The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Parallel translations
- WEB “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast 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 13:24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
- Rev 19:7–9Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
- Eph 5:24–32Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
- Ps 45:10–16Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;
- 2 Cor 11:2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
- Matt 13:44–47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
- Matt 22:2–14The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
- Luke 14:16–24Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
- Matt 13:31–33Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
- John 3:29–30He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
- Matt 25:1–14Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.