Matthew 22:10

10 So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests. ^[a]

Matthew 22:10 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 22:10

So these servants went out into the highways
Turned from the Jews, and went among the Gentiles, preaching the Gospel to them; particularly the Apostle Paul, with Barnabas, and others: and gathered together all, as many as they found, both good and bad:
the Persic version reads it, "known or unknown". The Gospel ministry is the means of gathering souls to Christ, and to attend his ordinances, and into his churches; and of these that are gathered by it into churches, and to an attendance on outward ordinances, some are good and some bad, as the fishes gathered in the net of the Gospel are said to be, in ( Matthew 13:47 Matthew 13:48 ) which may either express the character of the Gentiles before conversion, some of them being outwardly good in their civil and moral character; closely adhering to the law and light of nature, doing the things of it, and others notoriously wicked; or rather, how they proved when gathered in, some being real believers, godly persons, whose conversations were as became the Gospel of Christ; others hypocrites, empty professors, having a form of godliness, and nothing of the power of it; destitute of grace in their hearts, and of holiness in their lives; and the whole sets forth the diligence of the servants, in executing their master's orders, with so much readiness and exactness: and the wedding was furnished with guests;
that is, the wedding chamber, or the place where the wedding was kept, and the marriage dinner was prepared, and eat; so the Syriac renders it, (atytvm tyb) , "the house of the feast", or where the feast was kept; and so the Ethiopic version: the Persic version reads it, "the house of the nuptial feast": which designs the house and church of God, into which large numbers of the Gentiles were brought, by the ministry of the apostles; so that it was filled with persons that made a profession of Christ and his Gospel.

Matthew 22:10 In-Context

8 "Then he told his slaves, 'The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9 Therefore, go to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.'

10 So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests.

11 But when the king came in to view the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.

12 So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit those reclining (to eat)