Matthew 8:12 kjv
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 8:12 nkjv
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 8:12 niv
But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 8:12 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."
Matthew 8:12 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."
Matthew 8 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 3:9 | "And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’" | Warning against reliance on physical lineage. |
| Matt 7:21 | "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter..." | True obedience vs. mere profession. |
| Matt 7:23 | "Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me...’" | Exclusion from Christ's presence. |
| Matt 13:42 | "and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be..." | "Weeping and gnashing" in judgment. |
| Matt 13:50 | "and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be..." | Same imagery for final judgment. |
| Matt 22:13 | "Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him..." | Man without wedding garment cast into darkness. |
| Matt 24:51 | "and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites..." | Unfaithful servant, "weeping and gnashing." |
| Matt 25:30 | "And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness..." | Parable of talents, lazy servant excluded. |
| Luke 13:28 | "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see..." | Exclusion from the kingdom feast. |
| John 8:39 | "They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If..." | Physical vs. spiritual children of Abraham. |
| Rom 2:28-29 | "For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly...a Jew is one inwardly." | True identity is of the heart, not outward. |
| Rom 9:6-8 | "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel...the children of..." | Not all Abraham's descendants are spiritual heirs. |
| Gal 3:7 | "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham." | Faith, not lineage, makes one Abraham's child. |
| Phil 3:7-9 | "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ..." | Paul's rejection of religious privilege. |
| Heb 4:1 | "Let us therefore be careful lest, while a promise remains of entering..." | Warning against failure to enter God's rest. |
| 1 John 2:17 | "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does..." | Abiding in Christ, not mere worldliness. |
| Psa 112:10 | "The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts..." | Gnashing associated with wicked and despair. |
| Isa 66:24 | "And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the men who..." | Imagery of final destruction and abhorrence. |
| Dan 12:2 | "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some..." | Awake to shame and everlasting contempt. |
| Jer 13:16 | "Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your..." | Warning about coming darkness for disobedience. |
| Joel 1:6 | "...and its teeth are the fangs of a lion." | Gnashing (teeth imagery) in negative contexts. |
Matthew 8 verses
Matthew 8 12 Meaning
This verse conveys a stark warning: those who presume a guaranteed place in God's kingdom by birth, lineage, or mere association, but lack true faith and spiritual commitment, will face exclusion. Their expected inheritance will be lost, and they will be cast into a place of utter darkness, marked by profound sorrow, anguish, and despair.
Matthew 8 12 Context
This verse directly follows Jesus' commendation of the Roman Centurion's great faith (Matt 8:5-10), which surpasses any faith He had found in Israel. In Matthew 8:11, Jesus explicitly states that "many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." This refers to Gentiles entering the Messianic feast, contrary to typical Jewish expectation. Verse 12 then serves as a jarring contrast, an immediate and potent warning to those who, by birthright (as "children of the kingdom," implying Israel), assumed their automatic entry into this kingdom but lacked genuine faith. The historical context is crucial: the prevailing Jewish belief that their lineage from Abraham ensured their participation in the coming Messiah's kingdom. Jesus shatters this presumption, highlighting that spiritual privilege depends on active faith, not ancestral claims.
Matthew 8 12 Word analysis
- But (
de, δέ): A strong adversative conjunction, signifying a stark contrast. It sharply pivots from the welcoming of Gentiles (v.11) to the exclusion of others, setting up a surprising reversal of expectation. - the children of the kingdom (
hyioi tēs basileias, υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας): This phrase is an idiom, often referring to those who inherently belong to or are heirs of the kingdom. In this specific context, it primarily refers to the Jewish people, who believed their physical descent from Abraham granted them automatic membership in God's eternal kingdom. It signifies an inherent claim or assumed privilege. - shall be cast out (
ekblēthēsontai, ἐκβληθήσονται): A forceful verb indicating expulsion or forceful removal. It implies a deliberate, active, and permanent action of rejection. It’s not a passive fading away but a definite banishment. - into outer darkness (
eis to skotos to exōteron, εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον): A powerful metaphor for absolute exclusion from the light and warmth of God’s presence, which represents joy, life, and fellowship. It signifies a state of complete spiritual desolation, separation, and misery, often likened to the dark outside the lighted banqueting hall. - there shall be (
ekeios estai, ἐκεῖ ἔσται): This affirms the certainty and reality of what is to follow. It’s a definite statement of what will occur in that state of exclusion. - weeping (
ho klauthmos, ὁ κλαυθμὸς): Denotes profound and bitter sorrow, grief, lamentation, and intense regret. It suggests the anguish of realizing what has been lost or eternally missed. - and gnashing of teeth (
kai ho brygmos tōn odontōn, καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων): This vivid imagery portrays not just sorrow, but extreme torment, rage, frustration, and despair. It can indicate a grinding of teeth in helpless fury, severe pain, or bitter, uncontrollable remorse at an irrevocable outcome.
Words-group analysis:
- "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out": This phrase dramatically inverts the expected divine order. Those with presumed access are the very ones excluded, underscoring the spiritual nature of the kingdom over racial or lineage claims. It challenges religious presumption and complacency.
- "cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth": This collective phrase depicts the horrifying fate of those who reject God’s grace or assume their salvation. It paints a picture of utter alienation from God and an eternal state of suffering, characterized by intense sorrow and maddening regret.
Matthew 8 12 Bonus section
This verse encapsulates a crucial truth taught by Jesus: God's criteria for kingdom membership are radically different from human expectations. It foreshadows the broader gentile inclusion in the early church and warns against any form of spiritual pride or reliance on external status. The concept of "children of the kingdom" extends beyond ancient Israel to any group that assumes automatic spiritual security through heritage, denominational affiliation, or good works without a true, personal relationship of faith and obedience to Christ. The emphasis on internal faith and repentance over external markers is a consistent theme throughout the New Testament, reminding believers that the kingdom belongs to those who genuinely respond to God's call, regardless of their background, and that complacent or feigned belief leads to dire consequences.
Matthew 8 12 Commentary
Matthew 8:12 serves as a pivotal warning from Jesus, particularly within the immediate context of the Centurion's faith. Jesus emphatically declares that Gentiles will enter the kingdom while "children of the kingdom"—primarily a reference to the Jewish people, but broadly applicable to anyone relying on presumed privilege—will be excluded. This powerfully shatters the prevailing assumption that religious lineage or cultural identity guarantees salvation. The "outer darkness" symbolizes complete separation from the light of God's presence, signifying ultimate spiritual destitution and loss. The vivid imagery of "weeping and gnashing of teeth" describes a state of intense, agonizing sorrow, profound regret, and utter despair, stemming from self-realization of their grave error and permanent loss. It underscores the severity and finality of eternal judgment for those who reject the call of genuine faith and repentance. The verse serves as a sober reminder that access to God's kingdom is by grace through faith in Christ alone, not by heritage or human merit.