Skip to main content

Matthew 11:23

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

KJV

καὶ σύ, Καφαρναούμ, μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ; ἕως ᾅδου καταβιβασθήσῃ, ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί, ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον.

Greek NT

Et tu Capharnaum, numquid usque in cælum exaltaberis ? usque in infernum descendes, quia si in Sodomis factæ fuissent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in te, forte mansissent usque in hanc diem.

Vulgate

And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day.

ASV

And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.

Douay-Rheims

Open in reader with connections →

In this verse

Places Capernaum

In the original Greek

20 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

Καπερναούμ
kapernaoum
noun · 16×
Σόδομα
sodoma
noun · 9×
γίνομαι
ginomai
verb · 667×
δύναμις
dunamis
noun · 119×
εἰ
ei
conditional · 491×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
καταβιβάζω
katabibazo
verb · 2×
μένω
meno
verb · 117×
μέχρι
mechri
adverb · 19×
μή
me
particle · 1033×
οὐρανός
ouranos
noun · 274×
σήμερον
semeron
adverb · 41×
σύ
su
pronoun · 1071×
ἄν
an
particle · 165×
ἐν
en
preposition · 2743×
ἕως
eos
adverb · 145×
o
article · 19778×
ὅτι
oti
conjunction · 1299×
ὑψόω
upsoo
verb · 20×
ᾅδης
ades
noun · 10×

Textual variants

4 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ | WH/Treg/NIV: μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ | RP: ἡ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθεῖσα
  • μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃSBLGNT
  • μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • ἡ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθεῖσαRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: καταβήσῃ | WH/Treg/NIV: καταβήσῃ | RP: καταβιβασθήσῃ
  • καταβήσῃSBLGNT
  • καταβήσῃWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • καταβιβασθήσῃRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἐγενήθησαν | WH/Treg/NIV: ἐγενήθησαν | RP: ἐγένοντο
  • ἐγενήθησανSBLGNT
  • ἐγενήθησανWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • ἐγένοντοRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἔμεινεν | WH/Treg/NIV: ἔμεινεν | RP: ἔμειναν
  • ἔμεινενSBLGNT
  • ἔμεινενWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • ἔμεινανRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

6 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§678Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.581 Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light.582 Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God's grace as nothing be condemned.583 Our attitude to our neighbour will disclose acceptance or refusal of g…
The prophets were sent from one and the same Father from whom the Son was sent. 1. Which [God] the Lord does not reject, nor does He say that the prophets [spoke] from another god than His Father; nor from any other essence, but from one and the same Father; nor that any other being made the things in the world, except His own Father, when He speaks as follows in His teaching: …
2. At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus. For Herod the king, this man's father, he that slew the children, was dead. But not without a purpose does the evangelist signify the time, but to make you observe also the haughtiness of the tyrant, and his thoughtlessness, in that not at the beginning did he inform himself about Christ, but after a very long time.…
3. At that time then, owing to his emotion, the nobleman gave no great heed to the words, or to those only which related to his son, yet he would afterwards recollect what had been said, and draw from thence the greatest advantage. As indeed was the case. But what can be the reason why in the case of the centurion He by a free offer undertook to come, while here though invited,…

Cross-references

  • 2Pet 2:4 — For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
  • Acts 2:27 — Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
  • Dan 4:11 — The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
  • Ezek 16:48 — As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
  • Ezek 28:12 — Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
  • Ezek 31:16 — I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water,
  • Gen 13:13 — But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
  • Gen 19:5 — And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
  • Gen 19:24 — Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
  • Isa 14:13 — For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
  • Isa 14:15 — Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
  • John 4:46 — So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
  • 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 ete
  • Lam 2:1 — How hath the LORD covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!
  • Lam 2:1 — How hath the LORD covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!
  • Luke 4:23 — And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
  • Luke 10:15 — And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
  • Luke 14:11 — For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
  • Luke 17:29 — But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
  • Matt 4:13 — And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
  • Matt 4:13 — And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
  • Matt 8:5 — And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
  • Matt 8:5 — And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
  • Matt 16:18 — And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
  • Matt 16:18 — And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
  • Obad 1:4 — Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
  • Rev 11:8 — And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.