Mat 11:23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

"Exalted" is hupsoô, which means "to lift high" and "raise up." It is a metaphor for "elevate" and "exalt."

"Heaven" is ouranos, which is "heaven," "sky," and "the universe."

"Brought down" is katabibazô, which means "to cause to bring down" and "to bring down."

"Hell" is hades, which is the name of Pluto, the god of the underworld and used for the netherworld. Interesting, this is the first time that this world is used in Matthew. The term used for "hell" prior to this has been genna (Gehenna), the burning trash dump outside of Jerusalem.

"Might works" is dunamis, which means "power," "might," "influence," "authority," and "capability." It also means the "force" or "meaning" of a word, which is specifically important in our case, since Christ is the Word.

The idea here is that societies that see themselves as favored by God, as Capernaum did, are too self-satisfied to recognize the "great works" while those that know they are corrupt are more likely to reform. If we see ourselves as perfect or chosen, we cannot improve. We can only improve if we recognize our flaws and mistakes.