the action described is universally recognized as unwise. This sets the stage for a teaching that transcends cultural and temporal boundaries, inviting the listener to consider the wisdom of Jesus' words as applicable to all.

sews a patch
The act of sewing a patch is a metaphor for attempting to fix or improve something that is worn out or outdated. In the historical context, sewing was a common household task, and everyone would understand the futility of using new, unshrunk cloth on an old garment. This imagery speaks to the futility of trying to integrate the new covenant of grace with the old covenant of the law.

unshrunk cloth
The "unshrunk cloth" represents something new and untested. In the Greek, "agnaphos" refers to cloth that has not been processed or prepared. This symbolizes the new teachings and covenant that Jesus brings, which cannot be confined or constrained by the old traditions and legalistic practices of Judaism.

on an old garment
The "old garment" symbolizes the established religious practices and beliefs of the time. The Greek word "palaios" suggests something that is worn out or obsolete. This highlights the inadequacy of the old covenant to contain the new life and freedom found in Christ. The old garment cannot accommodate the transformative power of the Gospel.

For the patch will pull away
This phrase illustrates the inevitable failure of trying to combine the new with the old. The Greek word "airei" implies a forceful separation, indicating that the new covenant will not merely coexist with the old but will actively disrupt and replace it. This speaks to the transformative and sometimes disruptive nature of Jesus' message.

from the garment
The separation "from the garment" signifies the breaking away of the new from the old. The imagery suggests that the new covenant cannot be contained within the old structures. This separation is necessary for the new to fully manifest its purpose and power, emphasizing the need for a complete departure from the old ways.

and a worse tear will result
The "worse tear" signifies the greater damage that occurs when trying to mix incompatible elements. The Greek word "cheiron" means worse or more severe, indicating that the attempt to blend the new with the old results in greater harm. This serves as a warning against trying to dilute or compromise the Gospel with outdated traditions or legalism.

(16) No man putteth a piece of new cloth.--There is a closer connection between the three similitudes than at first sight appears. The wedding-feast suggested the idea of the wedding-garment, and of the wine which belonged to its joy. We may even go a step further, and believe that the very dress of those who sat at meat in Matthew's house, coming as they did from the lower and less decently-habited classes, made the illustration all the more palpable and vivid. How could those worn garments be made meet for wedding-guests? Would it be enough to sew on a patch of new cloth where the old was wearing into holes? Not so He answers here; not so He answers again when He implicitly makes the king who gives the feast the giver also of the garment (Matthew 22:2);

New cloth--i.e., cloth that has not passed through the fuller's hands--new and undressed, in its freshest and strongest state. Such a patch sewn upon a weak part of the old cloak would, on the first strain, tear the cloth near it.

The rent is made worse.--Better, there comes a worse rent. St. Luke adds another reason, "the piece put in agrees not with the old."

The meaning of the parable in its direct application lies very near the surface. The "garment" is that which is outward, the life and conversation of the man, which show his character. The old garment is the common life of sinful men, such as Matthew and his guests; the new garment is the life of holiness, the religious life in its completeness; fasting, as one element of that life, is the patch of new cloth which agrees not with the old, and leads to a greater evil, a "worse rent" in the life than before. No one would so deal with the literal garment. Yet this was what the Pharisees and the disciples of John were wishing to do with the half-converted publicans. This, we may add, is what the Church of Christ has too often done in her work as the converter of the nations. Sacramental ordinances or monastic vows, or Puritan formulae, or Quaker conventionalities, have been engrafted on lives that were radically barbarous, or heathen, or worldly, and the contrast has been glaring, and the "rent" made worse. The more excellent way, which our Lord pursued, and which it is our wisdom to pursue, is to take the old garment, and to transform it, as by a renewing power from within, thread by thread, till old things are passed away, and all things are become new.

Verse 16. - No man; and no man (Revised Version); οὐδεὶς δέ. "And" is slightly adversative. They will indeed fast then, yet fasting does not belong to the essence of my teaching. To insist on fasting would only be right if my teaching came merely into mechanical connexion with the religion of the day. But this is not the case.

(1) Treated as an addition, it injures the religion of the day (ver. 16).

(2) Treated as something to be accepted by all Jews, regardless of their moral fitness for it, it is itself wasted, and also ruins those who so accept it (ver. 17). The verses thus

(1) answer the disciples of John the Baptist, that fasting must not be made compulsory for Christ's disciples; and . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
No one
Οὐδεὶς (Oudeis)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3762: No one, none, nothing.

sews
ἐπιβάλλει (epiballei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1911: From epi and ballo; to throw upon; specially to reflect; impersonally, to belong to.

a patch
ἐπίβλημα (epiblēma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1915: A patch on a garment. From epiballo; a patch.

of unshrunk
ἀγνάφου (agnaphou)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 46: Unshrunken, new. Properly, unfulled, i.e. new.

cloth
ῥάκους (rhakous)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4470: A piece of cloth, a remnant torn off. From rhegnumi; a 'rag, ' i.e. Piece of cloth.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

an old
παλαιῷ (palaiō)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3820: Old, ancient, not new or recent. From palai; antique, i.e. Not recent, worn out.

garment.
ἱματίῳ (himatiō)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2440: A long flowing outer garment, tunic. Neuter of a presumed derivative of ennumi; a dress.

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

patch
πλήρωμα (plērōma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4138: From pleroo; repletion or completion, i.e. what fills, or what is filled.

will pull away
αἴρει (airei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 142: To raise, lift up, take away, remove.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

garment,
ἱματίου (himatiou)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 2440: A long flowing outer garment, tunic. Neuter of a presumed derivative of ennumi; a dress.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

a worse
χεῖρον (cheiron)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 5501: Worse, more severe. Irregular comparative of kakos; from an obsolete equivalent cheres; more evil or aggravated.

tear
σχίσμα (schisma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4978: A rent, as in a garment; a division, dissention. From schizo; a split or gap, literally or figuratively.

will result.
γίνεται (ginetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 9:16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk (Matt. Mat Mt)
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