Matthew 22:6 kjv
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Matthew 22:6 nkjv
And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.
Matthew 22:6 niv
The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
Matthew 22:6 esv
while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
Matthew 22:6 nlt
Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
Matthew 22 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 22:3-5 | And sent forth his servants... But they made light of it, and went... | Initial rejection/neglect of the invitation. |
| Matt 22:7 | But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth... and destroyed those murderers. | Divine judgment for the rejection and violence. |
| Matt 21:35 | And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another... | Parable of the Wicked Tenants; similar violence to messengers. |
| Matt 21:38-39 | But when the husbandmen saw the son... they caught him, and cast him... and slew him. | Foreshadowing the murder of God's Son (Jesus). |
| Matt 23:34 | Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of whom you will kill and crucify... | Jesus' prophecy of continued persecution of His messengers. |
| Luke 14:18-20 | And they all with one consent began to make excuse... | Parallel parable, highlighting various excuses for rejection. |
| Luke 13:34 | O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's history of persecuting prophets. |
| Acts 7:51-53 | You stiff-necked people... You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did... Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? | Stephen's speech on Israel's historical rebellion and killing of prophets. |
| Heb 11:36-38 | Others suffered mocking and flogging... were stoned, were sawn in two... | Persecution endured by faithful Old Testament figures. |
| Neh 9:26 | Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you... and killed your prophets... | Old Testament record of Israel's killing of prophets. |
| 2 Chr 36:15-16 | The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers... But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers... | Israel's long history of despising and mocking God's word and messengers. |
| Jer 26:20-23 | There was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD... and they killed him with the sword. | Example of specific prophets killed for delivering God's message. |
| 1 Kings 18:4, 13 | Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD... Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them. | Persecution of God's prophets by wicked rulers. |
| 1 Kings 19:10 | I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. | Elijah's lament over persecution and his perceived isolation. |
| Rev 11:7 | When they have finished their testimony, the beast... will attack them and conquer and kill them. | Future persecution and killing of God's witnesses in the end times. |
| 1 Thess 2:15 | Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us... | Paul condemns those who killed Jesus and the prophets, showing a pattern. |
| John 15:20 | If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. | Jesus warns His disciples of coming persecution. |
| John 16:2 | Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. | Reveals the spiritual blindness and self-righteousness behind the persecution. |
| Acts 5:40 | And when they had called the apostles and beaten them... commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus... | Example of apostles being physically abused for preaching Christ. |
| Is 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief... | Foreshadows the contempt and rejection Jesus Himself faced. |
| Phil 3:18-19 | For many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. | People who, by their lives, demonstrate hostility to Christ's message. |
| 2 Tim 3:12 | Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. | The ongoing reality of persecution for those who follow Christ. |
| Prov 1:24-25 | Because I have called and you refused... I will scoff at your calamity... | Consequences for persistently rejecting wisdom/God's call. |
Matthew 22 verses
Matthew 22 6 Meaning
Matthew 22:6 is part of the Parable of the Wedding Feast, depicting the escalating rejection of God's gracious invitation to His Son's marriage feast (the Kingdom of Heaven). The verse specifically highlights the violent response of some invited guests who, not content with merely refusing, seized, mistreated, and murdered the king's messengers (servants) who brought the invitation. This act of extreme hostility signifies deep contempt for the king himself and the divine grace extended to them, illustrating humanity's historical rebellion against God and His benevolent offers of salvation.
Matthew 22 6 Context
Matthew 22:6 is situated within Jesus' teachings in Jerusalem during the final days leading up to His crucifixion. It forms part of the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt 22:1-14), delivered primarily to the chief priests and Pharisees (Matt 21:45). This parable follows the Parable of the Two Sons and the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, all of which progressively reveal the spiritual blindness, hypocrisy, and ultimate rejection of God's Son by Israel's religious leadership. Historically and culturally, the Jewish people were familiar with parables, and a king's invitation to a wedding feast was a significant social event, requiring proper respect. The violence described in the verse echoes the long history of Israel's rejection and persecution of God's prophets who were sent with His message, highlighting the religious leaders' direct continuation of this pattern in their treatment of John the Baptist, Jesus, and later, the apostles. It is also a polemic against the contemporary Jewish leadership for their entrenched resistance to God's gracious offer of the kingdom through Christ.
