Matthew 8:12 (DBY)

Passage

but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:10 And when Jesus heard it, he wondered, and said to those who followed, Verily I say unto you, Not even in Israel have I found so great faith.

Matthew 8:11 But I say unto you, that many shall come from [the] rising and setting [sun], and shall lie down at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens;

Matthew 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 8:13 And Jesus said to the centurion, Go, and as thou hast believed, be it to thee. And his servant was healed in that hour.

Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus had come to Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law laid down and in a fever;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "sons", "kingdom", "shall", "cast", "outer", and "weeping". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "darkness" and "sons", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "But I say unto you that many..." into verse 13's "And Jesus said to the centurion Go...", so "darkness" and "sons" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "darkness" and "sons" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.