Matthew 7:13"Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.
The setting
Hillside near Capernaum, Israel, ~28 AD. Jesus concludes His sermon with stark choices. The crowd realizes following Him means going against the flow.
The emotion here: urgent concern for souls choosing destruction
The original word
plateia (πλατεῖα) — wide street, spacious way, room for crowds
Why it matters
Ancient city gates had narrow passages for defense - only one person could enter at a time during attacks
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 7:13
The 'many' aren't evil people - they're normal folks choosing the easier, more popular path
Common misconceptionPeople think the 'wide gate' refers to obvious sins like murder or theft. But Jesus means the popular, socially acceptable choices that slowly lead away from God - materialism, self-focus, going along to get along.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 7:13
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 7:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 7:13 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 25% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include salvation, choice. Notable phrases: narrow gate; wide gate; destruction. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Matthew 7:13 mean to you, today?
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