But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.
πλην λεγω υμιν οτι γη σοδομων ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η σοι
13 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 29 commentaries
This makes the accusation heavier, for it is a proof of extreme wickedness, that they are worse, not only than any then living, but than the wickedest of all past time.
That you should not say that they were by nature evil, He names Bethsaida, a town from which the Apostles had come, namely, Philip, and two pair of the chief of the Apostles, Peter and Andrew, James and John.
A certain Catholic disputant of some note expounded this place of the Gospel in the following way; That the Lord foreknew that they of Tyre and Sidon would fall from the faith after they had believed the miracles done among them; and that therefore in mercy He did not His miracles there; because they would have incurred the heavier penalty had they lapsed from the faith after having held it, than if they had never held it at all. Or otherwise, The Lord surely foreknew His mercies with which He deigns to deliver us. And this is the predestination of the saints, namely, the foreknowledge and making ready the mercies of God, by which they are most certainly saved, whosoever are saved.
The rest are left to the just judgment of God in the general body of the condemned, where they of Tyre and Sidon are left, who might have believed had they seen Christ’s many miracles; but since it was not given them that they should believe, therefore that through which they might have believed was also withheld. From which it appears, that there are certain who have in their dispositions by nature a divine gift of understanding by which they would be moved to faith, if they should either hear words or see signs adapted to their minds. But if they be not by the high sentence of God set apart from the mass of perdition through the predestination of grace, then neither words nor works are set before them by God, which yet, could they have seen or heard them, would have stirred them to believe. In this general mass of perdition are the Jews also left, who could not believe so great and manifest wonders wrought before their eyes. And the cause wherefore they could not believe, the Gospel hath not hidden, speaking thus; Though he did so great miracles before them, yet could they not believe, as Esaias said, I have blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart. (John 12:37) Not in this way then were the eyes of they of Tyre and Sidon blinded, or their heart hardened, for they would have believed had they seen such wonders as these saw. But it profited those not that they could have believed, for that they were not predestinated; neither would it have been any hindrance to these that they had not power to believe, had they been so predestined that God should have enlightened their blindness, and taken away the heart of stone from within them.
Luke also gives this as spoken in continuation of some other of the Lord’s discourses; from which it appears that he has rather followed the actual order of events; Matthew to have followed his recollection. Or the words of Matthew, Then began he to upbraid the towns, must be taken, as some think, as expressing some particular time by the word then, but not referring generally to that time in which the many other things here told were done and said. Whoever, therefore, thinks thus must suppose that this was spoken twice.
And when we find in the same Evangelist some things spoken by the Lord at two different times—like that in Luke concerning the not taking a scrip for their journey,—what wonder is it if any thing else, which was twice spoken, is found once severally in two several Gospels in the actual connexion in which it was spoken, which connexion is different, because they are two different occasions on which it is related to have been spoken?
It is not then true that His Gospel was not preached in those times and places, in which He foreknew that all would be such, as were many in His actual presence, who would not even believe on Him when He raised men from the dead. For the Lord Himself bears witness that they of Tyre and Sidon would have done penitence in great humility, had the wonders of the Divine power been done in them.
Moreover, if the dead are judged according to those deeds which they would have done had they lived, then because these would have believed had the Gospel been preached to them with so great miracles, surely they should not be punished at all, and yet in the day of judgment they shall be punished; for it follows, But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. Those then shall be punished with more, these with less severity.
In Capharnaum, which is interpreted ‘the most fair town,’ Jerusalem is condemned, to which it is said by Ezekiel, Sodom is justified by thee. (Ezek. 16:52)
The careful reader will hesitate here; If Tyre and Sidon could have done penitence at the preaching of the Saviour, and His miracles, they are not in fault that they believed not; the sin is his who would not preach to bring them to penitence. To this there is a ready answer, that we know not God’s judgments, and are ignorant of the sacraments of His peculiar dispensations. It was determined by the Lord not to pass the borders of Judæa, that He might not give the Pharisees and Priests a just occasion of persecuting Him, as also He gave commandment to the Apostles, Go not into the way of the Gentiles. Corozaim and Bethsaida are condemned because they would not believe, though Christ Himself was among them—Tyre and Sidon are justified, because they believed His Apostles. You should not enquire into times when you see the salvation of those that believe.
