Matthew 8:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

NIV: But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where 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.'

CSB: But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness where 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.'

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.”

This completes a sentence begun in the previous verse (Matthew 8:11). Responding to the Roman officer's faith in Him, Jesus has said that many Gentiles will share a table in the kingdom of heaven with Israel's patriarchs. Now He adds that the "sons of the kingdom" will not be there, cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The phrase "sons of the kingdom" was a Jewish term for the nation of Israel. Jesus is teaching that simply being born into the nation of Israel will not guarantee someone a place in heaven, as was commonly thought among the Jewish people (Galatians 3:7–9). Instead, Jesus is emphasizing that faith in Him—faith like that of the Roman centurion—will be the deciding factor about who is allowed into the kingdom (Galatians 3:28–29).

Jesus is not saying all Jewish people will be excluded from heaven. After all, the patriarchs will be there. Many Jewish people will come to put their faith in Jesus. His point is simply that citizenship in Israel will not provide anyone a place at the table.

Jesus goes even further. Those not allowed into the kingdom of heaven will be thrown out into a place of darkness and misery. "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" is language Jesus uses regularly to describe the suffering in hell (Matthew 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).

Matthew 8:5–13 describes Jesus' response to the request of a Roman centurion in Capernaum. The Gentile officer has a servant who is paralyzed and suffering greatly. The centurion says that Jesus does not even need to come to his home, but that He can heal the man with a word. As a man with authority, this soldier recognizes Christ's right to command, even with respect to healing. Jesus applauds this faith, and notes that many Gentiles will be in the kingdom of heaven, along with the Jewish patriarchs. Not all Israelites will be included, however. Jesus tells the Roman officer his servant has been healed.

Matthew begins a series of stories revealing Jesus' authority over sickness, demons, and even the weather. Jesus heals a humble man with leprosy and great faith. He then heals the servant of a Roman centurion who understands that Jesus does not need to come to his home; He can just speak a word. Jesus praises the Gentile man's amazing faith. After healing many more, Jesus and the disciples get caught in a deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stops the storm with a word. Later, He casts demons out of two men and into a huge herd of pigs.

Matthew 8 follows the conclusion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). He turns to telling a series of dramatic stories to show Jesus' power and authority over every kind of disease, over demons, and even over the weather. Jesus also gives brief teachings about the hard road of following Him on earth. He calms a violent storm with a single command and casts demons from two violently possessed men. Matthew will focus mostly on miracles until shifting focus to Jesus' teachings and parables in chapter 11.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.