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Matthew 22:2-14
New English Translation

2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves[a] to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready.[b] My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The[c] rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The[d] king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death[e] and set their city[f] on fire. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say.[g] 13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness,[h] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:3 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
  2. Matthew 22:4 tn Grk “Behold, I have prepared my meal.” In some contexts, however, to translate ἄριστον (ariston) as “meal” or “dinner” somewhat misses the point. L&N 23.22 here suggests, “See now, the feast I have prepared (for you is ready).”
  3. Matthew 22:6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  4. Matthew 22:7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  5. Matthew 22:7 tn Grk “he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers.” The verb ἀπώλεσεν (apōlesen) is causative, indicating that the king was the one behind the execution of the murderers. In English the causative idea is not expressed naturally here; either a purpose clause (“he sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death”) or a relative clause (“he sent his soldier who put those murderers to death”) is preferred.
  6. Matthew 22:7 tn The Greek text reads here πόλις (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem, so “city” is more appropriate here.
  7. Matthew 22:12 tn Grk “he was silent.”
  8. Matthew 22:13 tn The Greek term translated “darkness” (σκότος) is associated with Tartarus in Aeschylus, Eumenides 72; other references to the darkness of death and the underworld can be found throughout the classical literature as far back as Homer. BDAG 932 s.v. σκότος 1 states: “Of the darkness of the place of punishment far removed fr. the heavenly kingdom (Philo, Exsecr. 152 βαθὺ σκότος. Cp. Wsd 17:20; PsSol 14:9.—σκ. κ. βόρβορος ‘gloom and muck’ await those who are untrue to the Eleusinian Mysteries, Ael. Aristid. 22, 10 K.=19 p. 421 D. Of the darkness of death and the underworld in Hom. and the Trag. As the domain of evil spirits PGM 36, 138; Theoph. Ant. 2, 7 [p. 110, 5]) τὸ σκ. τὸ ἐξώτερον the darkness outside Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30.”
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Luke 14:16-24
New English Translation

16 But Jesus[a] said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet[b] and invited[c] many guests.[d] 17 At[e] the time for the banquet[f] he sent his slave[g] to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But one after another they all[h] began to make excuses.[i] The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field,[j] and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’[k] 19 Another[l] said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen,[m] and I am going out[n] to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another[o] said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’[p] 21 So[q] the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious[r] and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly[s] to the streets and alleys of the city,[t] and bring in the poor,[u] the crippled,[v] the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Then[w] the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’[x] 23 So[y] the master said to his[z] slave, ‘Go out to the highways[aa] and country roads[ab] and urge[ac] people[ad] to come in, so that my house will be filled.[ae] 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals[af] who were invited[ag] will taste my banquet!’”[ah]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. Luke 14:16 tn Or “dinner.”
  3. Luke 14:16 sn Presumably those invited would have sent a reply with the invitation stating their desire to attend, much like a modern R.S.V.P. Then they waited for the servant to announce the beginning of the celebration (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1272).
  4. Luke 14:16 tn The word “guests” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
  5. Luke 14:17 tn Grk “And at.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  6. Luke 14:17 tn Or “dinner.”
  7. Luke 14:17 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
  8. Luke 14:18 tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). “One after another” is suggested by L&N 61.2.
  9. Luke 14:18 sn To make excuses and cancel at this point was an insult in the culture of the time. Regardless of customs concerning responses to invitations, refusal at this point was rude.
  10. Luke 14:18 sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.
  11. Luke 14:18 sn The expression Please excuse me is probably a polite way of refusing, given the dynamics of the situation, although it is important to note that an initial acceptance had probably been indicated and it was now a bit late for a refusal. The semantic equivalent of the phrase may well be “please accept my apologies.”
  12. Luke 14:19 tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  13. Luke 14:19 sn Five yoke of oxen. This was a wealthy man, because the normal farmer had one or two yoke of oxen.
  14. Luke 14:19 tn The translation “going out” for πορεύομαι (poreuomai) is used because “going” in this context could be understood to mean “I am about to” rather than the correct nuance, “I am on my way to.”
  15. Luke 14:20 tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  16. Luke 14:20 sn I just got married, and I cannot come. There is no request to be excused here; just a refusal. Why this disqualifies attendance is not clear. The OT freed a newly married man from certain responsibilities such as serving in the army (Deut 20:7; 24:5), but that would hardly apply to a banquet. The invitation is not respected in any of the three cases.
  17. Luke 14:21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the preceding responses.
  18. Luke 14:21 tn Grk “being furious, said.” The participle ὀργισθείς (orgistheis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  19. Luke 14:21 sn It was necessary to go out quickly because the banquet was already prepared. All the food would spoil if not eaten immediately.
  20. Luke 14:21 tn Or “town.”
  21. Luke 14:21 sn The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. Note how the list matches v. 13, illustrating that point. Note also how the party goes on; it is not postponed until a later date. Instead new guests are invited.
  22. Luke 14:21 tn Grk “and the crippled.” Normally crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177). Καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following category (Grk “and the blind and the lame”) since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  23. Luke 14:22 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the order of events within the parable.
  24. Luke 14:22 sn And still there is room. This comment suggests the celebration was quite a big one, picturing the openness of God’s grace.
  25. Luke 14:23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the master’s response to the slave’s report.
  26. Luke 14:23 tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
  27. Luke 14:23 sn Go out to the highways and country roads. This suggests the inclusion of people outside the town, even beyond the needy (poor, crippled, blind, and lame) in the town, and so is an allusion to the inclusion of the Gentiles.
  28. Luke 14:23 tn The Greek word φραγμός (phragmos) refers to a fence, wall, or hedge surrounding a vineyard (BDAG 1064 s.v. 1). “Highways” and “country roads” probably refer not to separate places, but to the situation outside the town where the rural roads run right alongside the hedges or fences surrounding the fields (cf. J. A. Fitzmyer, Luke [AB], 1057).
  29. Luke 14:23 tn Traditionally “force” or “compel,” but according to BDAG 60 s.v. ἀναγκάζω 2 this is a weakened nuance: “strongly urge/invite.” The meaning in this context is more like “persuade.”
  30. Luke 14:23 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  31. Luke 14:23 sn So that my house will be filled. God will bless many people.
  32. Luke 14:24 tn The Greek word here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which frequently stresses males or husbands (in contrast to women or wives). However, the emphasis in the present context is on identifying these individuals as the ones previously invited, examples of which were given in vv. 18-20. Cf. also BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 2.
  33. Luke 14:24 sn None of those individuals who were invited. This is both the point and the warning. To be a part of the original invitation does not mean one automatically has access to blessing. One must respond when the summons comes in order to participate. The summons came in the person of Jesus and his proclamation of the kingdom. The statement here refers to the fact that many in Israel will not be blessed with participation, for they have ignored the summons when it came.
  34. Luke 14:24 tn Or “dinner.”
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