Matthew 11:21

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

 

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, 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. Matthew 11:21

 

“Woe, you, Chorazin! Woe, you, Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon, they occurred – the miracles, those done in you – if in sackcloth and ashes formerly they reconsidered” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus began to rebuke the cities where He did His mighty works because they did not reconsider their ways. Now, to state His displeasure at them, and to reveal to them their fate, He begins with, “Woe, you, Chorazin!”

 

The word ouai, woe, is introduced. It is a primary exclamation of grief. Also, the name Chorazin is first seen here. It is a city in Galilee. The origin of the name is uncertain. Studying Hebrew root words that may be connected to the Greek transliteration, Abarim defines it as possibly Smoking Furnace.

 

The city is about two- and one-half miles north of a location known as Tel Hum. It remains a ruin to this day. Parts of the city are identifiable, such as the synagogue. This and its houses and buildings are built from locally obtained hard black basalt. Some of the walls that remain are up to six feet high. Next, Jesus says, “Woe, you Bethsaida!”

 

The name is from Beith, house, and tsayad, a huntsman. Thus, it means Hunter’s House. However, being by the Sea of Galilee, some think the hunting is referring to fish and call it Fisher’s House. It is where Phillip, Andrew, and Peter came from as seen in John 1:44. The location is still known and visited today. Of these cities, Jesus says, “For if in Tyre and Sidon, they occurred – the miracles.”

 

Turos, Tyre, and Sidón, Sidon, are both first mentioned here. The Hebrew name of Tyre is Tsor. This comes from tsor, flint, or tsur, rock. Thus, it is the fortified city, Rock. Sidon is from the Hebrew tsud, to lie alongside. Therefore, it signifies to hunt, chase, etc., due to the thought of lying in wait. As such, it is a place of fishing, and it is named after those who lie alongside as they fish. Thus, Fishery is its name.

 

These are cities that were destroyed by the Lord’s judgment. Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Tyre in Ezekiel 26. Ezekiel 27 records a lamentation over Tyre. Ezekiel 28 begins with a proclamation against the king of Tyre and then continues in lamentation over the city. That is followed by a proclamation against Sidon in Ezekiel 28:20-24.

 

The Lord spent a great deal of time laying out His words against them. His descriptions and judgments put them on par with Sodom and Gomorrah as far as examples of wickedness resulting in punishment. Despite that, Jesus tells Chorazin and Bethsaida that if those terrible, wicked cities saw the miracles that Jesus did, “those done in you – if in sackcloth and ashes formerly they reconsidered.”

 

The adverb palai, formerly, is introduced. It is believed to come from palin, again. As such, it gives the sense of retrocession. It can mean all this time, a long time ago, already, formerly, etc. Jesus is saying that in the past, when they were wickedly going about life, there would have been a change in them.

 

The implication here is obvious. God used three chapters of Ezekiel, plus other references to Tyre and Sidon in His word (such as Isaiah 23), to reveal their wickedness. And yet, Jesus says that the hearts of these cities were humbler than those of Chorazin and Bethsaida.

 

If Jesus had gone to them and done His miracles at their time of judgment, they would have done what Nineveh did, reconsidering their ways and demonstrating that change in heart by adorning themselves with sackcloth and ashes.

 

Both of these words are also new. The first is sakkos, coming from the Hebrew saq, a mesh. It is the course materia