MAT 8:11 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But I tell you that many will come from east and west, and they will recline to eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens.

UST So, here is what I want to tell you: many people from every part of the world, including many non-Jewish people, will arrive in God’s heavenly kingdom. They will feast along with our Jewish ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

BLB And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens.

AICNT And I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens,

OEB Yes, and many will come in from East and West and take their places beside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven;

WEBBE I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

LSV and I say to you that many from east and west will come and recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens,

FBV I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

TCNT I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet table in the kingdom of heaven,

T4T I tell you truly that many other non-Jewish people who will believe in me like this Roman officer will come from distant countries, including those far to the east and far to the west [SYN], and they will sit down to eat with [MTY] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in heaven, where God rules.

LEB But I say to you that many will come from east and west and _⌊be seated at the banquet_⌋[fn] with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

8:11 Literally “recline at table”

BBE And I say to you that numbers will come from the east and the west, and will take their seats with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven:

Moff Many, I tell you, will come from east and west and take their places beside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Realm of heaven,

Wymth And I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Heavens,

ASV And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven:

DRA And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven:

YLT and I say to you, that many from east and west shall come and recline (at meat) with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the reign of the heavens,

Drby But I say unto you, that many shall come from [the] rising and setting [sun], and shall lie down at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens;

RV And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven:

SLT And I say to you, That many shall come from the sunrising and the descents, and shall recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens.

Wbstr And I say to you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

KJB-1769 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

KJB-1611 And I say vnto you, that many shall come from the East and West, and shal sit downe with Abraham, and Isaac, & Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps I say vnto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall rest with Abraham, and Isaac, & Iacob, in the kyngdome of heauen.
(I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall rest with Abraham, and Isaac, and Yacob, in the kingdom of heaven.)

Gnva But I say vnto you, that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit downe with Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen.
(But I say unto you, that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Yacob, in the kingdom of heaven. )

Cvdl But I say vnto you: Many shall come from the east and west, and shall rest with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen:
(But I say unto you: Many shall come from the east and west, and shall rest with Abraham, Isaac and Yacob in the kingdom of heaven:)

TNT I say therfore vnto you that many shall come from the eest and weest and shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heven:
(I say therefore unto you that many shall come from the east and weest and shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Yacob in the kingdom of heaven: )

Wycl And Y seie to you, that many schulen come fro the eest and the west, and schulen reste with Abraham and Ysaac and Jacob in the kyngdom of heuenes;
(And I say to you, that many should come from the east and the west, and should rest with Abraham and Ysaac and Yacob in the kingdom of heavens;)

Luth Aber ich sage euch: Viele werden kommen vom Morgen und vom Abend und mit Abraham und Isaak und Jakob im Himmelreich sitzen.
(But I said you: Many become coming from_the morning and from_the evening/night and with Abraham and Isaak and Yakob in_the heaven_riches/kingdom sit.)

ClVg Dico autem vobis, quod multi ab oriente et occidente venient, et recumbent cum Abraham, et Isaac, et Jacob in regno cælorum:[fn]
(Sayo however to_you(pl), that many away east and west they_will_come, and recumbent when/with Abraham, and Isaac, and Yacob in/into/on kingdom of_the_heavens: )

8.11 Ab oriente et occidente venient et recumbent. Vel oriens, qui illuminati statim transeunt; occidens, qui passiones usque ad mortem tolerant. Per istas duas partes mundi ex quibus gentes vocandæ erant designantur.

8.11 From east and west they_will_come and recumbent. Or oriens, who/which illuminati immediately they_pass; occidens, who/which passions until to death tolerant. Per these two parts world from to_whom people/nations vocandæ they_were are_designated.

UGNT λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσιν καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Ἰακὼβ, ἐν τῇ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν;
(legō de humin, hoti polloi apo anatolōn kai dusmōn haʸxousin kai anaklithaʸsontai meta Abraʼam, kai Isaʼak, kai Yakōb, en taʸ Basileia tōn Ouranōn;)

SBL-GNT λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσιν καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν·
(legō de humin hoti polloi apo anatolōn kai dusmōn haʸxousin kai anaklithaʸsontai meta Abraʼam kai Isaʼak kai Yakōb en taʸ basileia tōn ouranōn;)

RP-GNT Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσιν, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν·
(Legō de humin hoti polloi apo anatolōn kai dusmōn haʸxousin, kai anaklithaʸsontai meta Abraʼam kai Isaʼak kai Yakōb en taʸ basileia tōn ouranōn;)

TC-GNT Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσι, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν·
(Legō de humin hoti polloi apo anatolōn kai dusmōn haʸxousi, kai anaklithaʸsontai meta Abraʼam kai Isaʼak kai Yakōb en taʸ basileia tōn ouranōn; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 8:5–13: Jesus healed a Roman army officer’s servant

This section tells the story of a Roman officer who had greater faith than many Jews. This Gentile officer believed that Jesus had the power to heal his servant, even from a distance. Matthew used this story to show Jesus’ power. He also used this story to show that believing Gentiles would also be in the kingdom of God.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The faith of a centurion

A believing Roman army officer

A Roman officer shows he believes strongly in Jesus’ power

There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 7:1–10.

8:11–12

Many Jews believed that when the messiah came, he would establish a kingdom where there would be happiness and rest. They believed that one example of this happiness was a big feast. At that feast, they (the Jews) would have the privilege of celebrating with their important ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All other people (the Gentiles) would be outside in the dark.

