Matthew 8:19 (YLT)

Passage

and a certain scribe having come, said to him, `Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go;'

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:17 that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, `Himself took our infirmities, and the sicknesses he did bear.'

Matthew 8:18 And Jesus having seen great multitudes about him, did command to depart to the other side;

Matthew 8:19 and a certain scribe having come, said to him, `Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go;'

Matthew 8:20 and Jesus saith to him, `The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may lay the head.'

Matthew 8:21 And another of his disciples said to him, `Sir, permit me first to depart and to bury my father;'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "certain", "scribe", "having", "come", "said", "teacher", "follow", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "certain" and "scribe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And Jesus having seen great multitudes about..." into verse 20's "and Jesus saith to him The foxes...", so "certain" and "scribe" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "certain" and "scribe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.