Matthew 23:34

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:

Wherefore {G1223}{G5124}, behold {G2400}, I {G1473} send {G649} unto {G4314} you {G5209} prophets {G4396}, and {G2532} wise men {G4680}, and {G2532} scribes {G1122}: and {G2532} some of {G1537} them {G846} ye shall kill {G615} and {G2532} crucify {G4717}; and {G2532} some of {G1537} them {G846} shall ye scourge {G3146} in {G1722} your {G5216} synagogues {G4864}, and {G2532} persecute {G1377} them from {G575} city {G4172} to {G1519} city {G4172}:

Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and Torah-teachers -- some of them you will kill, indeed, you will have them executed on stakes as criminals; some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.

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

Matthew 23:34 (KJV) is a powerful and somber prophecy from Jesus Christ, delivered during His final public discourse in Jerusalem. It immediately follows His pronouncement of woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, highlighting their hypocrisy and rejection of God's truth.

Context

This verse is found within Matthew chapter 23, a chapter almost entirely dedicated to Jesus' severe indictment of the scribes and Pharisees. He exposes their hypocrisy, legalism, and spiritual blindness. Verse 34 serves as a climax, revealing the inevitable consequence of their rejection of God's previous messengers and their continued hardness of heart: they will also persecute and kill the new messengers Jesus sends – His apostles and disciples. This prophecy foreshadows the intense persecution faced by the early church, as documented in the Book of Acts.

Key Themes

  • Divine Commissioning: Jesus asserts His authority to "send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes." These terms likely refer to different types of Christian messengers – those who would speak God's word, those who would teach with wisdom, and those who would interpret scripture. This demonstrates the continuity of God's mission through His chosen servants.
  • Prophecy of Persecution: The verse vividly describes the violent opposition these messengers would face: "kill and crucify," "scourge in your synagogues," and "persecute them from city to city." This chillingly accurate prediction was fulfilled in the experiences of apostles like Peter, Paul, and Stephen, and countless early believers.
  • Rejection of God's Messengers: This persecution is not new; it mirrors Israel's historical pattern of rejecting and harming the prophets God sent throughout the Old Testament. Jesus links this generation's actions to the blood of all righteous people shed from Abel onward (Matthew 23:35).

Linguistic Insights

The terms "prophets, and wise men, and scribes" are significant. While "prophets" refers to those who speak God's immediate word, and "wise men" to those who teach with spiritual insight, "scribes" here doesn't refer to the adversarial scribes Jesus condemns. Instead, it likely refers to Christian teachers who would accurately interpret scripture and teach the Law from a New Covenant perspective. The inclusion of "crucify" as a method of execution is particularly striking, as it was a Roman form of punishment, not Jewish, highlighting the extreme measures that would be taken against Jesus' followers, sometimes through collaboration with Gentile authorities.

Practical Application

For believers today, Matthew 23:34 serves as a stark reminder of the potential cost of discipleship. Jesus never promised an easy path, but rather warned that those who faithfully proclaim His truth might face opposition, ridicule, or even violence. This verse encourages us to:

  • Expect Opposition: True faithfulness to Christ often invites resistance from the world, just as it did in the early church.
  • Endure in Faith: Knowing that persecution is part of a pattern foreseen by Jesus Himself can strengthen believers to endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel.
  • Value God's Messengers: The verse underscores the importance of those God sends to speak His truth, even when their message is challenging or unpopular.

It is a call to courage and steadfastness in proclaiming the Kingdom of God, regardless of the consequences.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Matthew 10:16

    Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

  • Matthew 10:17

    But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

  • Matthew 13:52

    Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.

  • Colossians 1:28

    Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

  • Matthew 10:23

    But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

  • Acts 13:1

    ¶ Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

  • Matthew 23:34

    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:
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