Matthew 22
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Matthew chapter 22 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
19 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 3 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid, and Saint Augustine.
Matthew 22
1And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς, λέγων,
2“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a wedding for his son,Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἐποίησε γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ·
3and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they did not want to come.καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν.
4Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Say to those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους, λέγων, Εἴπατε τοῖς κεκλημένοις. ἰδού, τὸ ἄριστόν μου ἡτοίμασα, οἱ ταῦροί μου καὶ τὰ σιτιστὰ τεθυμένα, καὶ πάντα ἕτοιμα· δεῦτε εἰς τοὺς γάμους.
5But not caring, they went away, one to his own field, another to his business.οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὁ μὲν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρόν, ὁ δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ·
6And the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὕβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν.
7And when that king heard, he was furious. And he sent out his troops, and he destroyed those murderers, and he burned up their city.καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκεῖνος ὠργίσθη, καὶ πέμψας τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτοῦ ἀπώλεσε τοὺς φονεῖς ἐκείνους, καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ἐνέπρησε.
8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding indeed is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.τότε λέγει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ, Ὁ μὲν γάμος ἕτοιμός ἐστιν, οἱ δὲ κεκλημένοι οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι.
9Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν, καὶ ὅσους ἂν εὕρητε, καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους.
10So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς συνήγαγον πάντας ὅσους εὗρον, πονηρούς τε καὶ ἀγαθούς· καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ γάμος ἀνακειμένων.
11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there not dressed with wedding clothes.Εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς θεάσασθαι τοὺς ἀνακειμένους εἶδεν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐνδεδυμένον ἔνδυμα γάμου·
12So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not having wedding clothes?’ And he was speechless.καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Ἑταῖρε, πῶς εἰσῆλθες ὧδε μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου; ὁ δὲ ἐφιμώθη.
13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hands and feet, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’τότε εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς διακόνοις, Δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας, ἄρατε αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκβάλετε εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων.
14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσι κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might trap Him in His speech.Τότε πορευθέντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον ὅπως αὐτὸν παγιδεύσωσιν ἐν λόγῳ.
16And they sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You show favoritism to anyone.καὶ ἀποστέλλουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτῶν μετὰ τῶν Ἡρῳδιανῶν, λέγοντες, Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ διδάσκεις, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός· οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων.
17Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”εἰπὲ οὖν ἡμῖν, τί σοι δοκεῖ; ἔξεστι δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι, ἢ οὔ;
18But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτῶν εἶπε, Τί με πειράζετε, ὑποκριταί;
19Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius.ἐπιδείξατέ μοι τὸ νόμισμα τοῦ κήνσου. οἱ δὲ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δηνάριον.
20And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Τίνος ἡ εἰκὼν αὕτη καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφή;
21They said to Him, “Caesar's.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Καίσαρος. τότε λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ.
22When they had heard these words, they marveled, and leaving Him, they went away.καὶ ἀκούσαντες ἐθαύμασαν· καὶ ἀφέντες αὐτὸν ἀπῆλθον.
23The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him, and they questioned Him,Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι, οἱ λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτόν,
24saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife as next of kin, and shall raise up offspring for his brother.λέγοντες, Διδάσκαλε, Μωσῆς εἶπεν, Ἐάν τις ἀποθάνῃ μὴ ἔχων τέκνα, ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναστήσει σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ.
25Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died, after having married, and having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother.ἦσαν δὲ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοί· καὶ ὁ πρῶτος γαμήσας ἐτελεύτησε· καὶ μὴ ἔχων σπέρμα, ἀφῆκε τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ.
26Likewise the second also, and the third, down to the seventh.ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ δεύτερος, καὶ ὁ τρίτος, ἕως τῶν ἑπτά.
27Last of all the woman died also.ὕστερον δὲ πάντων ἀπέθανε καὶ ἡ γυνή.
28Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει, τίνος τῶν ἑπτὰ ἔσται γυνή; πάντες γὰρ ἔσχον αὐτήν.
29Jesus answered and said to them, “You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God!Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφάς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ.
30For in the resurrection neither do they marry, nor are they given in marriage, but they are like angels of God in heaven.ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε ἐκγαμίζονται, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν οὐρανῷ εἰσι.