In other copies we find, And thou, Capharnaum, that art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; and it may be understood in two different ways. Either, thou shalt go down to hell because thou hast proudly resisted my preaching; or, thou that hast been exalted to heaven by entertaining me, and having my mighty wonders done in thee, shalt be visited with the heavier punishment, because thou wouldest not believe even these.
His upbraiding of the towns of Corozaim, Bethsaida, and Capharnaum, is set forth in this chapter, because He therefore upbraided them, because after He had such mighty works and wonders in them they had not done penitence. Whence He adds, Wo for thee, Corozaim! wo for thee, Bethsaida!
In this word Wo, these towns of Galilee are mourned for by the Saviour, that after so many signs and mighty works, they had not done penitence.
And to these are preferred Tyre and Sidon, cities given up to idolatry and vices; For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago done penitence in sackcloth and ashes.
We ask where it is written that the Lord did wonders in Corozaim and Bethsaida? We read above, And he went about the towns and villages, healing all sicknesses, &c. (ch., 9:35.) among the rest, therefore, we may suppose that He wrought signs in Corozaim and Bethsaida.
This is because Tyre and Sidon had trodden under foot the law of nature only, but these towns after they had transgressed the natural and the written Law, also made light of those wonders which had been wrought among them.
In sackcloth is the roughness which denotes the pricking of the conscience for sin, ashes denote the dust of the dead; and both are wont to be employed in penitence, that the pricking of the sackcloth may remind us of our sins, and the dust of the ash may cause us to reflect what we have become by judgment.
Corozaim, which is interpreted ‘my mystery,’ and Bethsaida, ‘the house of fruits’ or, ‘the house of hunters,’ are towns of Galilee situated on the shore of the sea of Galilee. The Lord therefore mourns for towns which once had the mystery of God, and which ought to have brought forth the fruit of virtues, and into which spiritual hunters had been sent.
Tyre and Sidon axe cities of Phœnicia. Tyre is interpreted ‘narrowness,’ and Sidon ‘hunting;’ and denote the Gentiles whom the Devil as a hunter drives into the straits of sin; but Jesus the Saviour sets them free by the Gospel.
We at this day see the words of the Saviour fulfilled; Corozaim and Bethsaida would not believe when the Lord came to them in person; but Tyre and Sidon have afterwards believed on the preaching of the Apostles.
The Lord, who knows all things, here uses a word expressing uncertainty—perhaps, to shew that freedom of choice is left to men. But I say unto you, it shall be easier for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. And be it known, that in speaking of the city or country, the Lord does not chide with the buildings and walls, but with the men that inhabit there, by the figure metonymy, putting the thing containing for the thing contained. The words, It shall be easier in the day of judgment, clearly prove that there are divers punishments in hell, as there are divers mansions in the kingdom of heaven.
We may also answer in another way. There were many in Corozaim and Bethsaida who would believe, and many in Tyre and Sidon who would not believe, and therefore were not worthy of the Gospel. The Lord therefore preached to the dwellers in Corozaim and Bethsaida, that they who were to believe, might be able; and preached not in Tyre and Sidon, lest perhaps they who were not to believe, being made worse by contempt of the Gospel, should be punished more heavily.
And they have made the sins not of Sodom only and Gomorrah, but of Tyre and Sidon light in comparison, and therefore it follows, For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would perhaps have remained unto this day.
Capharnaum was the metropolis of Galilee, and a noted town of that province, and therefore the Lord mentions it particularly, saying, And thou, Capharnaum, shalt thou indeed be exalted to heaven. Thou shalt go down even to hell.
