KJV: 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.
YLT: 'And thou, Capernaum, which unto the heaven wast exalted, unto hades shalt be brought down, because if in Sodom had been done the mighty works that were done in thee, it had remained unto this day;
Darby: And thou, Capernaum, who hast been raised up to heaven, shalt be brought down even to hades. For if the works of power which have taken place in thee, had taken place in Sodom, it had remained until this day.
ASV: And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day.
hell
.
(Greek - ᾅδης , "the unseen world," is revealed as the place of departed human spirits between death and resurrection). The word occurs, Matthew 11:23 ; Matthew 16:18 ; Luke 10:15 ; Acts 2:27 ; Acts 2:31 ; Revelation 1:18 ; Revelation 6:8 ; Revelation 20:13 ; Revelation 20:14 and is the equivalent of the O.T. "sheol." (See Scofield " Habakkuk 2:5 ") . The Septuagint invariably renders sheol by hades.
Summary:
(1) Hades before the ascension of Christ. The passages in which the word occurs make it clear that hades was formerly in two divisions, the abodes respectively of the saved and of the lost. The former was called "paradise" and "Abraham's bosom." Both designations were Talmudic, but adopted by Christ in Luke 16:22 ; Luke 23:43 . The blessed dead were with Abraham, they were conscious and were "comforted" Luke 16:25 . The believing malefactor was to be, that day, with Christ in "paradise." The lost were separated from the saved by a "great gulf fixed" Luke 16:26 . The representative man of the lost who are now in hades is the rich man of Luke 16:19-31 . He was alive, conscious, in the full exercise of his faculties, memory, etc., and in torment.
(2) Hades since the ascension of Christ. So far as the unsaved dead are concerned, no change of their place or condition is revealed in Scripture. At the judgment of the great white throne, hades will give them up, they will be judged, and will pass into the lake of fire Revelation 20:13 ; Revelation 20:14 . But a change has taken place which affects paradise. Paul was "caught up to the third heaven.. .into paradise" 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 . Paradise, therefore, is now in the immediate presence of God. It is believed that Ephesians 4:8-10 indicates the time of the change. "When he ascended up on high he led a multitude of captives." It is immediately added that He had previously "descended first into the lower parts of the earth," i.e. the paradise division of Hades. During the present church-age the saved who died are "absent from the body, at home with the Lord." The wicked dead in hades, and the righteous dead "at home with the Lord," alike await the resurrection; Job 19:25 ; 1 Corinthians 15:52 . (See Scofield " Matthew 5:22 ") .
Context Summary
Matthew 11:20-30 - Woe Or Welcome
The voice of upbraiding, Matthew 11:20-24. The Judge weeps as he pronounces the doom of those who reject Him. They would have crowned Him king, but refused to repent. See John 6:15. These cities did not crucify Him, but they had been deaf to His warnings and indifferent to His mighty works. Even where there is no direct opposition, indifference will be sufficient to seal our doom.
The voice of thanksgiving, Matthew 11:25-27. He "answered" the voice of God within His breast. Babes are those who mistrust the reasonings of their intellect, but trust the instincts and intuitions of their hearts. The child-heart looks open-eyed into all the mysteries of God. Learn to say Yea to all God's dealings. The Spirit reveals the Son, and the Son the Father. Our Lord must be divine, if only God can know him.
The voice of pleading mercy, Matthew 11:28-30. Labor is for active manhood; heavy-laden for suffering, patient womanhood. The invitation is to commit and submit; to come and to bow under the yoke of the Father's will. Submission and obedience are the secrets of the blessed life. [source]
Chapter Summary: Matthew 11
1John sends his disciples to Jesus 7Jesus' testimony concerning John 16The perverse judgment of the people concerning the Son 20Jesus upbraids Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum; 25and praising his Father's wisdom in revealing the Gospel to the simple, 28he calls to him those who are weary and burdened
What do the individual words in Matthew 11:23 mean?
AndyouCapernaumnottoheavenwill be exaltedHadeswill be brought downForifinSodomhad taken placethemiracles-having taken placeyouit would have remained-untiltheday
Parse: Noun, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root: Καπερναούμ
Sense: a flourishing city of Galilee situated on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee or Lake of Gennesaret, near the place where the Jordan flows into the lake.