Matthew 10:15

Matthew 10:15

Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

a. NLT: I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.

b. NIV: Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

c. Amplified Bible: Truly, I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

d. Young’s Literal Translation: verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

e. Worrel Translation: Verily I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

f. Wuest Translation: I am saying to you, it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

g. Peshitta Eastern Text: Truly I say to you, that it will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.

1. “Verily I say unto you…”

a. verily [Strong: 281 amen am-ane' of Hebrew origin (543); properly, firm, i.e. (figuratively) trustworthy; adverbially, surely (often as interjection, so be it):--amen, verily.]

b. I say [Strong: 3004  lego leg'-o; a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas 2036 and 5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while 4483 is properly to break silence merely, and 2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

c. you [Strong: 5213 humin hoo-min';  irregular dative case of 5210; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).]

2. “…It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment…”

a. it shall be [Strong: 2071 esomai es'-om-ahee; future of 1510; will be:--shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), X may have, X fall, what would follow, X live long, X sojourn.]

b. more tolerable [Strong: 414  anektoteros an-ek-tot'-er-os;  more endurable:--more tolerable.]

c. for the land [Strong: 1093 ge, ghay; contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):--country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.]

d. Sodom [Strong: 4670 Sodoma,  sod'-om-ah; plural of Hebrew origin (5467); Sodoma (i.e. Sedom), a place in Palestine:--Sodom.]

e. and [Strong: 2532 kai, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. Gomorrah [Strong: 1116 Gomorrha gom'-or-hrhah;  of Hebrew origin (6017); Gomorrha (i.e. Amorah), a place near the Dead Sea:--Gomorrha.]

g. in [Strong: 1722 en, en; a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

h. the day [Strong: 2250  hemera hay-mer'-ah; feminine (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):--age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, (-ly)), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.]

i. judgment [Strong: 2920 krisis kree'-sis;  decision (subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension, a tribunal; by implication, justice (especially, divine law):--accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment.]

3. “…than for that city.”

a. than [Strong: 2228  e, ay; a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:--and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

b. for that [Strong: 1565 ekeinos ek-i'-nos; from 1563; that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed:--he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that (same, very), X their, X them, they, this, those.]

c. city [Strong: 4172 polis, pol'-is; probably from the same as 4171, or perhaps from 4183; a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size):--city.]

1). The judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah will be less than for the city that rejects the ministry of the Apostles. There are levels of judgment, there are levels of suffering in hell. Jesus said this more than once. He spoke a judgment against the cities of his ministry circle when he was based in Capernaum.

a). Matthew 11:20-24 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

2 ). What Jesus and the Scriptures are saying is there are levels of judgment, depending on the amount of light revealed. In this passage Jesus is saying the light revealed to Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum was greater that the light revealed to Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. Because of the fact they did not repent even though they received more light, their judgment would be more sever. Matthew writes in his gospel that because Jesus ministered in these cities, they received great light, an event foretold in Scripture.

a). Matthew 4:13-17  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

b). These people refused to repent even though they say saw great light. They saw Jesus ministering in their midst and still they refused to repent, and because of their refusal to repent, their judgment and suffering in hell would be more severe.

c). The enemy knows that if the light is put out the people in darkness will embrace anything they can’t see that is wrong. In this nation, for the past 60 plus years haters of God have been removing the light in America, from the schools, from the homes, from the courts, the churches and from the culture. As a result we are embracing the behaviors of Sodom and Gomorrah and persecuting the ones preaching the truth. Because of this, the judgment upon America will be more severe than upon Sodom and Gomorrah.