New Living Translation
Matthew 11:21
21“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.
Matthew 11:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- New International Version (NIV)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Context of Matthew 11:21
19The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.” 20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 22I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. 23“And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.
Read all of Matthew 11Matthew 11:21 word by word
Οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν, οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδά, ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
- unto theeσύsu · youG4771
- ChorazinΧοραζίνChorazin · ChorazinG5523
- BethsaidaΒηθσαϊδάBēthsaida · BethsaidaG966
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- the mighty worksὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the mighty worksδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
- which were doneγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- TyreΤύροςTuros · TyreG5184
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- SidonΣιδώνSidōn · SidonG4605
- theyμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
- would haveἄνan · ifG302
- long agoπάλαιpalai · of oldG3819
- sackclothσάκκοςsakkos · sackclothG4526
- ashesσποδόςspodos · ashesG4700
Cross-references for Matthew 11:21
- Matthew 18:7“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.
- Matthew 23:13“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.
- Matthew 26:24For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
- Jeremiah 13:27I have seen your adultery and lust, and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills. What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem! How long before you are pure?”
- Luke 11:42“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
- Jude 1:11What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.
- Mark 6:45Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.
- Mark 8:22When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.
- Luke 9:10When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.
- John 1:44Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.
- John 12:21paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.”
- Matthew 12:41“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.
- Ezekiel 3:6No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen!
- Acts 13:44The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord.
- Acts 28:25And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,
- Job 42:6I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
Commentaries on Matthew 11:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Wo unto thee, Chorazin - Bethsaida! - It would be better to translate the word , alas for thee, than wo to thee. The former is an exclamation of pity; the latter a denunciation of wrath. It is evident that our Lord used it in the former sense. It is not known precisely where Chorazin was situated; but as Christ joins it in the same censure with Bethsaida, which was in Upper Galilee, beyond the sea, Mark 6:45, it is likely that Chorazin was in the same…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Chorazin and Bethsaida - These were towns not far from Capernaum, but the precise situation is unknown. See “The Land and the Book” (Thomson), vol. ii. pp. 8,9. Bethsaida means literally a “house of hunting” or “a house of game,” and it was probably situated on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, and supported itself by hunting or fishing. It was the residence of Philip, Andrew, and Peter, John 1:44. It was enlarged by Philip the Tetrarch, and called…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-24Verses 16-24 Christ reflects on the scribes and Pharisees, who had a proud conceit of themselves. He likens their behaviour to children's play, who being out of temper without reason, quarrel with all the attempts of their fellows to please them, or to get them to join in the plays for which they used to assemble. The cavils of worldly men are often very trifling and show great malice. Something they have to urge against every one, however excellent and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-24As Jesus traveled through the villages of Galilee (Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum) he revealed more of himself to the people. Because of this greater revelation, their refusal to listen brought a more severe judgment. Jesus compared their judgment to that of the pagan cities Tyre (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26:1–28:19), Sidon (Ezekiel 28:20–23), and Sodom (Genesis 18:22–19:29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Woe unto thee, Chorazin!--not elsewhere mentioned, but it must have lain near Capernaum. woe unto thee, Bethsaida--"fishing-house," a fishing station--on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, and to the north of Capernaum; the birthplace of three of the apostles--the brothers Andrew and Peter, and Philip. These two cities appear to be singled out to denote the whole region in which they lay--a region favored with the Redeemer's presence, teaching…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 11:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 11
- 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
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