Matthew 23:29-39 Lesson 48

Matthew 23:29-39
Lesson 48

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

A continuation of lessons 46 and 47. This entire passage is Jesus talking.

"How can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (23:33)

For the seventh time in twenty-seven verses, Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites.

Study Tip:

The Bible is a complex book, so it helps to study more than one translation.
As you read scroll back and forth between the "King James" text and the "New Living Translation" below.

Also, click on the links and check the "Margin Notes" on the right.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The King James Bible

Matthew 23:29-39
Jesus warns the scribes and Pharisees

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Margin notes:

"Ye build tombs of the prophets." (23:29) - The very prophets their forefathers killed (23:31; Luke 11:47).

"Garnish the sepulchres of the righteous." (23:29) - Means, "decorate the graves of the righteous."

"If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." (23:30) - "If we had been alive in our fathers time, we wouldn't have taken part in killing the prophets." Nice words, but in a few days they will call for Jesus' crucifixion.

"Ye be witnesses unto yourselves." (23:31) - "You're witnesses against yourselves."

"Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers." (23:32) - "Finish then what your forefathers started." In a few days, they will.

"Serpents, ye generation of vipers." (23:33) - "Snakes, you brood of vipers." This is similar to a curse found in the Talmud that goes, "Woe to the house of Annas! Woe to their serpent-like hissings." Jesus also called the Pharisees a "generation of vipers" in Matthew 12:34. John the Baptist did the same in Matthew 3:7.

"Abel." (23:35) - The second son of Adam and Eve and a shepherd (Genesis 4:2). He showed his faith and honored God by offering Him "the firstlings of his flock" (Genesis 4:4) as an atoning sacrifice. This pleased God, which made his older brother Cain jealous. In a rage, Cain killed Abel, making him history's first murder victim (Genesis 4:8). Jesus refers to "the blood of Abel" in Luke 11:51 and calls him "righteous" in Matthew 23:35. You can read more about Abel in Genesis 4:1-17.

"Zacharias." (23:35) - Also called Zechariah. A man of God and Old Testament prophet who was martyred by a mob of supposedly godly people who stoned him to death. You can learn more by reading 2 Chronicles 24:20-22.

"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." (23:38) - Just as God said in 1 Kings 9:7-8 and Jeremiah 22:5.

"Ye shall not see me henceforth." (23:39) - "You won't see me again."

"Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (23:29) - Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:26.

New Living Translation

Matthew 23:29-39

29 "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed.

30 Then you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.'

31 "But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started.

33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

34 "Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city.

35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time-from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar.

36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.

38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.

39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!"

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why didn't God stop the people of Jerusalem from killing His prophets? (23:37)

“We are saved by faith alone (not our works), but not by faith that remains alone.”

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. God could have stopped the killing of His prophets. But He wants people to accept His messenger's because they want to. God is looking for sincere, loving, hearts created by faith. Would you force someone to love you?

Application thought for the day:

The Seven Woes:
Starting with Matthew 23:13 (lesson 47), Jesus outlined seven ways to anger God. It's worth considering which of these still apply today.

1) Preventing yourself and others from entering the Kingdom of heaven (23:13).
2) Converting people, not to God but to be a worse sinner than you (23:15).
3) Encouraging people to follow man-made laws instead of the word of God (23:16-22).
4) Concentrating on minor details of Christianity and neglecting the valuable lessons, like justice, mercy, and faith (23:23-24).
5) Keeping up false appearances to hide your hypocrisy (23:25-26).
6) Acting holy while concealing your sins (23:27-28).
7) Pretending to have learned from the past but living like you haven't learned a thing (23:29-36).

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2024 evolke

Subscribe for Free Bible Lessons