Matthew 11:23

Geneva Bible (1560)

And thou, Capernaum, which art lifted vp vnto heauen, shalt be brought downe to hell: for if the great workes, which haue bin done in thee, had bene done among them of Sodom, they had remained to this day.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ σύ, Καπερναούμ, ἡ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθεῖσα, ἕως ᾅδου καταβιβασθήσῃ: ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί, ἔμειναν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον.

Transliteration

And you, Kapernaoum, the one until the ouranou hypsōtheisa, until hadou you katabibasthēsē: because if in Sodomois egenonto the dynameis the ones genomenai in you, they would have emeinan an until the sēmeron.

Grammar Details

• *Kapernaoum*: vocative, proper noun - Capernaum
• *ouranou*: genitive, masculine, singular - of heaven
• *hypsōtheisa*: aorist participle, passive, nominative, feminine, singular - having been exalted
• *hadou*: genitive, masculine, singular - of Hades
• *katabibasthēsē*: future, passive, 2nd singular - you will be brought down
• *Sodomois*: dative, neuter, plural - in Sodom
• *egenonto*: aorist, middle, 3rd plural - happened/occurred
• *dynameis*: nominative, feminine, plural - mighty works/powers
• *genomenai*: aorist participle, middle, nominative, feminine, plural - having happened
• *emeinan*: aorist, active, 3rd plural - they remained
• *an*: conditional particle - would
• *sēmeron*: adverb - today

Word Meanings

• *ouranou*: of heaven/sky
• *hypsōtheisa*: having been exalted/lifted up/raised
• *hadou*: of Hades/underworld
• *katabibasthēsē*: you will be brought down/lowered
• *egenonto*: happened/occurred/took place
• *dynameis*: mighty works/powers/miracles
• *genomenai*: having happened/occurred/done
• *emeinan*: they remained/stayed/continued
• *sēmeron*: today/this day

