Matthew 22:1 kjv
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Matthew 22:1 nkjv
And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:
Matthew 22:1 niv
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
Matthew 22:1 esv
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
Matthew 22:1 nlt
Jesus also told them other parables. He said,
Matthew 22 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 14:16-24 | Then Jesus said to him, "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests..." | Parallel parable of the great banquet |
| Matt 21:23 | When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him... | Direct context: Opposition from religious leaders |
| Matt 21:33-46 | "Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard..." | Preceding parables confronting the Jewish leaders |
| Isa 55:1-3 | Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come... | God's open invitation to a spiritual feast |
| Prov 9:1-6 | Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars... She calls from the highest places. | Wisdom's invitation to her feast and wisdom |
| Zeph 1:7-8 | Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near... | A call to prepare for God's divine invitation |
| Matt 13:10-15 | The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"... | Purpose of parables: revealing and concealing truth |
| Mk 4:10-12 | As soon as he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the par parables... | Purpose of parables |
| Ps 78:2-6 | I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from of old—things... | Biblical precedent for teaching in parables |
| Jer 7:25-26 | From the time your ancestors came out of Egypt until now, I have sent you my servants... | God's persistent sending of prophets/messengers |
| Neh 9:26-30 | "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they threw your law behind their backs..." | Israel's history of rejecting God's messengers |
| Rom 10:21 | But concerning Israel he says: "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and... | God's continued offer despite rejection |
| Acts 7:51-53 | "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised... | Stephen's indictment: resistance to the Holy Spirit |
| John 12:40-41 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes..." | Isaiah's prophecy of Israel's spiritual blindness |
| Heb 12:25 | See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused... | Warning against rejecting God who speaks |
| Rev 19:7-9 | Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come... | Eschatological wedding feast of the Lamb |
| Isa 25:6-8 | On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples... | Prophecy of the Messiah's great feast for all |
| Matt 8:11-12 | I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places... | Gentiles included in the Kingdom, natural heirs excluded |
| Lk 13:28-29 | There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... | Warning of exclusion from the Kingdom |
| Matt 21:43 | "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you..." | Kingdom taken from current leaders given to others |
| Hos 11:2-7 | But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me... | God's call and Israel's turning away |
Matthew 22 verses
Matthew 22 1 Meaning
Matthew 22:1 marks the beginning of the Parable of the Wedding Feast. It describes Jesus resuming His teaching to the Jewish religious leaders in the temple, delivering another parable in response to their persistent challenge to His authority and their rejection of God's truth. This verse sets the stage for a critical teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven and the consequences of spurning God's gracious invitation to salvation.
Matthew 22 1 Context
Matthew 22:1 takes place within Jesus' final week of teaching in Jerusalem, specifically in the Temple precincts, just days before His crucifixion. The immediate context is a series of escalating confrontations between Jesus and the chief priests and elders. Chapter 21 details Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11), His cleansing of the temple (Matt 21:12-17), His cursing of the fig tree (Matt 21:18-22), and then the direct challenge to His authority by the religious leaders (Matt 21:23). In response, Jesus told two parables: the Parable of the Two Sons (Matt 21:28-32), which illustrated the hypocritical obedience of the religious leaders compared to repentant sinners, and the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matt 21:33-46), which directly condemned the leaders for rejecting God's prophets and His Son, declaring the Kingdom would be taken from them. Matthew 22:1 introduces the third and final parable in this sequence, continuing Jesus' powerful denouncement and further revealing divine judgment. Historically, the rejection by Jewish leaders and eventual destruction of Jerusalem are implicit.
Matthew 22 1 Word analysis
And (Καὶ - Kai): A simple conjunction, yet significant. It acts as a continuation or logical progression, connecting this new parable directly to the preceding challenging discourse and parables in chapter 21. It signifies that this parable is not a new topic, but an extension of Jesus' ongoing response to the religious leaders' antagonism.
Jesus (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The Greek transliteration of the Hebrew "Yeshua," meaning "Yahweh saves." In this context, it highlights the divine authority and identity of the one speaking, despite being challenged by earthly religious leaders.
answered (ἀποκριθεὶς - apokritheis): Although it literally means "answered," in the Gospel narratives, this verb frequently introduces a discourse that isn't a direct answer to an explicit question. Here, it indicates Jesus' response to the unspoken attitudes, hardened hearts, and implied challenge of the chief priests and Pharisees from the previous verses (Matt 21:45-46). He is speaking in reply to their resistance and rejection.
again (πάλιν - palin): This adverb emphasizes repetition or renewal. Jesus is speaking in parables yet again, despite the religious leaders having understood and been angered by the previous parables' condemnatory nature (Matt 21:45). It highlights Jesus' persistent teaching and warning, as well as the religious leaders' continued rejection.
and spoke (ἐλάλησεν - elalēsen): From "laleō," meaning "to speak" or "to talk." It simply indicates the act of verbal communication, but given the context of "answered again," it suggests a continuation of a weighty address.
to them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Refers directly to "the chief priests and the Pharisees" mentioned in Matthew 21:45, indicating that this parable is addressed specifically to these resistant religious leaders. It underlines the direct confrontational nature of Jesus' words.
in parables (ἐν παραβολαῖς - en parabolais): Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. For Jesus, they served multiple purposes: to illustrate divine truth for those willing to hear, to veil the truth from those whose hearts were hardened (as described in Matt 13:10-15), and often, as in this case, to confront His opponents indirectly yet powerfully.
saying (λέγων - legōn): A participle meaning "saying" or "speaking," commonly used to introduce direct speech in narrative.
Words-group Analysis: "Jesus answered again and spoke to them in parables"This phrase encapsulates Jesus' ongoing strategy of confrontation and divine revelation. "Answered again" reveals His persistent engagement with resistant authorities. The deliberate choice to speak "in parables" indicates a nuanced communication style: clarity for those with open hearts and a veiled challenge to those entrenched in unbelief. It highlights that Jesus is not backing down but continuing to reveal God's truth and expose hypocrisy, using a form of teaching that demands spiritual discernment. This particular teaching moment is crucial, occurring at the height of opposition in the temple.
Matthew 22 1 Bonus section
- The timing of this verse within Matthew's Gospel—just days before Jesus' crucifixion—is significant. It underscores the profound theological purpose of these final parables, acting as a crescendo of warning and divine disclosure before the Passion.
- The continued use of parables here, despite the direct confrontations in Matthew 21, implies Jesus' commitment to revealing spiritual truths even to those who reject them, leaving them without excuse. It is also a form of strategic communication where truths can be conveyed and discerned according to spiritual readiness.
- This specific parable (the Wedding Feast) builds upon the theme of God's long-suffering invitation, linking it to the historical rejection by Israel and expanding the invitation's scope beyond traditional boundaries, implicitly setting the stage for the Gospel going to the Gentiles.
Matthew 22 1 Commentary
Matthew 22:1 serves as a vital transition, moving Jesus' direct condemnations of the Jewish leadership into a new parable that continues to unveil their rejection of God's grace and foretells the consequences. Jesus, still "in parables" as was His characteristic teaching method, once again addresses His hostile audience directly. The use of "answered again" emphasizes the unbroken dialogue, even if unspoken, between Jesus' divine authority and the leaders' human obstinacy. It’s a divine retort to their previous understanding of and anger at His earlier parables. This setting highlights the critical nature of the impending judgment, for the parable that follows is not just an illustration but a prophecy of Jerusalem's future destruction and the expanded invitation to God's Kingdom. It prepares the listeners for a powerful metaphor concerning the ultimate wedding feast of God’s Son and humanity's varied responses to such a grand, salvific invitation.