See my previous post and my numerous response to the narrow and wide gate game. (few find it) ???
[
I don't have to, another error on your part. And this is no
"game"
Verse 14:
"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
"For the gate is narrow" (ὅτι στενὴ ἡ πύλη)
ὅτι: Conjunction, "for" or "because."
στενὴ: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular, meaning "narrow" or "restrictive."
This is the counterpart to the wide gate mentioned in verse 13.
ἡ πύλη: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular, meaning "the gate."
The subject of the clause remains the "gate," but this one is described as narrow, implying difficulty or challenge.
"and the way is hard" (καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς)
καὶ: Conjunction, "and."
τεθλιμμένη: Verb (Participle),
Perfect Passive Participle, Nominative Feminine Singular, meaning "hard," "afflicted," or "compressed."
The perfect tense of this participle implies a completed action with ongoing results, indicating that this way has been made hard or difficult and remains so.
ἡ ὁδὸς: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular, meaning "the way" or "the road."
Again, this parallels the earlier mention of the wide way, but now refers to a more challenging, narrow road.
"that leads to life" (ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν)
ἡ ἀπάγουσα: Verb (Participle), Present Active Participle, Nominative Feminine Singular, meaning "leading."
As with verse 13, the present tense participle indicates an ongoing action-this narrow way continually leads to life.
εἰς τὴν ζωήν: Prepositional phrase.
εἰς: Preposition, "to" or "into."
τὴν ζωήν: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular, meaning "life," specifically eternal life.
The accusative case indicates the destination of the action, the ultimate goal: eternal life.
"and those who find it are few" (καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσιν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν)
ὀλίγοι: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural, meaning "few."
This contrasts with the "many" who enter the wide gate, emphasizing the difficulty of finding the narrow path.
εὑρίσκοντες:
Verb (Participle), Present Active Participle, Nominative Masculine Plural, meaning "finding."
The present tense participle indicates that the act of finding is ongoing and difficult.
αὐτήν: Pronoun, Accusative Feminine Singular, referring back to "the way."
The accusative case shows the object of the finding-the narrow way that leads to life.
By the narrow gate (dia tēs stenēs pulēs). The Authorized Version “at the strait gate” misled those who did not distinguish between “strait” and “straight.” The figure of the Two Ways had a wide circulation in Jewish and Christian writings (cf. Deu_30:19; Jer_21:8; Psa_1:1-6). See the Didache i-vi; Barnabas xviii-xx. “The narrow gate” is repeated in Mat_7:14 and
straitened the way (tethlimmenē hē hodos) added. The way is “compressed,” narrowed as in a defile between high rocks, a tight place like stenochōria in Rom_8:35. “The way that leads to life involves straits and afflictions” (McNeile). Vincent quotes the Pinax or Tablet of Cebes, a contemporary of Socrates:
“Seest thou not, then, a little door, and a way before the door, which is not much crowded, but very few travel it? This is the way that leadeth unto true culture.” “The broad way” (euruchōros) is in every city, town, village, with the glaring white lights that lure to destruction.
Robertson.
Mat 7:13 Enter Εἰσέλθατε through διὰ the τῆς narrow στενῆς gate. πύλης· For ὅτι wide [is] πλατεῖα the ἡ gate πύλη and καὶ broad [is] εὐρύχωρος the ἡ way ὁδὸς that ἡ leads ἀπάγουσα to εἰς - τὴν destruction, ἀπώλειαν, and καὶ many πολλοί - εἰσιν - οἱ enter εἰσερχόμενοι through δι’ it. αὐτῆς·
Mat 7:14 But ὅτι small [is] στενὴ the ἡ gate πύλη and καὶ narrow τεθλιμμένη the ἡ way ὁδὸς that ἡ leads ἀπάγουσα to εἰς - τὴν life, ζωήν, and καὶ only a
few ὀλίγοι - εἰσὶν - οἱ find εὑρίσκοντες it. αὐτήν.
4)"And few there be that find it." (kai oligoi eisin hoi keuriskontes auten) "And few are the ones who are finding it," seeking or searching to pursue the restricted way, of salvation in Christ, and the greatest degree of glory which is given to God by and through Him and the church which He purchased with His own blood, Act_20:28; Eph_3:21. The two ways may be described as follows:
1) The strait gate, narrow way through which men are called to glory is by a) Salvation in and through Jesus only, Joh_10:9-10; Joh_14:6; Act_4:12; Joh_8:24. b) The way of behavior through which one passes to the abundant and more abundant life is through the doctrinal, moral, and ethical standards one is called to embrace and follow in life through His church, Mat_5:13-15; Act_20:28; Eph_3:21.
2) The broad way is that of rebellion against God, as each does as he chooses, lives as he pleases, does in humanism, "his own thing"; Pro_14:12; Joh_8:24.
Shalom
J.
