What Does Matthew 8:12 Mean in the King James?
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The shock is that those called the kingdom’s children are the ones thrown outside.
THE MEANING
The verse holds together two things that seem impossible: being named a child of the kingdom and being cast beyond it. The darkness marks that exclusion, while the weeping and gnashing of teeth give its cost a voice and a body.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that a claim of belonging makes exclusion impossible is undone here.
THE ROOT
ἐκβληθήσονται
ekblēthēsontai
GROWS FROM
βάλλω (ballō), βαλλ- (ball-)
To throw or cast; ἐκβάλλω (ekballō) adds the sense of throwing out.
“cast out” in this verse is ekblēthēsontai. The Greek says they are actively thrown out; it does not merely say they fail to enter. The sentence makes their exclusion an outward movement across the kingdom’s boundary.
ALSO GROWS
ballō: To throw or cast
βάλλω
The base verb makes the physical force of the action visible beneath “cast.”
ekballō: To throw or drive out
ἐκβάλλω
The prefix ἐκ (ek), “out,” marks the movement away from the inside.
kataballō: To cast down
καταβάλλω
This compound shares the same throwing root, showing how Greek builds different directions of force around the act of casting.
οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας
hoi huioi tēs
GROWS FROM
υἱός (huios), υἱ- (hui-)
Son; a designation of kinship and belonging.
“children of the kingdom” in this verse is hoi huioi tēs. The Greek says “sons of the kingdom,” using the same word-family found in phrases like “sons of light.” The verse sets that identity beside expulsion, showing that the title alone does not settle where someone stands.
ALSO GROWS
huioi phōtos: Sons of light; KJV: “children of light”
υἱοὶ φωτός
The same Greek word for “sons” links this verse’s kingdom identity with another description of belonging.
huioi hēmeras: Sons of day; KJV: “children of the day”
υἱοὶ ἡμέρας
This phrase from the same verse as “children of light” makes the identity formula visible beneath the English wording.
τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον
to skotos to
GROWS FROM
σκότος (skotos), σκοτ- (skot-)
Darkness or dimness.
The phrase names darkness and then intensifies it as “the outer” darkness. Paired with “cast out,” it makes the darkness the condition of being beyond the boundary, not just a gloomy image.
ALSO GROWS
skotia: Darkness
σκοτία
The related noun carries the same darkness word-family into other descriptions of a darkened condition.
skotizō: To darken
σκοτίζω
The verb from this word-family shows darkness as something that can characterize or overtake a state.
THE PATTERN
The boundary of belonging overturns assumed status: outsiders can be received, while those who presume they are inside can be cast out.
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.THE THREAD
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.“Children” in both verses translates the same Greek word, υἱοί (huioi), literally “sons.” That shared word makes the contrast sharper: the name of belonging and the condition named by that belonging are held together.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us