John Calvin Commentary Matthew 11:23

"And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day." — Matthew 11:23 (ASV)

And thou, Capernaum. He expressly addresses the city of Capernaum, in which he had resided so constantly that many supposed it to be his native place. It was indeed an inestimable honor that the Son of God, when about to begin his reign and priesthood, had chosen Capernaum for the seat of his palace and sanctuary. And yet it was as deeply plunged in its filth as if there had never been poured upon it a drop of Divine grace. For this reason, Christ declares that the punishment awaiting it will be more dreadful in proportion to the higher favors it had received from God.

It deserves our earnest attention in this passage that the profanation of God’s gifts, involving sacrilege, will never go unpunished. Moreover, the more eminent anyone is, he will be punished with greater severity if he basely pollutes the gifts God has bestowed on him. Above all, an awful vengeance awaits us if, after receiving Christ’s spiritual gifts, we treat him and his Gospel with contempt.

If they had been done in Sodom. We have already hinted that Christ speaks in human terms, and does not reveal, as from the heavenly sanctuary,⁴⁵ what God foresaw would happen if he had sent a prophet to the inhabitants of Sodom. But if quarrelsome persons are not satisfied with this answer, every ground of objection is removed by this single consideration: that although God had a remedy in his power for saving the inhabitants of Sodom, yet in destroying them he was a just avenger.⁴⁶

⁴⁵ “Il ne vent point ici amener le conseil secret de Dieu;” — “he does not intend here to exhibit the secret purpose of God.”;” — “he does not intend here to exhibit the secret purpose of God.”

⁴⁶ “Que toutesfois, en les destruisant et damnant, il n’a rien fait qui empesche qu’il ne soit tousiours recognue iuste en sa punition et sa vengeance;” — “that notwithstanding, in destroying and condemning them, He has done nothing to prevent Him from being always acknowledged to be righteous in His punishment and in His vengeance.”;” — “that notwithstanding, in destroying and condemning them, He has done nothing to prevent Him from being always acknowledged to be righteous in His punishment and in His vengeance.”