Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
The sons of the kingdom (oi uioi thv basileiav). A favourite Hebrew idiom like "son of hell" (Matthew 23:15), "sons of this age" (Luke 16:8). The Jews felt that they had a natural right to the privileges of the kingdom because of descent from Abraham (Matthew 3:9). But mere natural birth did not bring spiritual sonship as the Baptist had taught before Jesus did.
Into the outer darkness (eiv to skotov to ecwteron). Comparative adjective like our "further out," the darkness outside the limits of the lighted palace, one of the figures for hell or punishment (Matthew 23:13; Matthew 25:30). The repeated article makes it bolder and more impressive, "the darkness the outside," there where the wailing and gnashing of teeth is heard in the thick blackness of night.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Matthew 8:12:
Matthew 22:13
Matthew 23:15
Luke 7:1
Galatians 3:26
Revelation 16:10
Revelation 22:15
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