Jesus shocked the Jews by telling them that:

The people at the feast will be those who believe. This will include Gentiles.
Many Jews will be the ones outside in the dark.

In some languages, it will be necessary to indicate that 8:11–12 refers to events in the future. Some ways to indicate this are:

I tell you, one day, many will come…

I tell you, in the future, many will come

8:11a

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west

I tell you^(plur) that many people will come from countries to the east and the west of Israel.
I tell you that, in the future, many people who are not Israelites/Jews will arrive from all over the world.

I say to you: The words I say to you emphasize the following words. But this expression is less strong than “Truly, I tell you” (8:10c).

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I tell you (ESV)

Think about this

Listen

many will come from the east and the west: This clause refers to people who live to the east and west of the land of Israel. They are not from Israel. In other words, they are not Jews. They are Gentiles who have faith like the centurion. It may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

many people who are not Jews will come from east and west of Israel

many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west (NLT)

many…from the east and the west: This phrase refers to Gentiles from all areas of the world. In some languages, a literal translation of the east and the west would only refer to two locations. If that is true in your language, you may want to make it clearer. For example:

many Gentiles…from all over the world (NLT96)

Many people…from everywhere (CEV)

8:11b

to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

They will sit and eat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
They will sit and eat at the feast with our great ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

to share the banquet: In Greek this clause is literally “and will recline.” Some English versions translate this this clause literally. For example:

and recline at table (ESV)

The word “recline” refers to the customary position for eating at that time. Jesus used this clause to refer to the future feast that the Jews were hoping for (described above). The position for eating was to lie on one’s side with the elbow propped to raise the shoulders and head.

The exact position while eating is not important here. What is important is that people understand that this clause refers to eating at the great feast in the kingdom of heaven.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

will…sit down…at the feast (GNT)

will sit and eat (NCV)

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: These three men were the first ancestors of the Jews. God gave his promises to them. The Jews expected them to be in heaven. In some languages people are not familiar with whom Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

Include some implied information. For example:
our ^(incl) ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Explain in a footnote. An example footnote is:
These three men were the first ancestors of the Jews. God gave his promises to them. The Jews expected them to be in heaven.

8:11c

in the kingdom of heaven.

in the kingdom of the one who lives in heaven.
in the kingdom where God rules.

the kingdom of heaven: When translating the phrase the kingdom of heaven, there are two issues to consider:

Issue 1: The meaning of heaven

In the phrase the kingdom of heaven, the word heaven is a figure of speech called metonymy. In this figure of speech, heaven refers to God, but it refers to him indirectly by naming the place where he lives and rules. The Jews considered God’s name to be so holy that they hesitated to say it. So instead of pronouncing God’s name directly, they often used the name of the place where he lives and rules. Because Matthew was writing primarily to Jews, he often used the word heaven to refer to God.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven means the same thing as “the kingdom of God.” The phrase the kingdom of heaven only occurs in the book of Matthew. The expression “the kingdom of God” is found in all other books, and it even occurs five times in Matthew.

Here are some other ways to translate heaven in this context:

Make some information explicit. For example:
the one/Lord who lives in heaven
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
God

Issue 2: The meaning of the kingdom of heaven

Both the kingdom of heaven and “the kingdom of God” refer to God’s activity of ruling over his people. God’s rule is not simply giving orders or commands to people. It also includes his protection, care, and blessing for them. God leads, protects, and cares for his people. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king. The phrase kingdom of heaven does not refer to a land or country that God rules over.

Here are some other ways to translate the kingdom of heaven:

As a noun. For example:
the kingdom/rule of the one who lives in heaven
the kingdom of God
God’s kingship
God’s rule over people
As a verbal expression. For example:
God rules his people
God cares for his people as king

This phrase also occurs in 5:19c. See also kingdom of heaven in the Glossary for more information.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγω Δέ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοί ἀπό ἀνατολῶν καί δυσμῶν ἥξουσιν καί ἀνακλιθήσονται μετά Ἀβραάμ καί Ἰσαάκ καί Ἰακώβ ἐν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τῶν Οὐρανῶν)

Here, the word But introduces a development of what Jesus said in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a development, or you could leave But untranslated. Alternate translation: [Indeed,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ὑμῖν

˱to˲_you_all

Here, the word you is plural because Jesus is speaking to everyone who follows him.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

πολλοὶ

Jesus is using the adjective many as a noun to mean many people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [many men and women]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / merism

ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν

Here, Jesus is referring to every direction by naming the directions that are opposities: east and west. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [from every direction]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀνακλιθήσονται

˓will_be_being˒_reclined

In Jesus’ culture, people would usually recline, or lie on one side, when they were eating. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to the position in which people eat in your culture, or you could just refer to eating. Alternate translation: [they will sit down to eat] or [they will eat]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀνακλιθήσονται

˓will_be_being˒_reclined

When Jesus speaks about eating while in the kingdom of the heavens, he could mean: (1) that one thing that people will do is feast together. In this case, Jesus is not using a metaphor. Alternate translation: [they will recline at the feast] (2) that people will rejoice and be happy as if they were at a feast. In this case, Jesus is using a metaphor. Alternate translation: [they will rejoice]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Ἰακὼβ

The words Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the names of the three most important ancestors of Jesus’ people. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who are our important ancestors,]

Parallel MAT 8:11

Section 8:5–13: Jesus healed a Roman army officer’s servant

8:11–12

8:11a

8:11b

8:11c