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 the second son and said the same thing. But he answered, ‘I will, sir,’ and didn’t go. 31Which of the two did the will of the father?” “The first,” they said. Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and even after you saw this, you had no change of heart to believe him.” 33“Listen to another parable. There was a master of a household who planted a vineyard. He put a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then He leased it to some tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34Now when fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

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 3:1In those days, John the Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea,
• Isaiah 35:8A highway will be there—a roadway. It will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it. It is for the one who walks the way. Fools will not go astray.
• Jeremiah 6:16Thus says Adonai: “Stand in the roads and look. Ask for the ancient paths— where the good way is— and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We won’t walk in it.’
• Luke 3:8Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance; and don’t even begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’! For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
• 2 Peter 2:21For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after learning about it, to turn back from the holy commandment passed on to them.
• Matthew 21:25John’s immersion, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They began to dialogue among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’
• Matthew 11:18“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
• Luke 7:29And when all the people heard, even the tax collectors, they affirmed God’s justice, because they had been immersed with John’s immersion.
• John 5:33You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.
• Acts 13:25As John was completing his service, he said, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not He. But behold, One is coming after me, whose sandal I’m not worthy to untie.’
• Luke 7:37And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, when she discovered that Yeshua was reclining at the Pharisee’s home, brought an alabaster jar of perfume.
• Psalms 81:11I am Adonai your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
• Zechariah 7:11“But they refused to pay attention. They stubbornly turned their backs and stopped their ears from hearing.
• John 5:37And the Father who sent Me has testified concerning Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form.
• 2 Timothy 2:25Let him give guidance with humility to those who are in opposition—perhaps God may grant them a change of mind, leading to the knowledge of truth.
• Hebrews 3:12Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil heart of unbelief that falls away from the living God.

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