Matthew 13:49
in Matthew 13So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous,
KJV
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
⋯
This verse in Matthew 13
Commentary
14 notes on this verseFor when the end of the world shall be come, then shall be shown the true test of separating the fishes, and as in a sheltered harbour the good shall be sent into the vessels of heavenly abodes, but the flame of hell shall seize the wicked to be dried up and withered.
This site's exposition
sever the wicked from among the just
on Matthew 13:49-50
So shall it be at the end of the world names the net parable's meaning in nearly the same words used for the tares, the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just. The furnace of fire and the wailing and gnashing of teeth repeat a third time in this single chapter, and the bench reads the triple repetition, tares, net, and this summary, as Matthew's own emphasis, the mixed condition of the visible kingdom in the present age is real and its final sorting is certain.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
The calling that is through Christ is to be extended throughout the whole world. The net of gospel preaching seeks to gather together people out of every nation. People who are expert in catching fish and are mariners by trade let down their net making no discrimination, but whatever has been caught up in the meshes, wholly and entirely, is hauled by them to shore. So likewise the power of preaching and the marvelous and intricate teaching of the sacred doctrines, which the apostles, as good fishermen, wove together, draw people from every nation and gather them together for God.
But when the consummation and end of the world comes, as he explains more clearly below, then the fishing net will be drawn to the shore: then the true judgment of separating the fish will be displayed, and as if in a very calm harbor, the good will be placed in the vessels of celestial mansions: but the wicked will be received to be burned and dried up by the flame of hell.
For when the net shall be drawn to the shore, then shall be shown the true test for separating the fishes.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 47 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
After this, that we may not be confident in the gospel merely preached, nor think that faith only suffices us for salvation, He utters also another, an awful parable. Which then is this? That of the net. "For the kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away." And wherein doth this differ from the parable of the tares? For there too the one are saved the other perish; but there, for choosing of wicked doctrines; and those before this again, for not giving heed to His sayings, but these for wickedness of life; who are the most wretched of all, having attained to His knowledge, and being caught, but not even so capable of being saved. Yet surely He saith elsewhere, that the shepherd Himself separates them, but here He saith the angels do this; and so with respect to the tares. How then is it? At one time He discourses to them in a way more suited to their dullness, at another time in a higher strain. And this parable He interprets without so much as being asked, but of His own motion He explained it by one part of it, and increased their awe. For lest, on being told, "They cast the bad away," thou shouldest suppose that ruin to be without danger; by His interpretation He signified the punishment, saying, "They will cast them into the furnace." And He declared the gnashing of teeth, and the anguish, that it is unspeakable. Seest thou how many are the ways of destruction? By the rock, by the thorns, by the wayside, by the tares, by the net. Not without reason therefore did He say, "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go away by it."
The Medieval Church1 voice
Hence the Lord also explains this same comparison briefly when he adds: So it will be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This, dearest brothers, is to be feared rather than expounded. For the torments of sinners have been spoken in plain words, lest anyone resort to the excuse of ignorance if something about eternal punishment were spoken obscurely.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
So shall it be at the consummation of the world. Here he explains the parable. And it should be noted that he explains only as to the wicked. But then the question arises, why he explains about the wicked rather than the good. It must …
When it has been filled, that is, when the world has ended, then those in the net are separated. And though we may have believed, if we are found to have become corrupt, we are thrown out. But those who are not, are placed into …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Here are two parables intended to show that the gospel church should be very small at first, but that in process of time it should become a considerable body: that of the grain of mustard-seed (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
So shall it be at the end of the world,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The parables of the “treasure hidden in a field” and the “merchant man seeking goodly pearls,” appear intended to convey one the same lesson. They vary, no doubt, in one striking particular: the “treasure” was found of one who does not seem to have sought it; the “pearl” was found of one who was actually seeking pearls. But the conduct of the finders, in both cases, was precisely alike: both “sold all” to make the thing found their own property; and it is exactly at this point that the instruction of both parables agrees.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Both are important truths--that the Gospel draws within its pale, and into the communion of the visible Church, multitudes who are Christians only in name; and that the injury thus done to the Church on earth is to be traced to the wicked one.
The parables of the “treasure hidden in a field” and the “merchant man seeking goodly pearls,” appear intended to convey one the same lesson. They vary, no doubt, in one striking particular: the “treasure” was found of one who does not seem to have sought it; the “pearl” was found of one who was actually seeking pearls. But the conduct of the finders, in both cases, was precisely alike: both “sold all” to make the thing found their own property; and it is exactly at this point that the instruction of both parables agrees. These two parables are meant to teach us that men who are really convinced of the importance of salvation will give up everything to win Christ and eternal life. What was the conduct of the two men our Lord describes? The one was persuaded that there was a “treasure hid in a field,” which would amply repay him if he bought the field, however great the price that he might give. The other was persuaded that the “pearl” he had found was so immensely valuable that it would answer to him to purchase it at any cost. Both were convinced that they had found a thing of great value: both were satisfied that it was worth a great present sacrifice to make this thing their own. Others might wonder at them; others might think them foolish for paying such a sum of money for the “field” and “pearl,” but they knew what they were about. They were sure that they were making a good bargain. We see, in this simple picture, the conduct of a true Christian explained. He is what he is, and does what he does in his religion, because he is thoroughly persuaded that it is worthwhile. He comes out from the world; he puts off the old man; he forsakes the vain companions of his past life. Like Matthew, he gives up everything, and like Paul, he counts “all things loss” for Christ’s sake. And why? Because he is convinced that Christ will make amends to him for all he gives up.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὕτως | houtos | Thus | G3779 → | 208 times |
| ἔσται | estai | will it be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συντελείᾳ | sunteleia | consummation | G4930 → | 6 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰῶνος· | aionos | age; | G165 → | 121 times |
| ἐξελεύσονται | exeleusontai | will go out | G1831 → | 216 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄγγελοι | angeloi | angels | G32 → | 175 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀφοριοῦσιν | aphoriousin | will separate | G873 → | 10 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πονηροὺς | ponerous | evil | G4190 → | 78 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| μέσου | mesou | [the] midst | G3319 → | 56 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δικαίων | dikaion | righteous | G1342 → | 79 times |
οὕτωςThus
houtosG3779 →208 times
ἔσταιwill it be
estaiG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
συντελείᾳconsummation
sunteleiaG4930 →6 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
αἰῶνος·age;
aionosG165 →121 times
ἐξελεύσονταιwill go out
exeleusontaiG1831 →216 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἄγγελοιangels
angeloiG32 →175 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀφοριοῦσινwill separate
aphoriousinG873 →10 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
πονηροὺςevil
ponerousG4190 →78 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
μέσου[the] midst
mesouG3319 →56 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
δικαίωνrighteous
dikaionG1342 →79 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
Matthew 24:31And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to…
- Mark 13:27
And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
- Isaiah 27:13
And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on…
- 1 Corinthians 15:52
in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
- Isaiah 11:12
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Through
Matthew 13:39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
it leads to
- Revelation 14:15–19
Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest; for…
- Matthew 25:31
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.
- Joel 3:13
Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great.
- Revelation 14:15–19
Where this verse is studied
About Matthew
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Cyril of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 171; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 11; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 47; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.