Luke 13:28
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.
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 29
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
5 of 29
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 29
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τῶν
G3588
τῶν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
8 of 29
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὅταν
when
G3752
ὅταν
when
Strong's:
G3752
Word #:
10 of 29
whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty); also causatively (conjunctionally) inasmuch as
ὄψησθε
ye shall see
G3700
ὄψησθε
ye shall see
Strong's:
G3700
Word #:
11 of 29
to gaze (i.e., with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable; and thus differing from g0991, which denotes simply voluntary observation; and from g1
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
13 of 29
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
15 of 29
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Ἰακὼβ
Jacob
G2384
Ἰακὼβ
Jacob
Strong's:
G2384
Word #:
16 of 29
jacob (i.e., ja`akob), the progenitor of the israelites
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
17 of 29
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τοὺς
G3588
τοὺς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
19 of 29
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
προφήτας
the prophets
G4396
προφήτας
the prophets
Strong's:
G4396
Word #:
20 of 29
a foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet
τῇ
G3588
τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
22 of 29
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
βασιλείᾳ
the kingdom
G932
βασιλείᾳ
the kingdom
Strong's:
G932
Word #:
23 of 29
properly, royalty, i.e., (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively)
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
24 of 29
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
θεοῦ
of God
G2316
θεοῦ
of God
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
25 of 29
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
Cross References
Matthew 25:30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.Matthew 22:13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.Revelation 21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.2 Thessalonians 1:5Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Historical Context
Jewish theology assumed the patriarchs and prophets would be resurrected and honored in the messianic kingdom. Jesus affirms this but shocks His audience by suggesting many Jews will be excluded while Gentiles are included (v. 29). This reversal of expectations challenges ethnic privilege and religious presumption. The image of judgment as exclusion from a feast appears throughout Scripture (Matthew 22:1-14, 25:1-13, Revelation 19:9). The wedding banquet represents intimate fellowship with God, while exclusion represents eternal separation—the essence of hell.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the image of seeing others in God's kingdom while being excluded yourself intensify the horror of judgment?
- What does this verse teach about hell as not merely punishment but loss—missing the joy and fellowship for which we were created?
- How should the reality of final judgment shape Christian urgency in evangelism and personal holiness?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Jesus describes the anguish of the excluded: '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.' This phrase appears frequently in Jesus' teaching about final judgment (Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30), indicating extreme anguish, regret, and rage. The excluded will see the patriarchs and prophets in God's kingdom while they themselves are 'thrust out,' forcibly expelled. The horror lies not merely in suffering but in the realization of irreversible loss—seeing the salvation they could have had but rejected.