Matthew 22: The wedding feast, three questions, and Jesus's question about David's son
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
Jesus tells a story of a king whose guests will not come to his son's wedding feast, so he fills the hall with others. The Pharisees and the Herodians ask him about paying taxes to Caesar, the Sadducees ask about the resurrection, and a lawyer asks which commandment is the greatest. Then Jesus asks the Pharisees how David can call the Christ "Lord" if the Christ is David's son, and after that no one dares ask him more questions.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Jesus speaks in most of the chapter: the parable of the wedding feast (verses 2-14), his answers about the tax (verses 18-21), the resurrection (verses 29-32) and the commandments (verses 37-40), and his question about David's son (verses 42-45). The king and his servants speak inside the parable. The Pharisees and Herodians, the Sadducees and the lawyer speak for themselves. The words in verses 24, 32, 37, 39 and 44 are quotations from the Old Testament. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,
In plain English: Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,
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2“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son,
In plain English: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who made a wedding feast for his son,
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3and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
In plain English: and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
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4Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’
In plain English: Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "Look, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fattened animals are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!"'
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5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;
In plain English: But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business.
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6and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
In plain English: The rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully and killed them.
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7When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
In plain English: When the king heard that, he was angry. He sent his armies, destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
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8“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.
In plain English: Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
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9Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’
In plain English: Go to the crossroads of the highways, and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'
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10Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.
In plain English: Those servants went out into the highways and gathered everyone they found, both bad and good. The wedding hall was filled with guests.
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11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing,
In plain English: But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes,
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12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.
In plain English: and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
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13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’
In plain English: Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him hand and foot, take him away and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.'
The Greek words: "The weeping and grinding of teeth" is ho klauthmos kai ho brygmos tōn odontōn. Brygmos (a grating of the teeth) is in 6 verses of Matthew, and in each of them klauthmos (weeping) comes with it. This Bible has "grinding" in 2 (here and ) and "gnashing" in 4 (, , , ). "The outer darkness" is in 3 verses of Matthew: 8:12, here and 25:30.
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14For many are called, but few chosen.”
In plain English: For many are called (or: invited), but few are chosen."
The Greek words: "Called" is klētos and "chosen" is eklektos, the same two words as in . The dictionary meaning of klētos is "invited, appointed". The guests in this story are "those who were invited" (keklēmenoi, verses 3, 4 and 8), from the same family of words.
What changes: Read as "called", the sentence is about a call that comes to many. Read as "invited", it picks up the guests of the story. The text allows both.
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15Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.
In plain English: Then the Pharisees went and made a plan to trap him in what he said.
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16They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach; for you aren’t partial to anyone.
In plain English: They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are honest and teach the way of God in truth, whoever it is you teach, for you do not favor anyone.
The Greek word: "The Herodians" is Hērōdianoi, whose dictionary meaning is "partisans of Herod". The word is in this verse only in Matthew, and in 3 verses of the New Testament: here, and .
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17Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
In plain English: So tell us, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
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18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
In plain English: But Jesus saw their wickedness and said, "Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
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19Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius.
In plain English: Show me the coin for the tax." They brought him a denarius.
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20He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
In plain English: He asked them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"
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21They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
In plain English: They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "So give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
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22When they heard it, they marveled, and left him and went away.
In plain English: When they heard it, they were amazed. They left him and went away.
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23On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,
In plain English: On that day Sadducees came to him. (They are the ones who say there is no resurrection.) They asked him,
Good to know: The text itself explains who the Sadducees are: "those who say that there is no resurrection". says "the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit".
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24saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
In plain English: saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.'
Good to know: The rule Moses is quoted as giving is close to : when brothers live together and one dies with no son, the dead man's brother takes the widow, and "the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead". Deuteronomy says "no son"; the Sadducees say "no children". "Will marry" is epigambreusei. The dictionary meaning is "to form affinity with", used here for a brother marrying his dead brother's widow.
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25Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.
In plain English: Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died. He had no offspring, so he left his wife to his brother.
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26In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh.
In plain English: In the same way the second did, and the third, down to the seventh.
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27After them all, the woman died.
In plain English: After them all, the woman died.
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28In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.”
In plain English: So in the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her."
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29But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
In plain English: But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
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30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven.
In plain English: For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like God's angels in heaven.
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31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
In plain English: But about the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
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32‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
In plain English: 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
Good to know: Jesus says this was "spoken to you by God". The words are close to , where God says to Moses "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob". Matthew's quotation leaves out "your father". The sentence after the quotation, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living", is Jesus's own.
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33When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
In plain English: When the crowds heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
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34But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
In plain English: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
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35One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
In plain English: One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
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36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
In plain English: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
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37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
In plain English: Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.'
Good to know: Jesus quotes , where this Bible has "You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might". Matthew's Greek has "the Lord" where Deuteronomy has "Yahweh", and "mind" (dianoia, dictionary: deep thought, the faculty of the mind) where Deuteronomy has "might".
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38This is the first and great commandment.
In plain English: This is the first and great commandment.
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39A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
In plain English: A second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Good to know: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" is the same sentence as in .
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40The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
In plain English: The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
The Greek word: "Depend" is kremannymi, whose dictionary meaning is "to hang". Word for word the law and the prophets "hang on" these two commandments. It is in 2 verses of Matthew: here and , where a millstone is "hung around his neck".
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41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
In plain English: While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
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42saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”
In plain English: saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "David's."
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43He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
In plain English: He said to them, "Then how does David, in the Spirit (or: in spirit), call him Lord, saying,
The Greek words: "In the Spirit" is en pneumati. The Greek has no word for "the" before pneuma, so it can be read "spirit" or "Spirit".
What changes: Read as "in the Spirit" or "by the Spirit", David is speaking by God's Spirit. Read as "in spirit", the phrase describes how David speaks. The text allows both and this page does not choose.
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44‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?
In plain English: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"'?
Good to know: Jesus quotes . This Bible has there "Yahweh says to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand ...'". The Hebrew behind "my Lord" is adoni. Matthew's Greek has kyrios both times: "The Lord said to my Lord".
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45“If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
In plain English: If David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
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46No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forward.
In plain English: No one could answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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