Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Weymouth New Testament

Matthew 22:14

"For there are many called, but few chosen."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Chosen, or Elected;   Covetousness;   Feasts;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Kingdom of Heaven;   Predestination;   Righteous;   Righteousness;   Salvation;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Few Saved;   Saved, the;   The Topic Concordance - Calling;   Choosing/chosen;   Kingdom of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Call;   Election;   Parables;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Church, the;   Elect, Election;   Lord's Supper, the;   Mission;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Call, Calling;   Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Call;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Marriage;   Scribes;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Election;   Hour;   People of God;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of God;   Marriage;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Call, Called, Calling;   Call, Calling;   Choice;   Circumstantiality in the Parables;   Doctrines;   Dropsy;   Elect, Election ;   Individuality;   Invitation;   Lazarus;   Luke, Gospel According to;   Marriage;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   New Testament;   Punishment (2);   Service;   Wealth (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Calling;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Marriage;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Calling;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Choose;   Christ, Offices of;   Literature, Sub-Apostolic;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Marriage;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
King James Version (1611)
For many are called, but few are chosen.
King James Version
For many are called, but few are chosen.
English Standard Version
For many are called, but few are chosen."
New American Standard Bible
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
New Century Version
"Yes, many are invited, but only a few are chosen."
Amplified Bible
"For many are called (invited, summoned), but few are chosen."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
Legacy Standard Bible
For many are called, but few are chosen."
Berean Standard Bible
For many are called, but few are chosen."
Contemporary English Version
Many are invited, but only a few are chosen.
Complete Jewish Bible
for many are invited, but few are chosen."
Darby Translation
For many are called ones, but few chosen ones.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Yes, many people are invited. But only a few are chosen."
Geneva Bible (1587)
For many are called, but fewe chosen.
George Lamsa Translation
For many are invited, and few are chosen.
Good News Translation
And Jesus concluded, "Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Lexham English Bible
For many are called but few are chosen."
Literal Translation
For many are called, but few chosen.
American Standard Version
For many are called, but few chosen.
Bible in Basic English
For out of all to whom the good news has come, only a small number will get salvation.
Hebrew Names Version
For many are called, but few chosen."
International Standard Version
For many are invited, but few are chosen."Matthew 20:16;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
For many are the called, but few the chosen.
Murdock Translation
For the called are many, and the chosen are few.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For many be called, but fewe are chosen.
English Revised Version
For many are called, but few chosen.
World English Bible
For many are called, but few chosen."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For many are called, but few chosen.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For many ben clepid, but fewe ben chosun.
Update Bible Version
For many are called, but few chosen.
Webster's Bible Translation
For many are called, but few [are] chosen.
New English Translation
For many are called, but few are chosen."
New King James Version
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
New Living Translation
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
New Life Bible
For many are called but few are chosen."
New Revised Standard
For many are called, but few are chosen."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, many, are called, but, few, chosen.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For many are called, but few are chosen.
Revised Standard Version
For many are called, but few are chosen."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For many are called and feawe be chosen.
Young's Literal Translation
for many are called, and few chosen.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For many be called, but few are chose.
Mace New Testament (1729)
thus many are called, but few are converted.
THE MESSAGE
"That's what I mean when I say, ‘Many get invited; only a few make it.'"
Simplified Cowboy Version
"Many will be invited, but only a few will come."

Contextual Overview

1 Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language. 2 "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son, 3 and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. "`My breakfast is now ready," he said, `my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.' 5 "They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business; 6 and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them. 7 So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, "`The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it. 9 Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.' 10 "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 7:13, Matthew 7:14, Matthew 20:16, Luke 13:23, Luke 13:24

Reciprocal: Esther 2:4 - let the maiden

Cross-References

John 1:14
And the Word came in the flesh, and lived for a time in our midst, so that we saw His glory--the glory as of the Father's only Son, sent from His presence. He was full of grace and truth.
1 Timothy 3:16
And, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion-- that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For many are called, but few chosen. See Gill "Mt 20:16"

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Many are called, but few are chosen - Our Saviour often uses this expression. It was probably proverbial. The Jews had been called, but few of them had been chosen to life. The great mass of the nation was wicked, and they showed by their lives that they were not chosen to salvation. The Gentiles also were invited to be saved, Isaiah 45:22. Nation after nation has been called; but few, few have yet showed that they were real Christians, the elect of God. It is also true that many who are in the church may prove to be without the wedding garment, and show at last that they were not the chosen of God. This remark in the 14th verse is the inference from the “whole parable,” and not of the part about the man without the wedding garment. It does not mean, therefore, that the great mass in the church are simply called and not chosen, or are hypocrites; but the great mass in “the human family,” in the time of Christ, who had been “called,” had rejected the mercy of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 22:14. Many are called, c.] This verse is wanting in one of Colbert's MSS., marked 33 in Griesbach. See the note on Matthew 20:16. Many are called by the preaching of the Gospel into the outward communion of the Church of Christ but few, comparatively, are chosen to dwell with God In glory, because they do not come to the master of the feast for a marriage garment-for that holiness without which none can see the Lord. This is an allusion to the Roman custom of raising their militia; all were mustered, but only those were chosen to serve, who were found proper. See the note on Matthew 20:16. Reader! examine thy soul, and make sure work for eternity!


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile