Matthew 25:32-33

Usually "the nations" (Gr. ta ethne) refers to Gentiles distinguished from Jews (e.g., Luke 21:24; Acts 14:16). [Note: Abbott-Smith, pp. 129-30; Thayer, A Greek-English . . ., p. 168; Vincent, 1:135. ] Because of this some interpreters believe the judgment of Matthew 25:31-46 is a judgment of Gentiles only. [Note: E.g., Barbieri, p. 80; Bailey, in The New . . ., p. 53; and Eugene W. Pond, "Who Are the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25:31-46?" Bibliotheca Sacra 159:635 (July-September 2002):288-301.] However the phrase "all the nations" is often more inclusive, referring to all people, including the Jews (cf. Romans 16:26; Revelation 15:4). Here it probably refers to all people living on earth when Jesus establishes His kingdom (cf. Matthew 28:19; Mark 13:10). Everyone will have heard the gospel of the kingdom preached during the Tribulation (Matthew 24:14). In Jesus’ day, shepherds separated the sheep from the goats in their flocks for various reasons at various times (cf. Ezekiel 34:17). Also, sheep and goats in the Middle East look more alike than they do in some other parts of the world. [Note: Bailey, in The New . . ., p. 54.] The right often signified the place of favor, and the left the place of comparative disfavor in biblical and Jewish literature. [Note: J. M. Court, "Right and Left: The Implications for Matthew 25:31-46," New Testament Studies 31 (1985):223-29.]