Καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία, ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτήν· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἀξία, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιστραφήτω. (Matthew 10:13)
And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Two Conditions, One Peace
In Matthew 10:13, Jesus gives his disciples a striking instruction about the transferability of peace. The sentence is built on two parallel conditional clauses—one positive and one negative—each governed by the particle ἐάν and the subjunctive of εἰμί (ᾖ). The syntax enacts the teaching: peace goes forth, yet peace returns.
This verse is a grammatical choreography of grace.
Conditional Construction I: ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία
– ἐάν – introduces a third-class condition (“if ever,” “if perhaps”).
– μὲν – balances the coming δὲ, creating a two-part conditional.
– ᾖ – present subjunctive, 3rd singular of εἰμί, “be.”
– ἡ οἰκία – subject, “the house.”
– ἀξία – predicate adjective, “worthy, deserving.”
Thus: “If indeed the house is worthy…”
The subjunctive keeps the scenario open-ended, acknowledging the moral discernment that must follow the disciples’ greeting.
The Command that Follows: ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτήν
– ἐλθέτω – aorist active imperative of ἔρχομαι, “let it come.”
– ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν – nominative subject + possessive genitive, “your peace.”
– ἐπ’ αὐτήν – preposition + accusative, “upon it (the house).”
The aorist imperative expresses decisive transfer: “let your peace come upon it.” This peace is not a feeling but a blessing with tangible effect.
Conditional Construction II: ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἀξία
– δὲ – marks contrast to the first clause.
– μὴ ᾖ – negative form of the same conditional verb (“if it is not”).
– ἀξία – predicate adjective again, maintaining perfect symmetry.
This second condition mirrors the first exactly, forming a rhetorical balance of inclusion and exclusion.
The Return Imperative: ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιστραφήτω
– ἐπιστραφήτω – aorist passive imperative of ἐπιστρέφω, “let it return.”
– The passive form reflects peace as the acted-upon subject—it is sent, it moves, it returns.
– πρὸς ὑμᾶς – “to you,” expressing direction back to the giver.
Thus: “Let your peace return to you.”
The image is grammatically dynamic: peace has a trajectory and a home.
Table: Conditional and Imperative Dynamics
| Greek Phrase | Form | Function | Meaning / Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐὰν μὲν ᾖ ἡ οἰκία ἀξία | Conditional clause (ἐάν + subjunctive) | Hypothesis of worthiness | Tests receptivity of peace |
| ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτήν | Aorist imperative | Command to bestow peace | Peace as active blessing |
| ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ ἀξία | Conditional clause (negative) | Hypothesis of unworthiness | Balance and antithesis |
| ἐπιστραφήτω | Aorist passive imperative | Command for peace’s return | Peace reverses direction without loss |
Theology in Motion
The verse dramatizes peace as a living envoy—it travels outward through the disciple’s greeting and returns unharmed if rejected. The pair of imperatives (ἐλθέτω / ἐπιστραφήτω) forms a chiastic symmetry, depicting the cyclical nature of divine grace: sent, offered, and reclaimed.
The syntax teaches that blessing is never wasted; even when unreceived, it finds its way home.
In the grammar of Matthew 10:13, peace is not abstract—it has direction, agency, and endurance.
Grace moves, but it never disappears.
