Matthew 21:32

Matthew 21:32 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
• New International Version (NIV)For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

Context of Matthew 21:32

30The man went to his other son and he said the same thing to him. The second son replied, “Yes, father, I will go.” But then he did not go to work in the field. 31Tell me, which of the man's sons did what his father wanted?’ The Jewish leaders replied, ‘The older son did what his father wanted.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you this: The men who take taxes from people are going into the kingdom of God before you. It is the same with prostitutes. They also are going into the kingdom of God before you. John the Baptist came to show you the right way to live. You did not believe him. But the men who take taxes did believe him. Prostitutes also believed him. Even after you saw this, you did not believe him. You did not change the way that you live.’ 33Then Jesus said again to the Jewish leaders, ‘Listen to another story that I will tell you. There was a man who had his own farm. He planted vines in a garden to grow grapes there. He built a wall around the garden. He dug a hole in the ground for a winepress to make wine. He also built a tall building to watch over the garden. The man then found some farmers to work in the garden for him. Then he went away to another country. 34When it was nearly time for the harvest, the master sent his servants to speak to the farmers. He wanted them to give him the fruit that was his.

Matthew 21:32 word by word

ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάννης πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ· οἱ δὲ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ. ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες οὐδὲ μετεμελήθητε ὕστερον τοῦ πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
• cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• youσύsu · youG4771
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
• of righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• ye believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• notοὐou · noG3756
• butδέde · thenG1161
• the publicansτελώνηςtelōnēs · tax collectorG5057
• the harlotsπόρνηpornē · prostituteG4204
• when ye had seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• repentedμεταμέλλομαιmetamellomai · to repentG3338
• afterwardὕστερονhusteron · laterG5305

Cross-references for Matthew 21:32

• Matthew 3:1While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea.
• Isaiah 35:8There will be a great road there. It will be called ‘The Holy Way’. People who are unclean will not travel on it. It will be for those people who know God's way. Evil fools will not walk on it.
• Jeremiah 6:16The Lord said to his people, ‘Stand at the place where the roads cross, and look carefully. Ask where the ways of your ancestors are. Find the good way, and go along that way. Then you will live in peace.’ But the people said, ‘No, we will not go that way. ’
• Luke 3:8You have to show that you are sorry. Change how you live. Stop doing things that God does not like. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them!
• 2 Peter 2:21It would have been better for them if they had never known God's good way. But they did understand about the right things that God wants us to do. And then they turned away from that way of life. They stopped obeying God's good rules, that people had taught them.
• Matthew 21:25John baptized people. Did God give him the authority to do this? Or did men tell him to do it?’ Then the Jewish leaders talked to each other about Jesus' question. They said, ‘We could say that God gave John his authority. But if we say that, Jesus will say to us, “Then you should have believed John.”
• Matthew 11:18People today are like those children. John the Baptist did not eat ordinary food. He never drank wine. So people say that he has a bad spirit in him.
• Luke 7:29Many people heard what Jesus said. Even the men who took taxes from people agreed with his message. They had gone to John to baptize them. They all said, ‘What God says about us is right.’
• John 5:33You have sent your people to ask John about me. What he has told you about me is true.
• Acts 13:25When John had almost finished his work, he said to the people, “Perhaps you think that I am the special man that God will send. I am not that man. But listen! That man will come soon. I am not good enough even to undo his shoes for him.” ’
• Luke 7:37In that town was a woman who had done many wrong things. She heard that Jesus was eating a meal at the house of the Pharisee. So she took a small stone jar with oil in it, and she went there. The oil had a very nice smell.
• Psalms 81:11But my people refused to listen to me. My people, Israel, did not obey me.
• Zechariah 7:11But the people would not listen and they turned away. They put their hands over their ears, because they did not want to hear.
• John 5:37Also, the Father himself has spoken about me. You have never heard his voice. And you have never seen his shape.
• 2 Timothy 2:25When people speak against God's true message, teach them carefully. Help them to understand what is right. Maybe God will change how they think so that they believe the true message.
• Hebrews 3:12So be careful, my Christian friends. Do not refuse to trust God. That would be a very bad thing to do. Do not turn away from the God who lives for ever.

Commentaries on Matthew 21:32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32John came unto you in the way of righteousness - Proclaiming the truth, and living agreeably to it. Or, John came unto you, who are in the way of righteousness. This seems rather to be the true meaning and construction of this passage. The Jews are here distinguished from the Gentiles. The former were in the way of righteousness, had the revelation of God, and the ordinances of justice established among them; the latter were in the way of unrighteousness…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 But what think ye? - A way of speaking designed to direct them particularly to what he was saying, that they might be self-convicted. Two sons - By those two sons our Lord intends to represent the conduct of the Jews, and that of the publicans and sinners. In my vineyard - See the notes at Matthew 21:33. To work in the vineyard here represents the work which God requires man to do. I will not - This had been the language of the publicans and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32The right way to live is to follow the will of God (Matthew 3:15; 5:20; see also Proverbs 8:20; 12:28).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3232. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness--that is, calling you to repentance; as Noah is styled "a preacher of righteousness" (2Pe 2:5), when like the Baptist he warned the old world to "flee from the wrath to come." and ye believed him not--They did not reject him; nay, they "were willing for a season to rejoice in his light" (Joh 5:35); but they would not receive his testimony to Jesus. but the publicans and the harlots believed him--Of…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 21:32

• Ecclesiasticism
• Hypocrisy
• Jesus Continued
• John
• Publicans
• Reproof
• Unbelief

In the dictionaries

• Authority
• Daughter
• Grind
• Harlot
• Loose
• Move
• Presently
• Reverence
• Seat
• Thief

Commentaries on Matthew 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings