Matthew 11:21 (DRB)

Passage

Woe thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children.

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.

Matthew 11:21 Woe thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 11:22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

Matthew 11:23 And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thee", "corozain", "bethsaida", "tyre", "sidon", "been", and "wrought". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thee" and "corozain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Then began he to upbraid the cities..." into verse 22's "But I say unto you it shall...", so "thee" and "corozain" 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 "thee" and "corozain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.