Matthew 22 · Verse 8

Matthew 22:8

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Matthew 22:8, King James Version

Matthew 22:8 in other translations

BSBThen he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.
WEB“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.
ASVThen saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.
YLTthen saith he to his servants, The marriage-feast indeed is ready, and those called were not worthy,
DARBYThen he says to his bondmen, The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy;
BBEThen he said to his servants, The feast is ready but the guests were not good enough.
WebsterThen he saith to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were invited were not worthy.

What does Matthew 22:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy--for how should those be deemed worthy to sit down at His table who had affronted Him by their treatment of His gracious invitation?

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8.

(p) "were not worthy" Mt 10:11,13, Acts 13:46, Rev 3:4, 22:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Were not worthy - Because they made light of it, and would not come; preferring earthly things to heavenly blessings. Among the Mohammedans, refusal to come to a marriage feast, when invited, is considered a breach of the law of God. Hedayah, vol. iv. p. 91. Any one that shall be invited to a dinner, and does not accept the invitation, disobeys God, and his messenger: and any one who comes uninvited, you may say is a thief, and returns a plunderer. - Mischat ul Mesabih. It was probably considered in this light among all the oriental nations. This observation is necessary, in order to point out more forcibly the iniquity of the refusal mentioned in the text. A man may be said to be worthy of, or fit for, this marriage feast, when, feeling his wretchedness and misery, he comes to God in the way appointed, to get an entrance into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 22:1-14

The provision made for perishing souls in the gospel, is represented by a royal feast made by a king, with eastern liberality, on the marriage of his son. Our merciful God has not only provided food, but a royal feast, for the perishing souls of his rebellious creatures. There is enough and to spare, of every thing that can add to our present comfort and everlasting happiness, in the salvation of his Son Jesus…

Read the full comment on Matthew 22:1-14 →

Matthew 22:8 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.

ΤότεToteThenG5119
λέγειlegeihe saysG3004
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
δούλοιςdouloisservantsG1401
αὐτοῦ·autouof him;G846
ὁhoTheG3588
μὲνmenindeedG3303
γάμοςgamoswedding feastG1062
ἕτοιμόςhetoimosreadyG2092
ἐστιν,estinis,G1510
οἱhoithoseG3588
δὲdehoweverG1161
κεκλημένοιkeklēmenoiinvitedG2564
οὐκouknotG3756
ἦσανēsanwereG1510
ἄξιοι.axioiworthy.G514

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

Cross references for Matthew 22:8

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:5

    Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

  • Revelation 3:4

    Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

  • Acts 13:46

    Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

  • Luke 20:35

    But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

  • Revelation 22:14

    Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

  • Luke 21:36

    Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

  • Matthew 10:11-13

    And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

  • Matthew 10:37-38

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The wedding.
4
but.
10:11-13,37,38; Lu 20:35; 21:36; Ac 13:46; 2Th 1:5; Re 3:4; 22:14

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

Context

  • Matthew 22:7

    But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

  • Matthew 22:8

    Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

  • Matthew 22:9

    Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

Read all of Matthew 22

Matthew 22:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces dice á sus siervos: Las bodas á la verdad están aparejadas; mas los que eran llamados no eran dignos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors il dit à ses esclaves: Les noces sont prêtes, mais les conviés n’en étaient pas dignes;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Dann sagt er zu seinen Knechten: Die Hochzeit ist zwar bereit, aber die Geladenen waren nicht würdig;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tunc ait servis suis: Nuptiæ quidem paratæ sunt, sed qui invitati erant, non fuerunt digni: