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Gnashing of Teeth

Data

(1a) 2Q: Luke 13:28a = Matt 8:12b
(1b) Matt 13:42b
(1c) Matt 13:50b
(1d) Matt 22:13b
(1e) Matt 24:51b
(1f) Matt 25:30b
(2) Dial. Sav. 14e

Texts

(1a) 2Q: Luke 13:28a

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out.

= Matt 8:12b
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,12 while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

(1b) Matt 13:42b

13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 13:37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 13:38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 13:42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

(1c) Matt 13:50b

13:47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 13:48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(1d) Matt 22:13b

22:1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 22:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 22:3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 22:4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 22:5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 22:6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 22:7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 22:8 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 22:9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 22:10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 22:11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 22:12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

(1e) Matt 24:51b

24:45 "Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 24:47 Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. 24:48 But if that wicked slave says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' 24:49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 24:50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. 24:51 He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(1f) Matt 25:30b

25:14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 25:16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 25:17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 25:18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 25:19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 25:20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' 25:21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 25:22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' 25:23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25:25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 25:26 But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 25:27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 25:28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 25:29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 25:30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

(2) Dial. Sav. 14e

Ch. 8 1 M[ar]y said, "Lord, tell me, from where [do I]
carry the body [when I] weep, and from where (do I carry it)
when I [laugh]?"
2 The Lord said, "[...] weep because of its works
[...] remain and the mind laughs [...] [...]
spirit. 3 If you do not [...the] darkness, you will
[not] be able to see [the light]. 4 So then, I tell you
[..of the] light is the darkness. 5 [And if you do
not] stand in [the darkness, you will] not [be able] to see
the light. 6 [...] the lie [...] were brought by
[...] 7 You will give [...lig]ht and
[...b]e forever. [...] in the [...] one [...]
forever. 8 Then [all] the powers will [...] you, those
that are above and those [that] are below, in the place
where [there will] be weeping and gnashing of teeth
concerning the end of a[ll] these things." [Complete Gospels]

IQP

The International Q Project reconstructs the original Q saying as follows (note amended word order):

/29/ [And many] will come from Sunrise and Sunset and recline /28/ with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God, but [you will be] thrown out [into the] out[er darkness], where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Jesus Seminar

Text	Item	Source	JS Mtg	%Red	%Pink	%Gray	%Black	W Avg	Color
Luke 13:28	217	Q	86ND	0	25	25	50	0.25	Black
Matt 8:11-12	217	Q	86ND	0	21	29	50	0.24	Black
Matt 13:37-43	411	M	90Cin	0	0	0	100	0.00	Black
Matt 13:49-50	411	M	90Cin	0	0	0	100	0.00	Black
Matt 22:2-13	31	Q, T	86Red	4	18	32	46	0.26	Gray
Matt 24:51b	411	M	90Cin	0	0	0	100	0.00	Black
DialSav 8	136	Q, DS	89Tor	0	4	16	80	0.08	Black
DialSav 8	136	Q, DS	91Son	0	0	0	100	0.00	Black

 

Samuel T. Lachs

Lachs [Rabbinic Commentary on the New Testament, 254f] ...

many will come from east and west A Semitism using the opposites to include everything. Cf. Ps. 106.3; cf. Mark 1.11 ...

to sit at table Actually "to recline at table." Gr. anaklithesontai = Heb. basev. The meal in the NT symbolizes the joys of the kingdom, and this idea goes back to Jewish sources about the messianic banquet, which included among other dainties Leviathan and Behemoth ...

sons of the kingdom In the NT only here and in Matt 13.38. This phrase is not found in rabbinic sources, but in the same vein are the phrases "Who is the son of the world-to-come?" and "son of the covenant." This phrase is most difficult. The "son of the kingdom" or the rabbinic "son of the world-to-come" refers to one who inherits his portion because of merit or by faith and is used in a posiitive not a negative sense. Dalman, however, states: "The sons of the theocracy are those who belong to it in virtue of their birth, who thereby have a natural right to possession of it." Also, Allen: "'Sons of the kingdom' is a Semitic idiom equivalent to those who should inherit it, its rightful heirs." ... Abrahams' comments ... The "sons of the kingdom" in this passage "no doubt, signifies the Jewish nation or people. Such of them as are lacking in the faith which the centurion possessed will be cast out of the kingdom, whilst Gentiles sit down with the righteous patriarchs at the banquet."

into outer darkness Darkness as punishment is met with frequency in Jewish sources: "Into darkness will your spirits enter" (En. 103.8);, "Those who were born in darkness will be cast into darkness" (En. 108.14); "their inheritance is darkness" (Ps. Sol. 14.6); "the inheritance of the sinner is darkness" (Ps. Sol. 15.11); "He will send back the ungodly into darkness" (Sib. Or. 4.43). In rabbinic literature these are also of note: "God calls Gehenna darkness" (Lev. R. 27); "The sinner in Gehenna will be covered with darkness" (Exod. R. 14.2).

men will weep and gnash their teeth A common phrase in Matt., cf. 13.42,50; 22.13; 24.51; 25.30; and only once in Luke, 13.28. That the sinners in Gehenna weep is well known, e.g., "the transgressors will cry and make lamentation" (En. 108.3), "the voice of crying and weeping and lamenting and strong pain" (En. 108.5), "the mighty hell-full of lamentation" (En. 40.12).

 

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