Matthew 22 6 Word analysis
- and the rest (οἱ δὲ λοιποί - hoi de loipoi): Implies a distinct group among the initially invited. Not everyone neglected the invitation; some escalated their disdain into outright hostility. This points to a deeper, active malice beyond mere indifference.
- seized (κρατήσαντες - kratēsantes): From krateō, meaning to lay hold of, to take control, to apprehend forcefully. This isn't accidental or passive, but a deliberate act of taking into custody, indicating premeditated malicious intent. It suggests the messengers were taken against their will, highlighting their vulnerability and the perpetrators' aggression.
- his servants (τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ - tous doulouous autou): "Servants" here refers to God's messengers – prophets in the Old Testament, John the Baptist, and later, Jesus' apostles and disciples in the New Testament. Their identity as "his" servants underscores that an affront to them is a direct affront to the King (God) who sent them.
- and mistreated (ὕβρισαν - hybrisan): From hybrizō, which signifies to treat with insolence, insult, abuse, or outrage. This word denotes not just physical harm, but a violation of dignity and honor, often involving public humiliation, shame, or violent assault that disgraces the person. It goes beyond simple rough handling to indicate an attempt to degrade or dishonor the king's representatives.
- and killed (ἀπέκτειναν - apekteinan): From apokteinō, meaning to put to death, to kill. This is the ultimate act of hostility, the culmination of the preceding violence and disrespect. It demonstrates utter rejection and unrepentant rebellion, sealing the fate of the perpetrators by incurring the King's righteous wrath.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "and the rest seized his servants": This phrase distinguishes a subset of invitees who actively retaliated. Their action of "seizing" implies an aggressive, physical capture of individuals whose sole purpose was to convey an invitation. It reflects a contempt for the king's authority and a desire to silence his message.
- "and mistreated them": This intensifies the rebellion beyond mere capture. "Mistreatment" covers a range of abuses, from physical beating and torture to public shaming and indignity. It shows not just rejection of the message, but active cruelty towards the messengers, revealing the hardened hearts of the rejecters.
- "and killed them": The climax of their defiance. Murdering the king's emissaries is an act of open revolt against the monarch. In the spiritual sense, it symbolizes the ultimate refusal of God's grace and salvation, often culminating in spiritual death or, as shown in the next verse, divine judgment and destruction. It also foreshadows the death of Jesus and later the persecution of His disciples.
Matthew 22 6 Bonus section
This verse carries profound implications for understanding God's relationship with Israel and ultimately with all humanity. The violence committed against the servants is a symbolic representation of Israel's long historical pattern of rejecting and persecuting the prophets whom God sent to them. This historical pattern finds its most severe culmination in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ Himself, the very Son of the King. The parabolic structure allows for this multi-layered interpretation. Furthermore, the escalation from indifference to mistreatment to murder signifies the deepening spiritual depravity that occurs when God's patient invitations are continually rejected. The "rest" who acted violently could represent the segment of the Jewish leadership who were directly complicit in the killing of the Lord. The message applies not only historically but also forewarns of how the Gospel message might be met with hostility by some even today.
Matthew 22 6 Commentary
Matthew 22:6 portrays a stark picture of human rebellion against divine grace. The initial act of indifference (Matt 22:5) quickly escalates to violent opposition. The "servants" represent God's consistent effort throughout history to call humanity, particularly Israel, into relationship with Him through His messengers—prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus Himself, and later, the apostles. The violent acts of seizing, mistreating, and killing underscore the depth of hostility and spiritual blindness that actively resists God's benevolent will. This isn't passive disinterest but an active, malicious rejection that views God's overtures not as an honor, but as an intrusion worthy of violent retaliation. The King's reaction in the subsequent verse demonstrates that such extreme contempt and violence against His representatives, and by extension Himself, will not go unpunished. It serves as a sober warning regarding the consequences of spurning God's invitations and persecuting His chosen messengers.