New Living Translation
Matthew 7:13
13“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
Matthew 7:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
- New International Version (NIV)“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Context of Matthew 7:13
11So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. 12“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. 15“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
Read all of Matthew 7Matthew 7:13 word by word
Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης, ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι᾽ αὐτῆς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Enter yeεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- in atδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- the straitὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the straitστενόςstenos · narrowG4728
- gateπύληpulē · gateG4439
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- wideπλατύςplatus · streetG4116
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- broadεὐρύχωροςeuruchōros · broadG2149
- the wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
- that leadethἀπάγωapagō · to lead awayG520
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- destructionἀπώλειαapōleia · destructionG684
- manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- there beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- thereatαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for Matthew 7:13
- Matthew 3:2“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
- Matthew 18:2Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.
- 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.
- Proverbs 9:6Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”
- Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
- Ezekiel 18:27And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives.
- Luke 9:33As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
- Luke 13:24“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.
- Luke 13:25When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
- Luke 14:33So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
- John 10:9Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
- John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
- Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 3:19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
- 2 Corinthians 6:17Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
- Galatians 5:24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
Commentaries on Matthew 7:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Enter ye in at the strait gate - Our Savior seems to allude here to the distinction between the public and private ways mentioned by the Jewish lawyers. The public roads were allowed to be sixteen cubits broad, the private ways only four. The words in the original are very emphatic: Enter in (to the kingdom of heaven) through This strait gate, , i.e. of doing to every one as you would he should do unto you; for this alone seems to be the strait gate which…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Enter ye in at the strait gate - Christ here compares the way to life to an entrance through a gate. The words “straight” and “strait” have very different meanings. The former means “not crooked;” the latter, “pent up, narrow, difficult to be entered.” This is the word used here, and it means that the way to heaven is “pent up, narrow, close,” and not obviously entered. The way to death is open, broad, and thronged. The Saviour here referred probably to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-14Verses 12-14 Christ came to teach us, not only what we are to know and believe, but what we are to do; not only toward God, but toward men; not only toward those of our party and persuasion, but toward men in general, all with whom we have to do. We must do that to our neighbour which we ourselves acknowledge to be fit and reasonable. We must, in our dealings with men, suppose ourselves in the same case and circumstances with those we have to do with, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13Enter through the narrow gate: This means deciding to obey Jesus as the Messiah. The wide gate and broad road represent the choice not to follow Jesus or his teachings. This path leads to destruction. This means being thrown into fire, being kept out of the kingdom of heaven, being banished from the presence of Jesus, and finally being ruined (Matthew 7:19–23, 27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Enter ye in at the strait gate--as if hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the difficulty of the first right step in religion, involving, as it does, a triumph over all our natural inclinations. Hence the still stronger expression in Luke (Lu 13:24), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." for wide is the gate--easily entered. and broad is the way--easily trodden. that leadeth to destruction, and--thus lured "many there be which go…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 7:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 7
- 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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