The Meaning of Matthew 22:9 Explained

Matthew 22:9

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

YLT: be going, then, on to the cross-ways, and as many as ye may find, call ye to the marriage-feasts.

Darby: go therefore into the thoroughfares of the highways, and as many as ye shall find invite to the wedding feast.

ASV: Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Matthew 22:9 Mean?

Study Notes

go ye
The world-wide call. Matthew 28:16-20 ; Revelation 22:17

Context Summary

Matthew 22:1-14 - The Penalty Of Slighting The Invitation
We have here a continuation of our Lord's teaching on that last great day in the Temple. This day seems to have begun with Matthew 21:23, and it continued to Matthew 25:46. What wonder that His strength was prematurely exhausted, and that He succumbed so soon under the anguish of His cross!
In this parable He describes His union with His people under the symbolism of marriage. This must have suggested the allusions of Ephesians 5:23-32, where the Apostle tells us that Christ loved the Church as His bride; and of Romans 7:1-4, where He encourages us to believe that we may be married to Him who was raised from the dead. We can never forget Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9. Messenger after messenger was sent to the Hebrew people, but as they would not come, the Church was called from the highways and byways of the world to occupy the vacant space. But let us see to it that we are clothed in the spotless robe of His righteousness, in which alone we can stand in the searching light of eternity. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 22

1  The parable of the marriage of the king's son
9  The vocation of the Gentiles
12  The punishment of him who lacked a wedding garment
15  Tribute ought to be paid to Caesar
23  Jesus confutes the Sadducees for the resurrection;
34  answers which is the first and great commandment;
41  and puzzles the Pharisees by a question about the Messiah

Greek Commentary for Matthew 22:9

The partings of the highways [τας διεχοδους των οδων]
Vulgate, exitus viarum. Διοδοι — Diodoi are cross-streets, while διεχοδοι — diexodoi (double compound) seem to be main streets leading out of the city where also side-streets may branch off, “by-ways.” [source]
Highways [διεξόδους]
Literally, the word means a way out through; passage, outlet, thoroughfare. The idea of crossings grows out of the junction of the smaller cross-ways with the trunk roads. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 22:9

Matthew 22:2 A marriage feast [γαμους]
The plural, as here (Matthew 22:2, Matthew 22:3, Matthew 22:4, Matthew 22:9), is very common in the papyri for the wedding festivities (the several acts of feasting) which lasted for days, seven in Judges 14:17. The very phrase here, γαμους ποιειν — gamous poiein occurs in the Doric of Thera about b.c. 200. The singular γαμος — gamos is common in the papyri for the wedding contract, but Field (Notes, p. 16) sees no difference between the singular here in Matthew 22:8 and the plural (see also Genesis 29:22; Esther 9:22; 1 Maccabees 10:58). [source]
Luke 15:4 Go after that which is lost [πορευεται επι το απολωλος]
The one lost sheep There is nothing more helpless than a lost sheep except a lost sinner. The sheep went off by its own ignorance and folly. The use of επι — epi for the goal occurs also in Matthew 22:9; Acts 8:26; Acts 9:11.Until he find it (εως ευρηι αυτο — heōs heurēi auto). Second aorist active subjunctive of ευρισκω — heuriskō common verb, with εως — heōs common Greek idiom. He keeps on going (πορευεται — poreuetai linear present middle indicative) until success comes (effective aorist, ευρηι — heurēi). [source]
Romans 4:17 Calleth [καλοῦντος]
The verb is used in the following senses: 1. To give a name, with ὄνομα name Matthew 1:21, Matthew 1:22, Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:13, Luke 1:31; without ὄνομα Luke 1:59, Luke 1:60. To salute by a name, Matthew 23:9; Matthew 22:43, Matthew 22:45. -DIVIDER-
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2. Passive. To bear a name or title among men, Luke 1:35; Luke 22:25; 1 Corinthians 15:9. To be acknowledged or to pass as, Matthew 5:9, Matthew 5:19; James 2:23. -DIVIDER-
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3. To invite, Matthew 22:3, Matthew 22:9; John 2:2; 1 Corinthians 10:27. To summon, Matthew 4:21; Acts 4:18; Acts 24:2. To call out from, Matthew 2:15; Hebrews 11:8; 1 Peter 2:9. -DIVIDER-
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4. To appoint. Select for an office, Galatians 1:15; Hebrews 5:4; to salvation, Romans 9:11; Romans 8:30. -DIVIDER-
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5. Of God's creative decree. To call forth from nothing, Isaiah 41:4; 2 Kings 8:1. -DIVIDER-
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In this last sense some explain the word here; but it can scarcely be said that God creates things that are not as actually existing. Others explain, God's disposing decree. He disposes of things that are not as though existing. The simplest explanation appears to be to give καλεῖν the sense of nameth, speaketh of. Compare Romans 9:7; Acts 7:5. The seed of Abraham “which were at present in the category of things which were not, and the nations which should spring physically or spiritually from him, God spoke of as having an existence, which word Abraham believed” (Alford). In this case there may properly be added the idea of the summons to the high destiny ordained for Abraham's seed. -DIVIDER-
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[source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 22:9 mean?

Go therefore into the thoroughfares of the highways and as many as if you shall find invite to the wedding feast
πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν καὶ ὅσους ἐὰν εὕρητε καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους

πορεύεσθε  Go 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: πορεύομαι  
Sense: to lead over, carry over, transfer.
ἐπὶ  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
διεξόδους  thoroughfares 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: διέξοδος  
Sense: a way out through, outlet, exit.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὁδῶν  highways 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: ὁδός 
Sense: properly.
ὅσους  as  many  as 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅσος  
Sense: as great as, as far as, how much, how many, whoever.
εὕρητε  you  shall  find 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
καλέσατε  invite 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.
γάμους  wedding  feast 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: γάμος  
Sense: a wedding or marriage festival, a wedding banquet, a wedding feast.