# Matthew 11.21-23

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 19. <span class="rl-speech">The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Then began he to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.</span>
>
> **21. <span class="rl-speech">Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">And you, Capernaum, shall you be exalted unto heaven? you shall go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day.</span>**
>
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.</span> 25. At that season Jesus answered and said, <span class="rl-speech">I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you did hide these things from the wise and understanding, and did reveal them unto babes:</span> (Matthew 11:19-25, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 19. <span class="rl-speech">The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn’t repent.</span>
>
> **21. <span class="rl-speech">“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until today.</span>**
>
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you.”</span> 25. At that time, Jesus answered, <span class="rl-speech">“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.</span> (Matthew 11:19-25, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 19. <span class="rl-speech">The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:</span>
>
> **21. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.</span>**
>
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.</span> 25. At that time Jesus answered and said, <span class="rl-speech">I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.</span> (Matthew 11:19-25, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 19. <span class="rl-speech">the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners, and wisdom was justified of her children.'</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Then began he to reproach the cities in which were done most of his mighty works, because they did not reform.</span>
>
> **21. <span class="rl-speech">'Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! because, if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had reformed;</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than for you.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">'And thou, Capernaum, which unto the heaven wast exalted, unto hades shalt be brought down, because if in Sodom had been done the mighty works that were done in thee, it had remained unto this day;</span>**
>
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than to thee.'</span> 25. At that time Jesus answering said, <span class="rl-speech">'I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes.</span> (Matthew 11:19-25, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

<!-- BACKLINKS:START -->
## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Inherited Guilt and Visiting Iniquity Objection Defeater](/codex/inherited-guilt-and-visiting-iniquity-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 11.21-24](/codex/matthew-11-21-24/)

**Concepts:**

- [Calvinism vs Arminianism vs Molinism vs Open Theism](/codex/calvinism-vs-arminianism-vs-molinism-vs-open-theism/)
- [Divine Wipeouts and Their Justification](/codex/divine-wipeouts-and-their-justification/), via [Matthew 11.23-24](/codex/matthew-11-23-24/)
- [Foreknowledge vs Causation](/codex/foreknowledge-vs-causation/)
- [Hell and Eternal Punishment](/codex/hell-and-eternal-punishment/), via [Matthew 11.23](/codex/matthew-11-23/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 11.4-30](/codex/matthew-11-4-30/)
- [Molinism](/codex/molinism/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0086 - hades](/codex/g0086-hades/), via [Matthew 11.23](/codex/matthew-11-23/)
- [G1067 - geenna](/codex/g1067-geenna/), via [Matthew 11.23](/codex/matthew-11-23/)
- [H7585 - sheol](/codex/h7585-sheol/), via [Matthew 11.23](/codex/matthew-11-23/)

<!-- BACKLINKS:END -->
---

_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.