Matthew 13:42 kjv
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:42 nkjv
and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:42 niv
They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:42 esv
and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:42 nlt
And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 13:30 | Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them... | Separation and burning of the wicked at harvest/judgment. |
| Mt 13:40-41 | As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity... | The parallel between burning tares and the judgment of the wicked. |
| Mt 13:49-50 | So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. | Reinforces the angelic role in separation and the place of judgment. |
| Mt 8:12 | But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" used for exclusion from the Kingdom. |
| Mt 22:13 | Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | Phrase again used for those unfit for the Kingdom feast. |
| Mt 24:51 | And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | Applies to unfaithful servants facing judgment. |
| Mt 25:30 | And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | Applied to unfaithful servants and their fate. |
| Lk 13:28 | There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. | Those excluded from God's Kingdom experience this anguish. |
| Dan 3:6 | And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. | Imagery of a literal fiery furnace for punishment. |
| Is 30:33 | For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. | Old Testament concept of a fiery place of judgment (Gehenna imagery). |
| Mal 4:1 | For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts... | God's judgment will consume the wicked like fire. |
| Rev 20:14-15 | And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. | "Lake of fire" as the ultimate place of eternal punishment. |
| 2 Thes 1:7-9 | ...when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God... Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord... | Christ's return with judgment and "flaming fire" for the ungodly. |
| Heb 12:29 | For our God is a consuming fire. | God's divine nature is intrinsically linked to consuming judgment. |
| Jude 1:7 | Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. | Example of eternal fire as divine vengeance. |
| Mt 3:12 | Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. | John the Baptist's prophecy of a cleansing judgment with fire. |
| Mt 7:19 | Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. | Metaphorical "fire" for unproductive lives leading to destruction. |
| Jn 5:28-29 | Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. | Resurrection leading to a destiny of damnation. |
| Dan 12:2 | And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. | Prophecy of resurrection leading to eternal contempt for the wicked. |
| Mk 9:43, 48 | And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off... into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched... Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. | Hell described as unquenchable fire, highlighting eternal torment. |
| Is 66:24 | And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. | Isaiah's description of enduring judgment, foreshadowing Mark 9. |
Matthew 13 verses
Matthew 13 42 Meaning
Matthew 13:42 describes the terrifying end of those who practice lawlessness, symbolizing the unrighteous at the final judgment. It declares that divine agents will gather them and cast them into a place of intense fiery punishment. In this location, those condemned will experience profound anguish, expressing it through inconsolable sorrow and desperate, frustrated rage and regret, signifying eternal, conscious torment and complete separation from God's grace and Kingdom.
Matthew 13 42 Context
Matthew 13:42 is part of Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven through parables, specifically the explanation of the Parable of the Weeds (Tares). The broader context of Matthew 13 details several parables that illuminate the nature, growth, and destiny of God's Kingdom and those within it. Jesus privately explains the parable of the Weeds to His disciples, identifying the field as the world, the good seed as the sons of the Kingdom, and the weeds as the sons of the evil one. The harvest represents the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
This verse therefore explicitly describes the fate of the "weeds" – "all things that offend, and them which do iniquity" (v. 41). Historically, the audience would have understood agricultural practices of separating edible crops from harmful weeds. The imagery of a "furnace of fire" resonates with Old Testament themes of divine judgment, such as the fiery furnaces used by oppressors (Dan 3) or the fiery destruction associated with divine wrath. "Wailing and gnashing of teeth" was a common Jewish idiom to describe profound distress, suffering, and despair, often associated with exclusion from God's presence or covenant. The passage stands as a solemn warning against superficial adherence or hypocrisy within the Kingdom's visible expression on earth, emphasizing that a final, absolute separation and judgment awaits.
Matthew 13 42 Word analysis
and shall cast them (καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς):
καὶ (kai): "And", serving as a direct connective to the preceding verse (Matthew 13:41), which identifies "them" as those "who cause sin and those who do evil." This highlights that the casting is the immediate, unavoidable consequence of their identity as lawbreakers.βαλοῦσιν (balousin): "they shall throw/cast." This verb denotes a decisive, forceful, and irreversible action. The implied agent ("they") refers to the angels mentioned in Matthew 13:41 and 13:49, emphasizing that this is a divine, supernatural execution of judgment, not a human one. It conveys a sense of total disposal and irreversible expulsion.αὐτοὺς (autous): "them," referring specifically to the "weeds" or "sons of the evil one," representing individuals whose lives are characterized by unrighteousness and lawlessness.
