Matthew 10 · Verse 15

Matthew 10:15

Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Matthew 10:15, King James Version

Matthew 10:15 in other translations

BSBTruly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
WEBMost certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
ASVVerily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
YLTverily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
DARBYVerily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in judgment-day than for that city.
BBETruly I say to you, It will be better for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of God's judging than for that town.
WebsterVerily, I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city.

What does Matthew 10:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable--more bearable. for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city--Those Cities of the Plain, which were given to the flames for their loathsome impurities, shall be treated as less criminal, we are here taught, than those places which, though morally respectable, reject the Gospel message and affront those that bear it. Directions for the Future and Permanent Exercise of the Christian Ministry (Mt 10:16-23).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. It shall be more tolerable for Sodom, etc. The cities here mentioned, together with Admah and Zeboim, were destroyed by fire and brimstone, or by a volcanic eruption, on account of their great wickedness. They occupied the place afterwards covered by the Dead Sea, bounding Palestine on the south-east, Gen 19:24,25. Christ said that their punishment will be more tolerable--that is, more easily borne--than that of the people who reject his gospel, The reason is, that they were not favoured with so much light and instruction. See Mt 11:23,24, Lk 12:47,48. Sodom and Gomorrah are often referred to as signal instances of Divine vengeance, and as sure proofs that the wicked shall not go unpunished. 2Pet 2:6, Jude 1:7

(e) "shall be more tolerable" Mt 11:22,24

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 In the day of judgment - Or, punishment, - κρισεως. Perhaps not meaning the day of general judgment, nor the day of the destruction of the Jewish state by the Romans; but a day in which God should send punishment on that particular city, or on that person, for their crimes. So the day of judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, was the time in which the Lord destroyed them by fire and brimstone, from the Lord out of heaven. If men are thus treated for not receiving the preachers of the Gospel, what will it be to despise the Gospel itself, to decry it, to preach the contrary, to hinder the preaching of it, to abuse those who do preach it in its purity, or to render it fruitless by calumnies and lies! Their punishment, our Lord intimates, shall be greater than that inflicted on the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 10:5-15

The Gentiles must not have the gospel brought them, till the Jews have refused it. This restraint on the apostles was only in their first mission. Wherever they went they must proclaim, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. They preached, to establish the faith; the kingdom, to animate the hope; of heaven, to inspire the love of heavenly things, and the contempt of earthly; which is at hand, that men may prepare for it…

Read the full comment on Matthew 10:5-15 →

Matthew 10:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἀμὴνamēnAmenG281
λέγωlegōI sayG3004
ὑμῖν·huminto you;G4771
ἀνεκτότερονanektoteronMore tolerableG414
ἔσταιestaiit will beG1510
γῇgēafor [the] landG1093
ΣοδόμωνSodomōnof SodomG4670
καὶkaiandG2532
ΓομόρρωνGomorrōnof GomorrahG1116
ἐνenonG1722
ἡμέρᾳhēmeradayG2250
κρίσεωςkriseōsof judgmentG2920
ἢēthanG2228
τῇtēatheG3588
πόλειpoleicityG4172
ἐκείνῃ.ekeinēfor that.G1565

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 10:15

  • John 15:22-24

    If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

  • 2 Peter 2:6

    And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

  • Matthew 11:22-24

    But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 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. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

  • Luke 10:11-12

    Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

  • Ezekiel 16:48-56

    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. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. …

  • 1 John 4:17

    Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

  • 2 Peter 2:9

    The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

  • 2 Peter 3:7

    But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

  • Mark 6:11

    And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

  • Matthew 12:36

    But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

  • Matthew 5:18

    For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

  • Matthew 24:34-35

    Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
verily.
5:18; 24:34,35
It.
11:22-24; Eze 16:48-56; Mr 6:11; Lu 10:11,12; Joh 15:22-24
in the.
12:36; 2Pe 2:9; 3:7; 1Jo 4:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 10:14

    And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

  • Matthew 10:15

    Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

  • Matthew 10:16

    Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Read all of Matthew 10

Matthew 10:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
De cierto os digo, que el castigo será más tolerable á la tierra de los de Sodoma y de los de Gomorra en el día del juicio, que á aquella ciudad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
En vérité, je vous dis: le sort du pays de Sodome et de Gomorrhe sera plus supportable au jour de jugement que celui de cette ville-là.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wahrlich, ich sage euch, es wird dem Lande von Sodom und Gomorra erträglicher ergehen am Tage des Gerichts als jener Stadt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Amen dico vobis: Tolerabilius erit terræ Sodomorum et Gomorrhæorum in die judicii, quam illi civitati.