Matthew 7:13

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:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Enter ye	Εἰσέλθατε Eiselthate	G1525	to enter (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person plural
in at	διὰ dia	G1223	through (in very wide applications · preposition
the strait	στενῆς stenēs	G4728	narrow (from obstacles standing close about) · adjective — genitive singular feminine
gate	πύλης, pulēs	G4439	a gate · noun — genitive singular feminine
for	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
wide	πλατεῖα plateia	G4116	spread out "flat" ("plot") · adjective — nominative singular feminine
the gate	πύλη pulē	G4439	a gate · noun — nominative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
broad	εὐρύχωρος euruchōros	G2149	spacious · adjective — nominative singular feminine
the way	ὁδὸς hodos	G3598	a road · noun — nominative singular feminine
that leadeth	ἀπάγουσα apagousa	G520	to take off (in various senses) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular feminine
to	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
destruction	ἀπώλειαν, apōleian	G684	ruin or loss (physical · noun — accusative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
many	πολλοί polloi	G4183	(singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many · adjective — nominative plural masculine
there be	εἰσί eisí	G1526	they are
which go in	εἰσερχόμενοι eiserchomenoi	G1525	to enter (literally or figuratively) · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, nominative plural masculine
thereat	αὐτῆς. autēs	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Luke 13:24-25 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and…
Proverbs 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Ezekiel 18:27-32 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:12-14

Our Lord Jesus here presses upon us that righteousness towards men which is an essential branch of true religion, and that religion towards God which is an essential branch of universal righteousness. I. We must make righteousness our rule, and be ruled by it, Mat 7:12. Therefore, lay this down for your principle, to do as you would be done by; therefore, that you may conform to the foregoing precepts, which are particular, that you may not judge and censure others, go by this rule in general; (you would not be censured, therefore do not censure), Or that you may have the benefit of the foregoing promises. Fitly is the law of justice subjoined to the law of prayer, for unless we be honest in…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 7:13

CONCLUSION AND EFFECT OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. (Mat. 7:13-29) 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 (Luk 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."

John Gill on Matthew 7:13

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 agreea…

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The Church Fathers

More easily, it may be, through the "strait gate" of salvation will slenderer flesh enter; more speedily will lighter flesh rise; longer in the sepulchre will drier flesh retain its firmness.
— Tertullian, On Fasting

Seest thou how many are the ways of destruction? By the rock, by the thorns, by the wayside, by the tares, by the net. Not without reason therefore did He say, "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go away by it."
— John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 47

A hermit was asked, 'What is meant by the text "Narrow and strait is the way" (Matt. 7:14)?' He answered, 'Narrow and strait is the way by which a man does violence to his thoughts and for God's sake breaks down his self-will. This is what was written about the apostles, "Lo, we have left all, and followed thee" (Matt. 19:27).'
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Commandments · DISCOURSE — DISCOURSE
Death, Eternal · The way to, described — The way to, described
Gates · Illustrative: (Wide,) of the entrance to ruin — Illustrative: (Wide,) of the entrance to ruin
Highways · FIGURATIVE — FIGURATIVE
Religion · TRUE — TRUE
Strait Gate · (The narrow path toward righteousness) — (The narrow path toward righteousness)
Way · .Of sin, broad — .Of sin, broad

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Matthew 7:13

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:12-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 7:13

John Gill on Matthew 7:13

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Matthew 7:13

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:12-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 7:13

John Gill on Matthew 7:13

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Matthew 7:12-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 7:13-27