into a furnace of fire (εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός):
εἰς (eis): "into," indicating the specific and dreadful destination. It suggests immersion or complete confinement within.κάμινον (kaminon): "furnace" or "kiln." In the ancient world, a furnace was a place of extreme, consuming heat, often used for refining metals, baking, or burning refuse. Biblically, it is associated with trials (Deut 4:20), judgment, and punishment, such as Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Its usage here implies an enclosed space of inescapable and concentrated suffering.τοῦ πυρός (tou pyros): "of fire." This noun reinforces the primary element of the furnace. Fire, throughout the Bible, is a potent symbol. It can represent God's presence, purification, but also intensely painful and destructive judgment. Here, its destructive aspect is paramount, emphasizing not quick annihilation but enduring, conscious torment and intense heat. The combination creates an image of a literal and horrifying reality.
there (ἐκεῖ):
ἐκεῖ (ekei): "there, in that place." This adverb points to the definitive, inescapable, and specific location where the suffering is to occur. It's not a general state but a localized destiny.
shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων): This recurring, potent phrase encapsulates the dreadful experience of the condemned.
ἔσται (estai): "there shall be," future tense, signifying the absolute certainty and permanence of this condition for those cast into the furnace. It highlights the eternal nature of the suffering.ὁ κλαυθμὸς (ho klauthmos): "the wailing/weeping." This denotes deep, loud, uncontrollable sorrow, lamentation, and hopeless grief. It expresses the bitter anguish of remorse, regret, and the realization of lost opportunity and eternal separation.καὶ (kai): "and," joining two distinct yet complementary expressions of agony.ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων (ho brugmos ton odonton): "the gnashing of teeth." This vivid idiom frequently used by Matthew represents intense suffering, extreme pain, frustrated rage, despair, and impotent fury at their predicament. It is the physical manifestation of inner agony and the realization of one's irrevocable condemnation. It could signify a helpless, maddening grinding of teeth out of despair, or even the intense pain from extreme cold, which paradoxically enhances the fiery context by symbolizing maximum suffering of both types.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "and shall cast them into a furnace of fire": This phrase directly reveals the divine action of judgment and the locus of final punishment. It communicates that the judgment is a definite, forceful act by God's agents, leading to a specific, tangible place. The "furnace of fire" is a clear image of ultimate, inescapable torment, highlighting the severity and intensity of the eternal separation from God's presence, implying conscious experience rather than mere cessation of being.
- "there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth": This recurring, fixed phrase defines the nature of the experience within the furnace. It paints a vivid picture of the profound, conscious, and eternal suffering of the condemned. "Wailing" emphasizes inconsolable grief and deep remorse for what has been lost, while "gnashing of teeth" conveys the agony, despair, frustrated rage, and the utter hopelessness of their irreversible situation. It powerfully communicates the living nightmare of those excluded from the joy of God's Kingdom.
Matthew 13 42 Bonus section
The consistent use of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" in Matthew (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28) signifies more than just general misery. It is almost exclusively the consequence for those cast out of the Kingdom or its joyful celebrations (like the wedding feast), highlighting the ultimate regret and rage of being eternally excluded. The "furnace of fire" may evoke the imagery of Gehenna (the Valley of Hinnom), a historical refuse dump outside Jerusalem where fires perpetually burned, symbolizing a place of utter corruption, decay, and divine judgment for those rejected by God. The imagery thus conveys not merely punishment but absolute defilement and perpetual burning as a consequence of their sin. This verse challenges any perception that ultimate judgment is temporary or less than eternally painful, acting as a crucial polemic against ideas that minimize the severe consequences of rejecting Christ and living a lawless life.
Matthew 13 42 Commentary
Matthew 13:42 stands as a chilling conclusion to Jesus' explanation of the Parable of the Weeds, a solemn warning about the absolute and severe reality of final judgment. The verse is stark and unequivocal. It signifies the irreversible separation of the wicked from the righteous at the end of the age, conducted by angelic agents acting under Christ's authority. The imagery of being "cast into a furnace of fire" points to an actual place of torment, characterized by intense and consuming pain, rather than simple annihilation. This "furnace" is not merely symbolic destruction but implies a continued, conscious state of suffering. The description of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" drives this point home, indicating profound and active anguish—despairing lamentation for their lost opportunities and ultimate remorse, coupled with futile rage and physical pain in their irreversible state. This passage, repeated several times by Matthew, underscores the dreadful consequence for those who live in lawlessness and reject the reign of God, emphasizing the eternal despair and suffering of those permanently excluded from God's presence and kingdom.