31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,περὶ δὲ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν νεκρῶν, οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγοντος,
32‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς Ἁβραάμ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαάκ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ; οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς Θεὸς νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ ζώντων.
33And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ὄχλοι ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ.
34But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι, ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ἐφίμωσε τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους, συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό.
35Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν νομικός, πειράζων αὐτόν, καὶ λέγων,
36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”Διδάσκαλε, ποία ἐντολὴ μεγάλη ἐν τῷ νόμῳ;
37Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔφη αὐτῷ, Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ σου, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου.
38This is the first and great commandment.αὕτη ἐστὶ πρώτη καὶ μεγάλη ἐντολή.
39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’δευτέρα δὲ ὁμοία αὕτη, Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.
40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”ἐν ταύταις ταῖς δυσὶν ἐντολαῖς ὅλος ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται κρέμανται.
41And when the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,Συνηγμένων δὲ τῶν Φαρισαίων, ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς,
42saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “David's.”λέγων, Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; τίνος υἱός ἐστι; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Τοῦ Δαυίδ.
43He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:λέγει αὐτοῖς, Πῶς οὖν Δαυὶδ ἐν Πνεύματι Κύριον αὐτὸν καλεῖ, λέγων,
44‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet” ’?Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου, Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου;
45If David therefore calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”εἰ οὖν Δαυὶδ καλεῖ αὐτὸν Κύριον, πῶς υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστι;
46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him any longer.καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο αὐτῷ ἀποκριθῆναι λόγον· οὐδὲ ἐτόλμησέ τις ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπερωτῆσαι αὐτὸν οὐκέτι.
The Fathers on Matthew 22
Saint John Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid, and Saint Augustine comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Matthew 22:1–14Saint John ChrysostomSeest thou both in the former parable and in this the difference between the Son and the servants? Seest thou at once the great affinity between both parables, and the great difference also? For this also indicates God’s 403 long-suffering,
Read Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew →
On Matthew 22:1–7Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid1-7. And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who was a king, who made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were called to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:2, 14Saint AugustineMatthew goes on as follows: “And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them: and when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet.
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On Matthew 22:2Saint AugustineAll the faithful know the marriage of the king’s son, and his feast, and the spreading of the Lord’s Table is open to them all who will.
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On Matthew 22:8–10Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid8-10. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were called were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the lanes off from the highways, and as many as ye shall find, call to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:11–14Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid11-14. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind his hands and feet,...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:14Saint AugustineMatthew proceeds thus: “Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them, and pray; and the disciples rebuked them;” and so on, down to where we read, “For many are called, but few are...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On Matthew 22:15Saint John ChrysostomThen. When? When most of all they ought to have been moved to compunction, when they should have been amazed at His love to man, when they should have feared the things to come, when from the past they ought to have believed touching the fu
Read Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew →
On Matthew 22:15–16Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid15-16. Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians. What took place was a plot: therefore Luke also calls them spies (Lk. 20:20), or waylayers, sent secretly to set a trap for...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:34–36Saint John ChrysostomAgain doth the evangelist express the cause, for which they ought to have held their peace, and marks their boldness by this also. How and in what way? Because when those others were put to silence, these again assail Him. For when they oug
Read Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew →
On Matthew 22:34–40Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid34-40. But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:16Saint AugustineMatthew then continues in these terms: 165“Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk.
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On Matthew 22:16–22Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid16-22. Saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus, knowing...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:42Saint AugustineMatthew goes on thus: “Now when the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ?
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On Matthew 22:42Saint AugustineWhen the Jews were asked (as we have just now heard out of the Gospel when it was being read), how our Lord Jesus Christ, whom David himself called his Lord was David’s Son, they were not able to answer.
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On Matthew 22:42Saint AugustineThe question which was proposed to the Jews, Christians ought to solve. For the Lord Jesus Christ, who proposed it to the Jews, did not solve it Himself, to the Jews, I mean, He did not, but to us He hath solved it. I will put...
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On Matthew 22:41–46Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid41-46. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:23–28Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid23-28. The same day came to Him the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him, saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →
On Matthew 22:29–33Open Matthew 22 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid29-33. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye are deluded, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye...
Read The Explanation by Blessed Theophylact of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew →