Matthew 25:46
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And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
JESUS LED AWAY TO PILATE--REMORSE AND SUICIDE OF JUDAS. ( = Mar 15:1; Luk 23:1; Joh 18:28). (Mat 27:1-10) Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned--The condemnation, even though not unexpected, might well fill him with horror. But perhaps this unhappy man expected, that, while he got the bribe, the Lord would miraculously escape, as He had once and again done before, out of His enemies power: and if so, his remorse would come upon him with all the greater keenness. repented himself--but, as the issue too sadly showed, it was "the sorrow of the world, which worketh death" (Co2 7:10). and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders--A remarkable illustration of the power of an awakened conscience. A short time before, the promise of this sordid pelf was temptation enough to his covetous heart to outweigh the most overwhelming obligations of duty and love; now, the possession of it so lashes him that he cannot use it, cannot even keep it!
Open source ↗25:46 The Greek term translated eternal can mean either “lasting forever” or “lasting for an age,” in this case “the age to come” (13:39-40, 49; 24:3; John 17:3; 2 Thes 1:9; Phlm 1:15; 1 Jn 5:11, 13). Some hold out hope that the punishment of the damned will, after “an age,” be ended by annihilation or forgiveness. The parallel between eternal life and eternal punishment suggests strongly that it means “lasting forever,” since eternal life does not end (see also Luke 16:19-31; Heb 6:2; Rev 20:10).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.
and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.