Matthew 11:20-24

Woes on Unrepentant Cities

11:20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities ¹  in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! ²  Woe to you, Bethsaida! If ³  the miracles ⁴  done in you had been done in Tyre ⁵  and Sidon, ⁶  they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! 11:23 And you, Capernaum, ⁷  will you be exalted to heaven? ⁸  No, you will be thrown down to Hades! ⁹  For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom ¹⁰  on the day of judgment than for you!”

Luke 10:12-14

10:12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom ¹¹  than for that town! ¹² 

10:13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! ¹³  Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if ¹⁴  the miracles ¹⁵  done in you had been done in Tyre ¹⁶  and Sidon, ¹⁷  they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 10:14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you!

Hebrews 2:2

2:2 For if the message spoken through angels ¹⁸  proved to be so firm that every violation ¹⁹  or disobedience received its just penalty,

Hebrews 2:4

2:4 while God confirmed their witness ²⁰  with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed ²¹  according to his will.

Hebrews 12:24-25

12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator ²²  of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does. ²³ 

12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven?

[11:20]  ¹ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis) which can be translated “city” or “town.” “Cities” was chosen here to emphasize the size of the places Jesus’ mentions in the following verses.

[11:21]  ² sn Chorazin was a town of Galilee that was probably fairly small in contrast to Bethsaida and is otherwise unattested. Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after a.d. 30.

[11:21]  ³ tn This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.

[11:21]  ⁴ tn Or “powerful deeds.”

[11:21]  ⁵ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[11:21]  ⁶ sn Tyre and Sidon are two other notorious OT cities (Isa 23; Jer 25:22; 47:4). The remark is a severe rebuke, in effect: “Even the sinners of the old era would have responded to the proclamation of the kingdom, unlike you!”

[11:23]  ⁷ sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.

[11:23]  ⁸ tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.

[11:23]  ⁹ sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).

[11:24]  ¹⁰ sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious, and will result in more severe punishment, than the worst sins of the old era. The phrase region of Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[10:12]  ¹¹ sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment. The noun Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[10:12]  ¹² tn Or “city.”

[10:13]  ¹³ sn Chorazin was a town of Galilee that was probably fairly small in contrast to Bethsaida and is otherwise unattested. Bethsaida was declared a polis by the tetrarch Herod Philip, sometime after a.d. 30.

[10:13]  ¹⁴ tn This introduces a second class (contrary to fact) condition in the Greek text.

[10:13]  ¹⁵ tn Or “powerful deeds.”

[10:13]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:13]  ¹⁷ sn Tyre and Sidon are two other notorious OT cities (Isa 23; Jer 25:22; 47:4). The remark is a severe rebuke, in effect: “Even the sinners of the old era would have responded to the proclamation of the kingdom, unlike you!”

[2:2]  ¹⁸ sn The message spoken through angels refers to the OT law, which according to Jewish tradition was mediated to Moses through angels (cf. Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17-18; Acts 7:38, 53; Gal 3:19; and Jub. 1:27, 29; Josephus, Ant. 15.5.3 [15.136]).

[2:2]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “through angels became valid and every violation.”

[2:4]  ²⁰ tn Grk “God bearing witness together” (the phrase “with them” is implied).

[2:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “and distributions of the Holy Spirit.”

[12:24]  ²² tn The Greek word μεσίτης (mesith", “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.

[12:24]  ²³ sn Abel’s shed blood cried out to the Lord for justice and judgment, but Jesus’ blood speaks of redemption and forgiveness, something better than Abel’s does (Gen 4:10; Heb 9:11-14; 11:4).