Matthew 11:21

Woe unto thee, Chorazin!--not elsewhere mentioned, but it must have lain near Capernaum. woe unto thee, Bethsaida--"fishing-house," a fishing station--on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, and to the north of Capernaum; the birthplace of three of the apostles--the brothers Andrew and Peter, and Philip. These two cities appear to be singled out to denote the whole region in which they lay--a region favored with the Redeemer's presence, teaching, and works above every other. for if the mighty works--the miracles which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon--ancient and celebrated commercial cities, on the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, lying north of Palestine, and the latter the northernmost. As their wealth and prosperity engendered luxury and its concomitant evils--irreligion and moral degeneracy--their overthrow was repeatedly foretold in ancient prophecy, and once and again fulfilled by victorious enemies. Yet they were rebuilt, and at this time were in a flourishing condition. they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes--remarkable language, showing that they had done less violence to conscience, and so, in God's sight, were less criminal than the region here spoken of.

In this chapter we have, I. The constant and unwearied diligence of our Lord Jesus in his great work of preaching the gospel (Mat 11:1). II. His discourse with the disciples of John concerning his being the Messiah (Mat 11:2-6). III. The honourable testimony that Christ bore to John Baptist (Mat 11:7-15). IV. The sad account he gives of that generation in general, and of some particular places with reference to the success, both of John's ministry and of his own (v. 16-24). V. His thanksgiving to his Father for the wise and gracious method he had taken in revealing the great mysteries of the gospel (v. 25, 26). VI. His gracious call and invitation of poor sinners to come to him, and to be ruled, and taught, and saved by him (v. 27-30). No Where have we more of the terror of gospel woes for warning to us, or of the sweetness of gospel grace for encouragement to us, than in this chapter, which sets before us life and death, the blessing and the curse.

11:21-24 As Jesus moved through the villages of Galilee—from Korazin to Bethsaida to Capernaum—he gave the people a greater revelation of himself, with a correspondingly more severe judgment when they refused to listen. The severity is indicated by comparison with the pagan cities of Tyre (Isa 23; Ezek 26:1–28:19), Sidon (Ezek 28:20-23), and Sodom (Gen 18:22–19:29).