Matthew 11:24
in Matthew 11But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
KJV
But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
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This verse in Matthew 11
Commentary
15 notes on this verse(Vers. 23, 24.) Because if in Sodom (or, as some say, in Sidon) the miracles had been done that have been done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
This site's exposition
exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell
on Matthew 11:23-24
Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell names the town that had become Jesus' own base of ministry, host to more of his miracles than any other place, and the fall promised matches the height of privilege enjoyed: if the mighty works had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day, Sodom's proverbial destruction in Genesis 19 held up as less deserved than Capernaum's coming judgment. The bench reads the day of judgment comparison, more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee, as continuing the same principle drawn at Chorazin and Bethsaida, that the towns which watched the Messiah at work bear a weight of responsibility ancient Sodom never carried.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
(Vers. 23, 24.) Because if in Sodom (or, as some say, in Sidon) the miracles had been done that have been done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
The curse of disobedience is distinguished from the blessing of obedience. It was necessary for the Jews to be admonished. The ill will of their faithlessness is highlighted by the extraordinary grace of his works there. The Jews were censured by the example of the faithful, to whom salvation came entirely from faith. But these cities displayed no change whatever at Jesus' actions. At Bethsaida and Capernaum the mute praised the Lord with their voices, the blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame ran about, and the dead came alive, yet astonishment at such great miracles did not produce any disposition for faith. Hearing about the deeds alone ought to have called them to awe and to faith. Yet this unresponsiveness is found not only in the small sins of Tyre and Sidon but also with the great sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The desire for belief would perhaps have come closer to them if these remarkable acts of virtue had really touched them.
Capharnaum was the metropolis of Galilee, and a noted town of that province, and therefore the Lord mentions it particularly, saying, And thou, Capharnaum, shalt thou indeed be exalted to heaven. Thou shalt go down even to hell. And they have made the sins not of Sodom only and Gomorrah, but of Tyre and Sidon light in comparison, and therefore it follows, For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would perhaps have remained unto this day. The Lord, who knows all things, here uses a word expressing uncertainty—perhaps, to show that freedom of choice is left to men. But I say unto you, it shall be easier for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. And be it known, that in speaking of the city or country, the Lord does not chide with the buildings and walls, but with the men that inhabit there, by the figure metonymy, putting the thing containing for the thing contained. The words, It shall be easier in the day of judgment, clearly prove that there are divers punishments in hell, as there are divers mansions in the kingdom of heaven.
In Capharnaum, which is interpreted 'the most fair town,' Jerusalem is condemned, to which it is said by Ezekiel, Sodom is justified by thee. (Ezek. 16:52)
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 37 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"For if," saith He, "the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell, for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." And He adds not Sodom with the others for nought, but to aggravate the charge against them. Yea, for it is a very great proof of wickedness, when not only of them that now are, but even of all those that ever were wicked, none are found so bad as they. Thus elsewhere also He makes a comparison, condemning them by the Ninevites, and by the Queen of the south; there, however, it was by them that did right, here, even by them that sinned; a thing far more grievous. With this law of condemnation, Ezekiel too was acquainted: wherefore also he said to Jerusalem, "Thou hast justified thy sisters in all thy sins." Thus everywhere is He wont to linger in the Old Testament, as in a favored place. And not even at this doth He stay His speech, but makes their fears yet more intense, by saying, that they should suffer things more grievous than Sodomites and Tyrians, so as by every means to gather them in, both by bewailing, and by alarming them.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
But I tell you... On the day of judgment your punishment will be more severe than of that land which was destroyed. Or it can be understood of the inhabitants: "The servant who knows his master's will and does not do it, will be beaten …
Corozaim, which is interpreted 'my mystery,' and Bethsaida, 'the house of fruits' or, 'the house of hunters,' are towns of Galilee situated on the shore of the sea of Galilee. The Lord therefore mourns for towns which once had the mystery of God, and which ought to have brought forth the fruit of virtues, and into which spiritual hunters had been sent. We at this day see the words of the Saviour fulfilled; Corozaim and Bethsaida would not believe when the Lord came to them in person; but Tyre and Sidon have afterwards believed on the preaching of the Apostles.
