Matthew 11:22 (KJV)

Passage

But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

Matthew 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

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

Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "tolerable", "tyre", "sidon", "judgment", and "than". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "tolerable", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee..." into verse 23's "And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto...", so "shall" and "tolerable" 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 "shall" and "tolerable" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.