“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 10:26 Mean?
"Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known." Jesus commands fearlessness based on a REVELATION principle: everything hidden will be revealed. Everything covered will be known. The assurance against fear isn't 'you won't be harmed' — it's 'truth will prevail.' The hidden won't stay hidden. The covered won't remain covered. The exposure is guaranteed. Time reveals everything.
The phrase "there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed" (ouden gar estin kekalymmenon ho ouk apokalyphthēsetai — for nothing is veiled/covered that will not be unveiled) is a universal promise of EXPOSURE: every cover will be removed. Every veil will be lifted. Every concealment will end. The revelation isn't selective — NOTHING stays covered. The universality eliminates every exception.
The "hid, that shall not be known" (krypton ho ou gnōsthēsetai — hidden that will not become known) adds KNOWLEDGE to EXPOSURE: not just revealed (made visible) but KNOWN (understood, comprehended). The hidden things won't just be seen. They'll be UNDERSTOOD. The exposure is intellectual as well as visual. The secret becomes public knowledge.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What hidden truth is on its way to being revealed — and does that certainty reduce your fear?
- 2.How does the guarantee of exposure make concealment-based power temporary?
- 3.What does 'known' (not just revealed but understood) add to the promise of exposure?
- 4.What secret are you afraid of that's already on a countdown to being made known?
Devotional
Don't fear them. Because NOTHING covered stays covered. NOTHING hidden stays hidden. Everything will be revealed. Everything will be known. The command to fearlessness is grounded in the certainty of exposure: truth wins. The hidden is temporary. The covered is on a timer.
The 'nothing covered that shall not be revealed' is the universal principle that makes fear unnecessary: what you're afraid of is the powerful people who can harm you (verse 28). But their power operates through concealment — hidden agendas, secret threats, veiled intentions. And Jesus says: the concealment is TEMPORARY. The covering will be removed. The revelation is coming. Everything hidden will be brought into the open.
The 'hid that shall not be known' goes beyond visibility to UNDERSTANDING: the hidden things won't just be SEEN — they'll be KNOWN. The motives will be understood. The schemes will be comprehended. The secrets will become public knowledge. The exposure isn't just optical. It's cognitive. People will UNDERSTAND what was hidden.
The 'fear them not THEREFORE' makes the exposure-principle the REASON for fearlessness: don't be afraid BECAUSE everything hidden will be revealed. The revelation is your protection. The truth is your defense. You don't need to fear those who operate in secrecy because secrecy has an expiration date. Every concealment is on a countdown to exposure.
What hidden truth is on its way to being revealed — and does that certainty replace your fear?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
What I tell you in darkness,.... Hence Christ proceeds to encourage his disciples to an open, plain, and faithful…
Fear them not ... - He encouraged them by the assurance that God would protect them. and that their truth and innocence…
All these verses relate to the sufferings of Christ's ministers in their work, which they are here taught to expect, and…
for there is nothing covered, &c. Two reasons against fear are implied: (1) If you fear, a day will come which will…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture