Matthew 11:23 (DRB)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 11:24 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "capharnaum", "shalt", "exalted", and "heaven". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "capharnaum", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But I say unto you it shall..." into verse 24's "But I say unto you that it...", so "thou" and "capharnaum" 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 "thou" and "capharnaum" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.