The Narrow and Wide Gates through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the

way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
13Enter

<< Matthew 7:13 >>

New International Version (1984)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
New Living Translation (2007)

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
English Standard Version (2001)

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
New American Standard Bible (1995)

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broadis the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
International Standard Version (2008)

"Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it.

Aramaic

Bible

in

Plain

English

(2010)

Enter the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is spacious which leads to destruction, and many are those who are going in it.
GOD'S WORD Translation (1995)

"Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate.
King James 2000 Bible (2003)

Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be who go in there:
American King James Version

Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
American Standard Version

Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
Douay-Rheims Bible

Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.
Darby Bible Translation

Enter in through the narrow gate, for wide the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction, and many are they who enter in through it.
English Revised Version

Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many be they that enter in thereby.
Webster's Bible Translation

Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in by it.

Weymouth

New

Testament

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad the road which leads to ruin, and many there are who enter by it;
World English Bible

"Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.
Young's Literal Translation

Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide is the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it;

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Enter ye in at the strait gate - Christ here compares the way to life to an entrance through a gate. The words "straight" and "strait" have very different meanings. The former means "not crooked;" the latter, "pent up, narrow, difficult to be entered." This is the word used here, and it means that the way to heaven is "pent up, narrow, close," and not obviously entered. The way to death is open, broad, and thronged. The Saviour here referred probably to ancient cities. They were surrounded with walls and entered through gates. Some of those, connected with the great avenues to the city, were broad and admitted a throng; others, for more private purposes, were narrow, and few would be seen entering them. So, says Christ, is the path to heaven. It is narrow. It is not "the great highway" that people tread. Few go there. Here and there one may be seen traveling in solitude and singularity. The way to death, on the other hand, is broad. Multitudes are in it. It is the great highway in which people go. They fall into it easily and without effort, and go without thought. If they wish to leave that and go by a narrow gate to the city, it would require effort and thought. So, says Christ, "diligence" is needed to enter life. See Luke 13:24. None go of course. All must strive, to obtain it; and so narrow, unfrequented, and solitary is it, that few find it. This sentiment has been beautifully versified by Watts:

"Broad is the road that leads to death, And thousands walk together there; But wisdom shows a narrower path, With here and there a traveler."

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Enter ye in at the strait gate - Our Savior seems to allude here to the distinction between the public and private ways mentioned by the Jewish lawyers. The public roads were allowed to be sixteen cubits broad, the private ways only four. The words in the original are very emphatic: Enter in (to the kingdom of heaven) through This strait gate, , i.e. of doing to every one as you would he should do unto you; for this alone seems to be the strait gate which our Lord alludes to. For wide is the gate - And very broad, , from , broad, and , a place, a spacious roomy place, that leadeth forward, , into That destruction, , meaning eternal misery; intimating, that it is much more congenial, to the revengeful, covetous heart of fallen man, to take every advantage of another, and to enrich himself at his expense, rather than to walk according to the rule laid down before, by our blessed Lord, and that acting contrary to it is the way to everlasting misery. With those who say it means repentance, and forsaking sin, I can have no controversy. That is certainly a gate, and a strait one too, through which every sinner must turn to God, in order to find salvation. But the doing to every one as we would they should do unto us, is a gate extremely strait, and very difficult, to every unregenerate mind.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Enter ye in at the strait gate,.... By the "strait gate" is meant Christ himself; who elsewhere calls himself "the door", John 10:7 as he is into the church below, and into all the ordinances and privileges of it; as also to the Father, by whom we have access unto him, and are let into communion with him, and a participation of all the blessings of grace; yea, he is the gate of heaven, through which we have boldness to enter into the holiest of all by faith and hope now; as there will be hereafter an abundant entrance into the kingdom and glory of God, through his blood and righteousness. This is called "strait"; because faith in Christ, a profession of it, and a life and conversation agreeable to it, are attended with many afflictions, temptations, reproaches, and persecutions. "Entering" in at it is by faith, and making a profession of it: hence it follows, that faith is not the gate itself, but the grace, by which men enter in at the right door, and walk on in Christ, as they begin with him. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction; so that the one may be easily known from the other. There is no difficulty in finding out, or entering in at, or walking in the way of sin, which leads to eternal ruin. The gate of carnal lusts, and worldly pleasures, stands wide open, and many there be which go in thereat; even all men in a state of nature; the way of the ungodly is "broad", smooth, easy, and every way agreeable to the flesh; it takes in a large compass of vices, and has in it abundance of company; but its end is destruction. Our Lord seems to allude to the private and public roads, whose measures are fixed by the Jewish canons; which say (p), that "a private way was four cubits broad, a way from city to city eight cubits, a public way sixteen cubits, and the way to the cities of refuge thirty two cubits.'' (p) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 100. 1, 2. Vid. Maimon. & R. Sampson in Misn. Peah, c. 2. sect. 1. & Maimon in Sabbat. c. 1. sect. 1.

Vincent's Word Studies

trait gate Rev., narrow. A remarkable parallel to this passage occurs in the "Pinax" or "Tablet" of Cebes, a writer contemporary with Socrates. In this, human life, with its dangers and temptations, is symbolically represented as on a tablet. The passage is as follows: "Seest thou not, then, a little door, and a way before the door, which is not much crowded, but very few travel it? This is the way which leadeth into true culture." eadeth

Lit., leadeth away, from death, or, perhaps, from the broad road. Note that the gate is not at the end, but at the beginning of the road.

