Matthew 11:22

And thou Capernaum,.... This city is singled out from all the rest, and spoken to particularly, because of its peculiar advantages:

which art exalted unto heaven; which has respect to the very great privileges this place enjoyed, it being the city where Christ chose to dwell, and for a time fixed his abode in; where he first began to preach, and where such a train of miracles were done; a particular enumeration, of which has been before given: as also it may refer to the situation of the place, which was very high and lofty, so that it seemed to reach unto heaven; for the account that R. Benjamin Tudelensis (n) gives of it is, that

"Capernaum, which is, by interpretation, "the village of comfort", at first sight looks to be , "a place higher than Mount Carmel".''

And Nonnus on Joh 6:59 calls it, which the interpreter renders, the land of "Capernaum founded on high". But notwithstanding all this,

shalt be brought down to hell; meaning, it should be attended with very humbling providences, be reduced to a very low condition, see Isa 14:15 be destroyed and laid waste, as a city, as it was in the times of Vespasian; and the inhabitants of it not only punished with temporal, but everlasting destruction;

for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. The sense of these words is the same with that of Mat 11:22 only this may be observed, that whereas Capernaum was superior in privileges and advantages than the other cities, and yet acted the vile and ungrateful part it did; so that its impenitence and unbelief were the more aggravated; hence a still viler set of men are pitched upon, even the men of Sodom, to make the comparison of them with: for as wicked as the men of that place were, who were so infamous for their unnatural lusts; yet if they had enjoyed such a ministry as Christ's, and had had such miracles wrought among them, for the attestation of the doctrines taught them, in all human probability they would have repented of their flagitious crimes; at least in an external way, in such a manner as to have escaped that dreadful judgment, which laid their city, and several adjacent ones, in ashes; and so would have continued a city until this day. The phrase remained is Jewish, and is used of Sodom by the Rabbins, who say (o), that

"Abraham was "ninety nine" years of age when he was circumcised, and then was the overthrow of Sodom; which was "fifty one" years, after the generation of the division (of the people and languages), and near "fifty two" years; but "Zoar remained" one year, "after Sodom remained".''

According to the Jews, it stood but fifty two years at most (p): and they have a notion, that Sodom and Gomorrha will be built again in the future state (q), or world to come, the times of the Messiah.

(n) Itinerarium, p. 37. (o) Juchasin, fol. 8. 1. (p) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 11. 2. & Gloss. in ib. Jarchi in Gen. xix. 20. (q) Shemot Rabba, sect. 15. fol. 101. 3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 11:22. Ἀνεκτότερον, more tolerable) Because they were less impenitent, and would have repented, and have already been punished.—κρίσεως, judgment) The Judge will be the very same in whom they were then offended.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 11:22 . πλὴν : contracted from πλέον = moreover, for the rest, to put the matter shortly; not adversative here, though sometimes so used.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you--more endurable.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 22. But - it shall be more tolerable] Every thing will help to overwhelm the impenitent at the tribunal of God-the benefits and favours which they have received, as well as the sins which they have committed.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Ver. 22. It shall be more tolerable] Men are therefore the worse, because they ought to be better: {a} and shall be deeper in hell, because heaven was offered unto them, but they would not. Ingentia beneficia, flagitia, supplicia, say the Centurists. Good turns aggravate unkindnesses: and men’s offences are increased by their obligations. If Turks and Tartars shall be damned, debauched Christians shall be double damned: because, though they defy not, yet they deny the Lord that bought them; while by their unchristian conversation they tell the world that either there is no such thing as Christ, or if there be, yet that he is but a weak Christ, and that there is no such power in his death, or efficacy in his resurrection, to sanctify those that belong unto him.

{a} Ideo deteriores sumus quia meliores esse debemus. Salvian.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

More tolerable, &c. For as the fault of him who never had the truth announced to him, was less than of him who rejected it when offered, so also his punishment would be less. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

22. More tolerable — Because Tyre and Sidon had had less opportunities for knowing the truth. This text, with many others, teaches the doctrine of different degrees of retribution, proportioned to the guilt. The clearness of the light against which sin is committed aggravates the guilt. See note on Mat_10:15.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But; plhn : howbeit (Revised Version). Setting this aside; (comp. Bishop Lightfoot, on Php_3:16) whatever might have been does not matter; this shall be. I say unto yon, It shall be more tolerable for Tyro and Sidon at the day of judgment (Mat_10:15, note) than for you. "Pessimis pejores event et insanabiliores" (Wetstein).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Moreover I say unto you - Beside the general denunciation of woee to those stubborn unbelievers, the degree of their misery will be greater than even that of Tyre and Sidon, yea, of Sodom.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

22. It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment. These solemn words teach: 1. That there will be a day of judgment for all, cities, nations and men. 2. That men will be judged according to their opportunities; that those who have had and neglected opportunities will be held most guilty. 3. That there will be different degrees of future punishment, according to guilt and opportunities; that those whose opportunities have been greatest will receive the greater punishment, if these are neglected. Every man will be judged and punished according to his opportunities and works. The idea of a hell of the same severity for all the unsaved is nowhere taught by Christ.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

22. πλήν. Connected probably with πλέον, πλεῖν. So ‘more than,’ ‘moreover,’ ‘further’ (Curtius, Grk. Etym.; Ellicott, Php 1:18; Winer, p. 552); or with πέλας, ‘besides,’ ‘apart from this,’ ‘only’ (Hartung, Lightfoot, Php 3:16). (1) The rendering ‘moreover’ would suit this passage. (2) In others πλὴν almost = ἀλλά, ‘notwithstanding’ (the additional fact being often adversative); or (3) ‘except,’ constructed with genitive, or ὅτι, or with ἤ. The first and last of these constructions favour the derivation from πλέον.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22.] These verses are connected with those respectively preceding them thus:—‘If these mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon—in Sodom—they would have, &c.; but, since no such opportunity was afforded them, and ye, Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum, have had and rejected such, it shall be more tolerable, &c.’ And as to the saying of our Lord, ‘If more warnings had been given they would have repented,’—it is not for the infidel to say, ‘Why then were not more given?’—because every act of God for the rescue of a sinner from his doom is purely and entirely of free and undeserved grace, and the proportion of such means of escape dealt out to men is ruled by the counsel of His will who is holy, just, and true, and willeth not the death of the sinner; but whose ways are past our finding out. We know enough when we know that all are inexcusable, having (see Rom 1:2Rom 1:2Rom 1:2.) the witness of God in their consciences; and our only feeling should be overflowing thankfulness, when we find ourselves in possession of the light of the glorious Gospel, of which so many are deprived.

That the reference here is to the last great day of judgment is evident, by the whole being spoken of in the future. Had our Lord been speaking of the outward judgment on the rebellious cities, the future might have been used of them, but could not of Sodom, which was already destroyed.

This ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται is one of those mysterious hints at the future dealings of God, into which we can penetrate no further than the actual words of our Lord reveal, nor say to what difference exactly they point in the relative states of those who are compared. See also Luk 12:47, Luk 12:48.

25,

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(L) 22. But I say to you, For Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in the day of judgement than for you.] Lk. omits λέγω ὑμῖν, and has ἐν τῇ κρίσει for ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως. See for this phrase on 10:15.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But [πλην] . Better Rev., howbeit, or as Wyc., nevertheless. Chorazin and Bethsaida did not repent; therefore a woe lies against them; nevertheless they shall be more excusable than you who have been seen the mighty woks which were not done among them.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.