Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.
- BSB Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.
- NKJV Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
- NASB Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
- NLT And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor.
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 king declares the feast ready but the invited guests unworthy. Their refusal, not the king's reluctance, excludes them.
Overview
The king affirms that the celebration stands prepared while those first invited have proven unworthy by their rejection. Their unworthiness stems from refusing the gracious call, not from any failure of the king's provision. This sets the stage for the invitation to go out to others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 2 Th 1:5Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
- Rev 3:4Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
- Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
- Luke 20:35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
- Rev 22:14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
- Luke 21:36Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
- Matt 10:37–38He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
- Matt 10:11–13And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
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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 22:8 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
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