Referenced Verses

• Matt 4:13 : 13 And leauing Nazareth, went and dwelt in Capernaum, which is nere the sea in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim,
• Isa 14:13-15 : 13 Yet thou saidest in thine heart, I will ascende into heauen, and exalt my throne aboue beside the starres of God: I will sitte also vpon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. 14 I wil ascend aboue ye height of the cloudes, and I will be like the most high. 15 But thou shalt bee brought downe to the graue, to the sides of the pit.
• Lam 2:1 : 1 Howe hath the Lord darkened the daughter of Zion in his wrath! and hath cast downe from heauen vnto the earth the beautie of Israel, and remembred not his footestoole in the day of his wrath!
• Ezek 16:48-50 : 48 As I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, neither shee nor her daughters, as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Beholde, this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom, Pride, fulnesse of bread, and aboundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her daughters: neither did shee strengthen the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abomination before mee: therefore I tooke them away, as pleased me.
• Ezek 28:12-19 : 12 Sonne of man, take vp a lamentation vpon the King of Tyrus, and say vnto him, Thus sayeth the Lorde God, Thou sealest vp the summe, and art full of wisedome and perfite in beautie. 13 Thou hast ben in Eden the garden of God: euery precious stone was in thy garment, the rubie, the topaze and the diamonde, the chrysolite, the onix, and the iasper, the saphir, emeraude, and the carbuncle and golde: the woorkemanship of thy timbrels, & of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed Cherub, that couereth, and I haue set thee in honour: thou wast vpon the holy mountaine of God: thou hast walked in the middes of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfite in thy wayes from the day that thou wast created, till iniquitie was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy marchandise, they haue filled the middes of thee with crueltie, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as prophane out of the mountaine of God: and I will destroy thee, O couering Cherub from the mids of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted vp because of thy beautie, and thou hast corrupted thy wisedome by reason of thy brightnes: I wil cast thee to ye grounde: I will lay thee before Kinges that they may beholde thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctification by the multitude of thine iniquities, & by the iniquitie of thy marchandise: therefore wil I bring forth a fire from the mids of thee, which shall deuoure thee: and I wil bring thee to ashes vpon the earth, in the sight of all them that beholde thee. 19 All they that knowe thee among the people, shalbe astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terrour, and neuer shalt thou be any more.
• Ezek 31:16-17 : 16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him downe to hell with them that descend into the pit, & all the excellent trees of Eden, and the best of Lebanon: euen all that are nourished with waters, shall be comforted in the nether partes of the earth. 17 They also went downe to hell with him vnto them that be slaine with the sworde, and his arme, and they that dwelt vnder his shadowe in the middes of the heathen.
• Obad 1:4 : 4 Though thou exalt thy selfe as the egle, and make thy nest among the starres, thence will I bring thee downe, sayth the Lord.
• Gen 13:13 : 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and exceeding sinners against the Lord.
• Gen 19:24-25 : 24 Then the Lord rained vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorah brimstone, & fire from the Lord out of heauen, 25 And ouerthrewe those cities and all the plaine, and all the inhabitants of the cities; and that that grewe vpon the earth.
• Matt 8:5 : 5 When Iesus was entred into Capernaum, there came vnto him a Centurion, beseeching him,
• Matt 16:18 : 18 And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church: and ye gates of hel shal not ouercome it.
• Matt 17:24 : 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that receiued polle money, came to Peter, and sayd, Doeth not your Master pay polle money?
• Luke 4:23 : 23 Then he said vnto them, Ye will surely say vnto mee this prouerbe, Physician, heale thy selfe: whatsoeuer we haue heard done in Capernaum, doe it here likewise in thine owne countrey.
• Luke 14:11 : 11 For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe, shall be brought lowe, and he that humbleth himselfe, shal be exalted.
• Luke 16:23 : 23 And being in hell in torments, he lift vp his eyes, and sawe Abraham a farre off, and Lazarus in his bosome.
• John 4:46-54 : 46 And Iesus came againe into Cana a towne of Galile, where he had made of water, wine; there was a certaine ruler, whose sonne was sicke at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Iesus was come out of Iudea into Galile, he went vnto him, and besought him that he would goe downe, and heale his sonne: for he was euen ready to die. 48 Then saide Iesus vnto him, Except ye see signes and wonders, ye will not beleeue. 49 The ruler said vnto him, Syr, goe downe before my sonne dye. 50 Iesus said vnto him, Go thy way, thy sonne liueth: and the man beleeued the worde that Iesus had spoken vnto him, and went his way. 51 And as he was nowe going downe, his seruants met him, saying, Thy sonne liueth. 52 Then enquired he of them the houre when he began to amend; they said vnto him, Yesterday the seuenth houre the feuer left him. 53 Then the father knew, that it was the same houre in the which Iesus had said vnto him, Thy sonne liueth; he beleeued, & all his houshold. 54 This second miracle did Iesus againe, after he was come out of Iudea into Galile.
• Acts 2:27 : 27 Because thou wilt not leaue my soule in graue, neither wilt suffer thine Holy one to see corruption.
• 2 Pet 2:4-9 : 4 For if God spared not the Angels that had sinned, but cast them downe into hell, and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes, to be kept vnto damnation: 5 Neither hath spared the olde worlde, but saued Noe the eight person a preacher of righteousnesse, and brought in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly, 6 And turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrhe into ashes, condemned them and ouerthrewe them, and made them an ensample vnto them that after should liue vngodly, 7 And deliuered iust Loth vexed with the vncleanly conuersation of the wicked: 8 (For he being righteous, and dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes.) 9 The Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation, and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnder punishment.
• Jude 1:7 : 7 As Sodom and Gomorrhe, and the cities about them, which in like maner as they did, committed fornication, and followed strange flesh, are set foorth for an ensample, and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire.
• Rev 11:8 : 8 And their corpses shall lie in the streetes of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord also was crucified.