Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
shall they.
Matthew 10:17-22 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; …
Matthew 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
and you will be hated by all nations
The global scope of this hatred suggests a widespread rejection of Christian values and teachings. Historically, Christianity has faced opposition in various cultures and political systems. This phrase can be seen as a prophecy of the universal challenge the Church will face, as it spreads the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19). The hatred stems from the world's opposition to the truth of Christ, as seen in John 15:18-19, where Jesus warns that the world will hate His followers because it first hated Him.
because of My name
The phrase "because of My name" highlights the reason for the persecution: allegiance to Jesus Christ. In biblical times, a name represented one's character and authority. Thus, suffering for Jesus' name means enduring hardship for His sake and the truth of His message. This aligns with Acts 5:41, where the apostles rejoice for being counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name. The name of Jesus is powerful and divisive, as it represents the exclusive claim of salvation (Acts 4:12) and the call to live counter-culturally in a world opposed to God's kingdom.
• Jesus warns His disciples that a time is coming when civil and religious authorities will hand believers over to hostile powers, just as He Himself was handed over (Matthew 26:2; John 18:36).
• The book of Acts records this pattern immediately after Pentecost—Peter and John before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:3) and Stephen before the council (Acts 6:12).
• Paul reminds Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12), confirming the ongoing fulfillment of this prophecy.
• Persecution is not merely social inconvenience; it can lead to martyrdom. James the brother of John was slain by Herod (Acts 12:2), and Antipas, “My faithful witness,” was put to death in Pergamum (Revelation 2:13).
• Jesus’ words echo earlier promises: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).
• The future Tribulation amplifies this reality, as Revelation 6:9 pictures the souls of those “slain for the word of God.” Believers throughout history—and especially in the last days—face literal danger.
• Hatred expands from local opposition to global hostility. Psalm 2:1–3 foretells the nations raging against the Lord and His Anointed.
• Revelation 13:7 says the beast “was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation,” illustrating a worldwide animosity toward saints.
• Yet God sovereignly uses such hatred to spread the gospel (Philippians 1:12–14) as scattered believers carry Christ’s name to every nation (Matthew 28:19).
• The central issue is loyalty to Jesus. Opposition arises not from political alignment or social causes but from bearing His name (John 15:18–21).
• Peter urges, “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16).
• Acts 5:41 records the apostles rejoicing that they were “counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name,” showing how allegiance to Christ transforms persecution into honor.
Matthew 24:9 gives a clear, literal forecast: followers of Jesus will be handed over by governing powers, face deadly persecution, and encounter universal hatred precisely because they belong to Him. This prophecy began unfolding in the first century, continues wherever believers remain faithful, and will intensify before Christ’s return. Yet even in suffering, God’s plan advances, the gospel spreads, and the name of Jesus is glorified.
(9) Then shall they deliver . . .--The adverb, here and in Matthew 24:10, points to synchronism rather than sequence in its connection with Matthew 24:8.To be afflicted.--Literally, unto affliction. The words repeat in substance the predictions of Matthew 10:22. (See Notes there.) Here we have "hated of all the nations," i.e., heathen nations, instead of the wider "hated of all men." So, when Paul reached Rome, the "sect" of the Christians was "everywhere spoken against" (Acts 28:22) "as evildoers" (1Peter 2:12). So, a little later on, Tacitus describes them as "hated for their crimes" (Ann. xv. 44). . . .
Verse 9. - The Lord passes to the fate of his followers, or the corporate Church. Then. St Mark does not note the time; St. Luke writes, "before all these things." Hence we gather that the calamities now announced will precede, accompany, and follow those before mentioned. That which befell the apostles and early believers is an emblem of what Christianity will undergo at the hands of an antagonistic world. St. John, in the Revelation, has shadowed forth these things as doomed to fall upon the Church in the latter days. Shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (comp. Matthew 10:17, 18). Christ is speaking, not only of the apostles, but of disciples generally. They shall deliver you over to the authorities, civil and religious, to be punished. The Book of the Acts contains numerous examples of such afflictions (see Acts 4:3; Acts 8:1; Acts 12:4; Acts 13:50: 14:19, etc.). Kill. As Stephen (Acts 7:59), James the brother of John (Acts 12:2), Peter and Paul (Eusebius, 'Hist. Eccl.,' 2:25), and many others. Hated of all [the] nations (Acts 28:22, "As concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against"). Tacitus speaks of those "quos per flagitia invisos vulgus Christianos appellabat" ('Ann.,' 15:44). The Romans seem to have placed Jews and Christians in the same category, and to have bestowed on the latter the hatred felt for the former. But the Lord's words point to some feeling more universal and permanent than this temporary animosity, even to the hatred which occasioned the death of martyrs in all ages, the warfare between good end evil, faith and unbelief, which shall continue and increase in virulence unto the end (John 15:20; John 16:2).