Matthew 21 · Verse 32

Matthew 21:32

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
Matthew 21:32, King James Version

Matthew 21:32 in other translations

BSBFor John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
WEBFor John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.
ASVFor John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.
YLTfor John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last--to believe him.
DARBYFor John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the tax-gatherers and the harlots believed him; but ye when ye saw it repented not yourselves afterwards to believe him.
BBEFor John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you had no faith in him, but the tax-farmers and the loose women had faith in him: and you, when you saw it, did not even have regret for your sins, so as to have faith in him.
WebsterFor John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

What does Matthew 21:32 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
32. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness--that is, calling you to repentance; as Noah is styled "a preacher of righteousness" (2Pe 2:5), when like the Baptist he warned the old world to "flee from the wrath to come." and ye believed him not--They did not reject him; nay, they "were willing for a season to rejoice in his light" (Joh 5:35); but they would not receive his testimony to Jesus. but the publicans and the harlots believed him--Of the publicans this is twice expressly recorded, Lu 3:12; 7:29. Of the harlots, then, the same may be taken for granted, though the fact is not expressly recorded. These outcasts gladly believed the testimony of John to the coming Saviour, and so hastened to Jesus when He came. See Lu 7:37; 15:1, &c. and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him--Instead of being "provoked to jealousy" by their example, ye have seen them flocking to the Saviour and getting to heaven, unmoved. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (Mt 21:33-46).

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 32. Mt 21:28

(s) "Publicans" Lk 3:12 (t) "harlots" Lk 7:37 (u) "repented not" Rev 2:21

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 32 John came unto you in the way of righteousness - Proclaiming the truth, and living agreeably to it. Or, John came unto you, who are in the way of righteousness. This seems rather to be the true meaning and construction of this passage. The Jews are here distinguished from the Gentiles. The former were in the way of righteousness, had the revelation of God, and the ordinances of justice established among them; the latter were in the way of unrighteousness, without the Divine revelation, and iniquitous in all their conduct: John came to both, preaching the doctrine of repentance, and proclaiming Jesus the Christ. To say that it was John who came in the way of righteousness, and that to him the words refer, is, in my opinion, saying nothing; for this was necessarily implied: as he professed to come from God, he must not only preach righteousness, but walk in it. It is very difficult to get a worldly minded and self-righteous man brought to Christ. Examples signify little to him. Urge the example of an eminent saint, he is discouraged at it. Show him a profligate sinner converted to God, him he is ashamed to own and follow; and, as to the conduct of the generality of the followers of Christ, it is not striking enough to impress him. John, and Christ, and the apostles preach; but, to multitudes, all is in vain.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:28-32

Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:28-32 →

Matthew 21:32 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.

ἦλθενēlthenCameG2064
γὰρgarforG1063
ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491
πρὸςprostoG4314
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ἐνenin [the]G1722
ὁδῷhodōwayG3598
δικαιοσύνης,dikaiosunēsof righteousness,G1343
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐπιστεύσατεepisteusateyou did believeG4100
αὐτῷ·autōin him;G846
οἱhoi<the>G3588
δὲdehoweverG1161
τελῶναιtelōnaithe tax collectorsG5057
καὶkaiandG2532
αἱhaitheG3588
πόρναιpornaiprostitutesG4204
ἐπίστευσανepisteusanbelievedG4100
αὐτῷ.autōin him.G846
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
δὲdethenG1161
ἰδόντεςidonteshaving seenG1492
οὐδὲoudenot evenG3761
μετεμελήθητεmetemelēthētedid repentG3338
ὕστερονhusteronafterwardG5306
τοῦtou<the>G3588
πιστεῦσαιpisteusaito believeG4100
αὐτῷ.¶autōhim.G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 21:32

  • Luke 7:37-50

    And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. …

  • Luke 7:29-30

    And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

  • Matthew 21:25

    The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

  • Zechariah 7:11-12

    But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.

  • 2 Peter 2:21

    For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

  • Acts 13:25-29

    And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. …

  • John 5:33-40

    Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. …

  • Hebrews 3:12

    Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

  • 2 Timothy 2:25

    In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

  • Revelation 2:21

    And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

  • Matthew 3:1-12

    In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. …

  • Jeremiah 6:16

    Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
came.
3:1-8; Isa 35:8; Jer 6:16; Lu 3:8-13; 2Pe 2:21
and ye believed.
25; 11:18; Lu 7:29,30; Joh 5:33-36; Ac 13:25-29
the publicans.
Lu 7:37-50
repented.
Ps 81:11,12; Zec 7:11,12; Joh 5:37-40; 2Ti 2:25; Heb 3:12; 6:6-8
Re 2:21

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

Context

  • Matthew 21:31

    Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

  • Matthew 21:32

    For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

  • Matthew 21:33

    Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:32 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque vino á vosotros Juan en camino de justicia, y no le creísteis; y los publicanos y las rameras le creyeron; y vosotros, viendo esto, no os arrepentisteis después para creerle.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car Jean est venu à vous dans la voie de la justice, et vous ne l’avez pas cru; mais les publicains et les prostituées l’ont cru; et vous, l’ayant vu, vous n’en avez pas eu de remords ensuite pour le croire.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn Johannes kam zu euch im Wege der Gerechtigkeit, und ihr glaubtet ihm nicht; die Zöllner aber und die Huren glaubten ihm; euch aber, als ihr es sahet, gereute es danach nicht, um ihm zu glauben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Venit enim ad vos Joannes in via justitiæ, et non credidistis ei: publicani autem et meretrices crediderunt ei: vos autem videntes nec pœnitentiam habuistis postea, ut crederetis ei.