“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
Parallel translations
- KJV The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
- BSB “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
- NKJV “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,
- NASB “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son.
- NLT “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Kingdom is like a king holding a wedding feast for his son. God the King prepares a celebration centered on His Son.
Overview
The king represents God, and the son points to Christ, whose union with His people is often pictured as a wedding. The marriage feast portrays the joy and abundance of God's Kingdom. This opening image frames salvation not merely as duty but as an invitation to share in God's celebration around His Son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 13:24He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,
- Rev 19:7–9Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”
- Eph 5:24–32But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
- Ps 45:10–16Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father’s house.
- 2 Cor 11:2For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
- Matt 13:44–47“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
- Matt 22:2–14“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
- Luke 14:16–24But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.
- Matt 13:31–33He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;
- John 3:29–30He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.
- Matt 25:1–14“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 22:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.