Geneva Study Bible

{5} Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (5) The example of life must not be taken from the multitude.

People's New Testament

7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate. The leading thought of the whole discourse is the kingdom of heaven and its conditions. Hence, when the Lord says, Enter ye in, he means into the kingdom of heaven. Nearly every town in Palestine is surrounded by walls and is entered by gates. The principal ones are wide, with double doors, closed with locks and fastened with iron bars. The strait gates are in retired corners, are narrow, and are only opened to those who knock.

Wesley's Notes

7:13 The strait gate - The holiness described in the foregoing chapter s. And this is the narrow way. Wide is the gate, and many there are that go in through it They need not seek for this; they come to it of course. Many go in through it, because strait is the other gate - Therefore they do not care for it; they like a wider gate. Luke 13:24.

King James Translators' Notes

strait: or, narrow

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mt 7:13-29. Conclusion and Effect of the Sermon on the Mount. We have here the application of the whole preceding discourse. Conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 7:13-27). "The righteousness of the kingdom," so amply described, both in principle and in detail, would be seen to involve self-sacrifice at every step. Multitudes would never face this. But it must be faced, else the consequences will be fatal. This would divide all within the sound of these truths into two classes: the many, who will follow the path of ease and self-indulgence-end where it might; and the few, who, bent on eternal safety above everything else, take the way that leads to it-at whatever cost. This gives occasion to the two opening verses of this application. 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate-as if hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the difficulty of the first right step in religion, involving, as it does, a triumph over all our natural inclinations. Hence the still stronger expression in Luke (Lu 13:24), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." for wide is the gate-easily entered. and broad is the way-easily trodden.

that leadeth to destruction, and-thus lured "many there be which go in thereat."

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:12-14 Christ came to teach us, not only what we are to know and believe, but what we are to do; not only toward God, but toward men; not only toward those of our party and persuasion, but toward men in general, all with whom we have to do. We must do that to our neighbour which we ourselves acknowledge to be fit and reasonable. We must, in our dealings with men, suppose ourselves in the same case and circumstances with those we have to do with, and act accordingly. There are but two ways right and wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven and the way to hell; in the one or other of these all are walking: there is no middle place hereafter, no middle way now. All the children of men are saints or sinners, godly or ungodly. See concerning the way of sin and sinners, that the gate is wide, and stands open. You may go in at this gate with all your lusts about you; it gives no check to appetites or passions. It is a broad way; there are many paths in it; there is choice of sinful ways. There is a large company in this way. But what profit is there in being willing to go to hell with others, because they will not go to heaven with us? The way to eternal life is narrow. We are not in heaven as soon as we are got through the strait gate. Self must be denied, the body kept under, and corruptions mortified. Daily temptations must be resisted; duties must be done. We must watch in all things, and walk with care; and we must go through much tribulation. And yet this way should invite us all; it leads to life: to present comfort in the favour of God, which is the life of the soul; to eternal bliss, the hope of which at the end of our way, should make all the difficulties of the road easy to us. This plain declaration of Christ has been disregarded by many who have taken pains to explain it away; but in all ages the real disciple of Christ has been looked on as a singular, unfashionable character; and all that have sided with the greater number, have gone on in the broad road to destruction. If we would serve God, we must be firm in our religion. Can we often hear of the strait gate and the narrow way, and how few there are that find it,

without being in pain for ourselves, or considering whether we are entered on the narrow way, and what progress we are making in it?

Isaiah 35:8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The

unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.
Matthew 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only

a few find it.

Luke 13:24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I

tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
New International Version 1984 by Biblica

Broad Destruction Door Easy EnterGate Goes Leadeth Leading LeadsNarrow Numbers Open Road RuinStrait Thereat Thereby Wide

Broad Destruction Door Easy EnterGate Goes Great Leads NarrowNumbers Open Roa d Ruin StraitThereat Thereby Way Wide

Broad Destruction Door Easy EnterGate Goes Great Leads NarrowNumbers Open Roa d Ruin StraitThereat Thereby Way Wide

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: at. 3:2,8 18:2,3 23:13 Pr 9:6 Isa 55:7 Eze 18:27-32 Lu 9:33 13:24 Lu 13:25 14:33 Joh 10:9 14:6 Ac 2:38-40 3:19 2Co 6:17 Ga 5:24

for. Ge 6:5,12 Ps 14:2,3 Isa 1:9 Ro 3:9-19 2Co 4:4 Eph 2:2,3 1Jo 5:19 Re 12:9 13:8 20:3 that. 25:41,46 Pr 7:27 16:25 Ro 9:22 Php 3:19 2Th 1:8,9 1Pe 4:17,18 Re 20:15

Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 13 Alphabetical: and are broad destruction Enter For gate is it leads many narrow road that the there through to way who wide THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright ; 1973, 1978, 1984 byBiblica. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission ofTyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.All Rights Reserved. The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visithttp://www.lockman.org. International Standard Version Copyright 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation. GOD'S WORD is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. NT Gospels: Matthew 7:13 Enter in by the narrow gate (Matt. Mat Mt) Christian Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools Matthew 7:13 Bible Software Matthew 7:13 Biblia Paralela

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