Capernaum was exalted as the city of Jesus, for it was made as glorious as if it were His birthplace, yet it derived no benefit from this because it did not believe. On the contrary, it is rather because of this that it has been …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In the parable, this is called his piping to us, and his mourning to us; he hath piped to us in the precious promises of the gospel, proper to work upon hope, and mourned to us in the dreadful threatenings of the law, proper to work upon fear, that he might frighten us out of our sins and allure us to himself.
But I say unto you,.... Capernaum, and the inhabitants thereof, as before, to Chorazin and Bethsaida.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
But - it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom - Γη Σοδομων, the land of the Sodomites; i.e. the ancient inhabitants of that city and its neighborhood. In Jude, Jud 1:7, we are told that these persons are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened A. M. 2107, which was 1897 years before the incarnation. What a terrible thought is this! It will be more tolerable for certain sinners, who have already been damned nearly four thousand years, than for those who, live and die infidels under the Gospel!
These sayings of the Lord Jesus were called forth by the state of the Jewish nation when he was upon earth. But they speak loudly to us also, as well as to the Jews. They throw great light on some parts of the natural man’s character; they teach us the perilous state of many immortal souls in the present day. The first part of these verses shows us the unreasonableness of many unconverted men in the things of religion. The Jews, in our Lord’s time, found fault with every teacher whom God sent among them.
These sayings of the Lord Jesus were called forth by the state of the Jewish nation when he was upon earth. But they speak loudly to us also, as well as to the Jews. They throw great light on some parts of the natural man’s character; they teach us the perilous state of many immortal souls in the present day. The first part of these verses shows us the unreasonableness of many unconverted men in the things of religion. The Jews, in our Lord’s time, found fault with every teacher whom God sent among them. First came John the Baptist preaching repentance: an austere man, a man who withdrew himself from society and lived an ascetic life. Did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault and said, “He has a devil.” Then came Jesus the Son of God preaching the Gospel: living as other men lived, and practicing none of John the Baptist’s peculiar austerities. And did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault again, and said, “Behold a man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and ‘sinners.’ ” In short, they were as perverse and hard to please as wayward children. It is a mournful fact, that there are always thousands of professing Christians just as unreasonable as these Jews. They are equally perverse, and equally hard to please; whatever we teach and preach they find fault; whatever be our manner of life, they are dissatisfied. Do we tell them of salvation by grace, and justification by faith? At once they cry out against our doctrine as licentious and Antinomian. Do we tell them of the holiness which the Gospel requires? At once they exclaim that we are too strict, and precise and righteous over much. Are we cheerful? They accuse us of levity. Are we grave? They call us gloomy and sour. Do we keep aloof from balls and races and plays? They denounce us as puritanical, exclusive and narrow-minded.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πλὴν | plen | But | G4133 → | 31 times |
| λέγω | lego | I say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| γῇ | gea | for [the] land | G1093 → | 248 times |
| Σοδόμων | sodomon | of Sodom | G4670 → | 9 times |
| ἀνεκτότερον | anektoteron | more tolerable | G414 → | 5 times |
| ἔσται | estai | will it be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἡμέρᾳ | hemera | day | G2250 → | 389 times |
| κρίσεως | kriseos | of judgment | G2920 → | 47 times |
| ἢ | e | than | G2228 → | 342 times |
| σοί.¶ | soi | for you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
πλὴνBut
plenG4133 →31 times
λέγωI say
legoG3004 →1325 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
γῇfor [the] land
geaG1093 →248 times
Σοδόμωνof Sodom
sodomonG4670 →9 times
ἀνεκτότερονmore tolerable
anektoteronG414 →5 times
ἔσταιwill it be
estaiG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἡμέρᾳday
hemeraG2250 →389 times
κρίσεωςof judgment
kriseosG2920 →47 times
ἢthan
eG2228 →342 times
σοί.¶for you.
soiG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 10:12I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:15
Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 10:15
Through
Matthew 10:15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:17
In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Peter 2:6
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
- John 15:22–24
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
- 1 John 4:17
Through
Mark 6:11If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.”
it leads to
- Matthew 10:14–15
And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
- Acts 18:6
But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to…
- Luke 10:10–15
But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare,
- Matthew 10:14–15
Through
Lamentations 4:6The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
it leads to
- Genesis 19:25
Thus He destroyed these cities and the entire plain, including all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew on the ground.
- Genesis 19:25
Where this verse is studied
About Matthew
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 11.10; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 37; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Remigius of Rheims, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.