Matthew 22:10

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

So {G2532} those {G1565} servants {G1401} went out {G1831} into {G1519} the highways {G3598}, and gathered together {G4863} all {G3956} as many as {G3745} they found {G2147}, both {G5037} bad {G4190} and {G2532} good {G18}: and {G2532} the wedding {G1062} was furnished {G4130} with guests {G345}.

The slaves went out into the streets, gathered all the people they could find, the bad along with the good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests.

Matthew 22:10 KJV is a pivotal verse within Jesus' Parable of the Wedding Feast, illustrating the dramatic shift in God's invitation to His kingdom. After the initial invited guests refused and even harmed the king's servants, the king commands his servants to go out into the public ways and invite everyone they find, regardless of their social standing or perceived righteousness.

Context

This parable, found in Matthew 22:1-14, immediately follows Jesus' sharp rebukes of the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. It serves as a strong indictment against those who had been given the first opportunity to enter God's kingdom—represented by the initial wedding invitation—but vehemently rejected it. The king in the parable symbolizes God, the son is Jesus Christ, and the wedding feast signifies the Kingdom of Heaven or the blessings of salvation. Verse 10 marks the turning point where the invitation, initially extended to Israel, is now broadened to include all people, reflecting God's universal grace after the rejection by His chosen people.

Key Themes

  • Universal Invitation: The command to gather "all as many as they found, both bad and good," powerfully conveys that God's salvation is not exclusive to a privileged few but is offered freely to everyone. This inclusivity underscores the boundless nature of divine grace.
  • Divine Sovereignty and Fulfillment: Despite the initial rejection, the king's purpose—to have his wedding feast fully furnished—is ultimately achieved. This highlights God's unwavering resolve to gather His people and establish His kingdom, regardless of human resistance.
  • The Nature of the Kingdom: The verse suggests that the visible church or the initial gathering into God's kingdom will comprise a mixed multitude—those who are outwardly "good" and those who are "bad." This foreshadows the need for a further distinction, as seen in the subsequent verse regarding the wedding garment.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek phrase translated "highways" is διέξοδος (diexodoi), which refers to crossroads, exits, or public thoroughfares outside the city. This choice of word emphasizes that the servants were to go beyond the usual paths and invite those typically marginalized or overlooked by society, reaching out to the broader populace. The phrase "both bad and good" (πονηροὺς τε καὶ ἀγαθούς - ponerous te kai agathous) explicitly indicates that the invitation is extended indiscriminately, without prior judgment of worthiness, signifying the initial call to all humanity into the fellowship of the kingdom.

Practical Application

Matthew 22:10 serves as a powerful reminder of the expansive nature of God's grace and His desire for all people to come to Him. For believers, it calls us to imitate the servants' zeal by extending the Gospel invitation to everyone, without prejudice or pre-judgment, just as Jesus commanded in the Great Commission. It reassures us that God's plan of salvation will not be thwarted and that His kingdom will indeed be filled with guests from all walks of life, underscoring the vital truth that salvation is by grace through faith, open to all who respond to the call.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:9

    ¶ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

  • 1 Corinthians 6:11

    And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:21

    [And] lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and [that] I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

  • Revelation 2:20

    Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

  • Revelation 2:23

    And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

  • Matthew 13:47

    Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

  • Matthew 13:48

    Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

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