But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Parallel translations
- WEB but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- KJV But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- NKJV But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- NASB but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- NLT But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
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
Jesus warns that those who presumed on their heritage as 'children of the kingdom' may be excluded if they lack faith. It is a sobering call not to rely on privilege but on trust in Christ.
Overview
The 'children of the Kingdom' are those, especially in Israel, who assumed their birthright guaranteed them a place, yet faithless they face 'outer darkness' with weeping and gnashing of teeth, a picture of final judgment. The contrast with believing Gentiles in verse 11 reverses human expectations. Faith in Christ, not ancestry or religious standing, is what grants entrance to the kingdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Matt 25:30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
- Luke 13:28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
- Matt 21:43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
- Matt 13:50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matt 13:42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matt 24:51Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matt 22:12–13‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.
- Matt 3:9–10And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- 2 Pet 2:17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
- Jude 1:13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
- Matt 7:22–23Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
- Acts 3:25And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
- Rom 9:4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
- 2 Pet 2:4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- Matt 13:38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
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 8:12 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.