But I tell you, inhabitants of Capernaum, that the land of Sodom will fare better on the Day of Judgment than you, O wretched city! How remarkably this dire pronouncement of the Lord came to pass for the cities He condemned! Not long after this divine decree, all these cities faced total destruction, laid waste by the Romans, leaving travelers to speculate about the exact locations of these once-thriving centers. Moreover, as St. Chrysostom points out, the residents of these towns were not inherently wicked: from Bethsaida emerged five apostles—Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Philip—demonstrating that the kingdom of God and the grace of Christ were near to their hearts. Yet they chose to reject it, amplifying their culpability even further. "They seemed," St.
Chrysostom observes, "the most depraved not only among their peers but of all the ungodly throughout history," even worse than the people of Sodom! Previously, when chastising them, the Lord cited the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba as examples of virtue; now He condemns them by drawing comparisons to grievous sinners, which is indeed far more dreadful. “Let us take this to heart,” encourages the teacher from Chrysostom, “for the Savior has decreed a punishment that is even harsher than that of the Sodomites for us, if we fail to keep His commandments. Christ speaks to us—through His Holy Gospel, the teachings of our shepherds and Church Fathers, and the transforming grace of the Holy Sacraments—and He is just as present to us as He was to the inhabitants of Capernaum, where He sojourned. To us, He declared, ‘Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20). We must be mindful of the sins that led to the condemnation of the people of Capernaum ‘even to hell.’ Once, the Monk Macarius the Great questioned the skull of an idol priest: ‘Is there any suffering worse than that which awaits idolaters?’ The skull replied: ‘We who did not know the true God, though ignorance spared us somewhat, still experience His mercy; but below us, in the depths of the abyss, those who knew God yet chose to forsake Him and disregarded His commandments endure far greater and unspeakable torments. Indeed, ‘he that knew his master's will ... and did not do according to his will, shall be beaten much’ (Luke 12:47). During this period, the seventy apostles returned to the Lord with joy, reporting that even the demons submitted to them in His name. This marked the start of the triumph of His teachings over the dominion of Satan. Luke notes that He rejoiced in spirit, and as a means to caution His disciples against pride, He lifted a prayerful declaration to His Father, making it clear that their victories over demons were achieved through the power of God, who had unveiled the secrets of His kingdom to them.
The Lord, in deep sorrow, declared judgment upon the unyielding towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—exalted because of His presence and works among them. Despite the numerous miracles He had performed and His many teachings, He found only a few who were genuine and wise in heart. A fate more dire than that of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom is destined for you.
In the Gospel of Matthew, there is a connection made between the discourse regarding John the Baptist and the condemnation of cities that remained uninformed by the works of the Savior. This theme is also reflected in Luke's account when he sent out seventy disciples to proclaim the Good News. Luke highlights Jesus' gratitude to God the Father for disclosing the mysteries of His kingdom to the humble and simple. In conjunction with this, Luke presents the teaching of Jesus as the uniquely begotten Son of God. It appears that Christ expressed His appreciation to the Father upon the return of the seventy disciples, but it is challenging to ascertain which Gospel writer provides the more precise chronological account of these events.
However, it is likely that Christ's denunciation of the cities occurred near the conclusion of His earthly ministry, thus placing it in chronological order in Luke's narrative. Similarly, Jesus' praise likely arose in response to the display of profound faith by His followers and is thereby also arranged sequentially within Luke's account.
In concluding His guidance to the seventy disciples regarding their conduct while spreading the Gospel, the Lord affirmed their divinely ordained authority through a solemn warning, foretelling severe judgment for those who would turn away from their message: “I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom in that day than for that city” (Luke 10:12). Sodom and its surrounding cities, which indulged in various debaucheries, have already faced destruction by fire. However, that is only a precursor to the eternal judgment by fire (Jude 1:7). On that day, they will encounter God's final judgment. A harsh reckoning is anticipated for the wicked dwellers of these cities.
Even more dreadful suffering awaits those who refuse apostolic preaching, for the people of Sodom would have repented had they witnessed the multitude of miracles that Christ and the apostles performed (Matthew 11:23). Following this, the Lord pronounced woe upon the cities where His miracles were most evident but where there was no repentance: Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Notably, Capernaum was the very city where the Lord resided after departing from Nazareth (Matthew 4:13) and where many of His miracles occurred. The specific locations of Chorazin and Bethsaida are less clear, with Chorazin being referenced only here. Given that Christ's ministry primarily unfolded on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, it is reasonable to assume that Chorazin was one of the neighboring towns to Capernaum. Similarly, it is likely that Bethsaida mentioned here refers to the town on the western shore of the sea, the birthplace of the apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip (John 4:44). Chorazin and Bethsaida are contrasted with Tyre and Sidon, not only because they were Gentile territories (Phoenician cities along the eastern Mediterranean), but also because their affluent populations seemed least inclined to heed spiritual matters. “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, thou shalt be brought down to hell.” Capernaum was also a trade city, more significant than its neighboring towns along the Sea of Galilee. However, Christ's presence transformed it into the heart of a monumental spiritual movement resulting from His ministry. Yet, despite its high standing, it faced humiliation thereafter; during the Jewish war, it, along with its neighboring towns, was utterly ravaged and desolated.
And you, Capernaum, exalted to the heights. To be elevated to the heavens signifies ambition and pride. Capernaum held a notable position among the cities of Galilee, yet it gained prominence primarily because Jesus Christ resided there. Many sought His teachings and healing from their ailments, drawing crowds from all directions, and He performed numerous miracles within its bounds. Jesus drew a comparison with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, notorious for their inhabitants’ depravity, which faced destruction through fire and brimstone (Genesis 9). Capernaum, which reached heavenly heights, will instead face a descent into the depths; for if the miracles that occurred in you had been witnessed in Sodom, that city would have stood to this day.
Yet I tell you, the land of Sodom will stand in greater favor on the day of judgment than you. Here, the term hell does not denote its conventional meaning but serves as a contrast to heaven: he who has been highly exalted will face a fall into destruction; and the residents of Capernaum, who turned away from Christ, will encounter a fate far more dire in the afterlife than the wicked denizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. The initial part of the Lord’s judgment upon these cities came to pass swiftly: during the conflict between the Jews and Romans, when Jerusalem was laid waste, these towns met the same fate; only remnants remain, with today’s desolate villages standing in place of what were once vibrant cities.
By this point, it had become clear that even in the towns where the Savior had predominantly taught and performed miracles, the inhabitants did not consistently demonstrate genuine faith in the forthcoming Messiah. They seemed reluctant to abandon their misguided notion of a triumphant Messiah. Rather than focusing on the kingdom of heaven, they were consumed with a desire for vengeance against their Roman oppressors and fostered a lofty aspiration for a time when even Rome would yield to the anticipated Messiah. In response, the Savior issued a grave admonition. “Then He began to rebuke the cities where His miracles were most evident for their refusal to repent.
Woe unto you, Chorazin, woe unto you, Bethsaida, for if the miracles performed among you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, Tyre and Sidon, those wicked Gentile cities of nearby Phoenicia, will fare better on the day of judgment than you. And you, Capernaum, exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the works done in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I say to you, the land of Sodom will be more bearable on the day of judgment than you.” Through these statements, Christ was not only acting as a prophet but also as a Judge, whose decree was destined to be executed with terrifying precision. Most of these cities lie in ruins, with not a stone left upon another, and their exact locations are now either forgotten or debated.
"More rewarding": refer to the same commentary. "To you" is directed toward the residents of this city, and "to you" also addresses the city as a whole (Euph. Sig.); the term "you" is not meant for the audience of the Lord (see Matt. 11:22).
The towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, where many miraculous deeds were done, serve as a compelling illustration of the disbelief that provoked Jesus' admonitions to His generation. Addressing these towns with strong disapproval, the Lord announced a grim outcome as just punishment for their unparalleled lack of faith: Woe unto you, Chorazin; woe unto you, Bethsaida, for if the miracles performed among you had been witnessed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will fare better on the day of judgment than you. And you, O Capernaum, who have been exalted to the heavens, will be brought down to Hades; for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.
But I tell you, Sodom will have a more favorable outcome on the day of judgment than you. The prophetic declarations of the Savior have been fulfilled so precisely that even today, travelers debate the whereabouts of these cities, utterly destroyed to their very foundations.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS