and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses "the furnace of fire," which points to a specific, known place of judgment—Gehenna, the valley of Hinnom—not just any fire. This intense imagery of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" isn't just about pain, but a deep, despairing rage born from the finality and utter helplessness of their condition.
and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just used the parable of the weeds to explain that God's kingdom will have both righteous and wicked people mixed together until the final judgment. This verse describes the fate of the wicked, who will be separated from the righteous and cast into a place of intense suffering and despair, often referred to as eternal punishment or hell. This imagery of a "fiery furnace" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" emphasizes the finality and severity of this separation.
Jesus uses powerful imagery to describe the final fate of the wicked. But what exactly is this 'furnace of fire' He speaks of?
Jesus isn't just talking about a literal fire. The 'furnace of fire' here is a strong allusion to Gehenna, a valley outside Jerusalem known in Jesus' day as a place of continual burning, often associated with refuse and judgment.
It represents a place of:
Beyond the fire, Jesus paints a picture of the emotional and spiritual torment experienced in this place. What do 'weeping' and 'gnashing of teeth' truly convey?
The emotional experience described is one of profound agony and hopelessness.
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Understand the original words
kaminos tou pyros · Greek Noun phrase
A vivid metaphor for the final place of eternal separation from God and divine punishment for the wicked.
klauthmos kai ho brygmos tōn odontōn · Greek Noun phrase
A vivid description of intense anguish, remorse, and the agony of ultimate separation from God’s presence.
This passage is directly alluded to, establishing the consistent imagery of 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' as a descriptor for exclusion from the Kingdom and eternal punishment.
Daniel 3:6The 'furnace of fire' directly echoes Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace, highlighting the intense and inescapable judgment that awaits those cast out.
Luke 13:28This parallel account of Jesus' teaching further emphasizes the reality of exclusion from God's presence, where people will 'weep and gnash their teeth' when they see others in the Kingdom.
Revelation 20:15This prophetic vision of the final judgment solidifies the concept of the 'lake of fire' as the ultimate destination for those whose names are not found in the book of life, aligning with the fiery imagery used here.
pulpitMatthew 13:42: "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Verse 42. - And shall cast them into a (the, Revised Version) furnace of fire: there shall be (the, Revised Version) wailing and gnashing of teeth. Judging by the analogy of ver. 50, even the first clause is not necessarily due to the image of the tares. The furnace of fire was no unknown expression for the punishment of the wicked (cf. also Matthew 8:12, note).
meyerMatthew 13:42: "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:42 . The furnace ( Daniel 3:6 ) represents Gehenna. Comp. Revelation 20:15 . ὁ κλαυθμός ] see note on Matthew 8:12 .
The verse uses "the furnace of fire," which points to a specific, known place of judgment—Gehenna, the valley of Hinnom—not just any fire. This intense imagery of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" isn't just about pain, but a deep, despairing rage born from the finality and utter helplessness of their condition.
Jesus has just used the parable of the weeds to explain that God's kingdom will have both righteous and wicked people mixed together until the final judgment. This verse describes the fate of the wicked, who will be separated from the righteous and cast into a place of intense suffering and despair, often referred to as eternal punishment or hell. This imagery of a "fiery furnace" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" emphasizes the finality and severity of this separation.
Jesus has just used the parable of the weeds to explain that God's kingdom will have both righteous and wicked people mixed together until the final judgment. This verse describes the fate of the wicked, who will be separated from the righteous and cast into a place of intense suffering and despair, often referred to as eternal punishment or hell. This imagery of a "fiery furnace" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" emphasizes the finality and severity of this separation.
"and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." — The verse uses "the furnace of fire," which points to a specific, known place of judgment—Gehenna, the valley of Hinnom—not just any fire. This intense imagery of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" isn'…
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Last reviewed October 2026