Luke 11:48

KJV

Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

KJV (with Strong's)

Truly {G686} ye bear witness {G3140} that {G2532} ye allow {G4909} the deeds {G2041} of your {G5216} fathers {G3962}: for {G3754} they {G846} indeed {G3303} killed {G615} them {G846}, and {G1161} ye {G5210} build {G3618} their {G846} sepulchres {G3419}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Thus you testify that you completely approve of what your fathers did — they did the killing, you do the building!

Berean Standard Bible

So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.

American Standard Version

So ye are witnesses and consent unto the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and ye build their tombs.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In Luke 11:48, Jesus delivers a searing indictment against the religious leaders of His day, particularly the scribes and Pharisees, exposing the profound hypocrisy inherent in their actions. He reveals that their seemingly pious act of building sepulchres for the prophets their ancestors had murdered was not an act of repentance or honor, but rather a chilling affirmation and tacit approval of their forefathers' violent deeds, demonstrating a shared spiritual lineage of opposition to God's living messengers.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a series of intense "woes" or condemnations (Luke 11:37-54) that Jesus pronounces against the Pharisees and lawyers (scribes) during a meal at a Pharisee's house. The immediate catalyst for Jesus' denunciation is the Pharisee's astonishment that Jesus did not perform ritualistic handwashing before the meal ([Luke 11:38](/luke/11-38 "Luke 11:38 - Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees for Ritualism")). Jesus uses this encounter to expose the deep-seated spiritual corruption beneath their outward religious observances. The preceding verse ([Luke 11:47](/luke/11-47 "Luke 11:47 - Woes to the Builders of Tombs")) explicitly sets the stage by mentioning their practice of building tombs for the prophets, directly leading into the paradoxical and condemning statement of verse 48, which reveals the true nature of their "witness."
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The scribes and Pharisees were the dominant religious authorities in first-century Judaism, highly respected for their adherence to the Law and traditions. It was a common act of piety to honor deceased prophets by building or adorning their tombs, a practice that seemingly demonstrated respect for God's past messengers. However, Jesus' critique cuts through this outward display, revealing a deeper spiritual reality. Historically, Israel had a long and tragic pattern of rejecting and persecuting the prophets God sent to them, a theme frequently echoed in the Old Testament ([Jeremiah 7:25-26](/jeremiah/7-25-26 "Jeremiah 7:25-26 - Israel's Disobedience to the Prophets") and [Nehemiah 9:26](/nehemiah/9-26 "Nehemiah 9:26 - Israel's Rebellion and Persecution of Prophets")). Jesus' words in this verse highlight the continuation of this very spirit of opposition within the contemporary religious establishment, despite their outward show of reverence for the dead prophets.
* **Key Themes:** Luke 11:48 powerfully contributes to several key themes prevalent in Jesus' teachings and the broader Lukan narrative. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Hypocrisy and Spiritual Blindness**, revealing how outward religious acts can mask profound inner corruption and a rejection of God's true will. The leaders' actions, while appearing pious, are exposed as a form of complicity with the very sins they ostensibly condemn. Secondly, the verse highlights the **Rejection of God's Messengers**, a recurring motif throughout biblical history, culminating in the rejection of Jesus Himself. The Pharisees' actions demonstrate a continuity with their ancestors' pattern of persecuting those who speak God's truth. This theme is further developed in parallel passages such as [Matthew 23:29-36](/matthew/23-29-36 "Matthew 23:29-36 - Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees") and powerfully articulated in Stephen's sermon in [Acts 7:51-53](/acts/7-51-53 "Acts 7:51-53 - Stephen's Rebuke of Israel's History"). Finally, the verse touches on the theme of **Spiritual Lineage and Guilt**, suggesting that by approving their fathers' deeds, the current generation inherits and perpetuates the guilt of those who persecuted the prophets, aligning themselves with the perpetrators rather than the victims.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **bear witness (Greek, _martyréō'_):** From G3140, meaning "to be a witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively)." In this context, Jesus asserts that the religious leaders' actions of building tombs for the prophets serve as a public declaration or testimony. It's not merely a passive observation, but an active acknowledgment that their spiritual lineage and current disposition align with those who killed the prophets. Their outward piety ironically becomes a witness against them.
* **allow (Greek, _syneudokéō'_):** From G4909, meaning "to think well of in common, i.e. assent to, feel gratified with." This word is stronger than merely "permitting" or "tolerating." It implies active approval, agreement, or even pleasure in the actions of their fathers. By building monuments, they are not repudiating the past violence but, in Jesus' eyes, completing the cycle and affirming the underlying spirit of rejection that led to the prophets' deaths.
* **sepulchres (Greek, _mnēmeîon'_):** From G3419, meaning "a remembrance, i.e. cenotaph (place of interment); grave, sepulchre, tomb." These were tombs or monuments erected to honor the dead. The irony here is profound: while they build physical memorials to honor the deceased prophets, their spiritual disposition and actions toward God's living messengers (like Jesus) mirror the very spirit of those who murdered the prophets. The "sepulchres" become symbols of their hypocrisy.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers:"** Jesus begins with a stark declaration, using "Truly" (G686, _ára_) to emphasize the decisive inference. He asserts that their actions serve as a public testimony ("bear witness") that they actively approve of ("allow") the violent acts of their ancestors. This is a shocking accusation, as their outward behavior (building tombs) would typically be seen as a repudiation of those deeds. Jesus reveals the deeper, spiritual complicity.
* **"for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres."** This clause explains the paradox. The "fathers" (their ancestors) were the ones who "killed" the prophets. The current generation, by "building their sepulchres" (tombs), might appear to be honoring the victims. However, Jesus connects these two actions, implying that the act of building monuments to the dead prophets, while simultaneously rejecting the living Prophet (Jesus) and His message, demonstrates a shared, unrepentant spirit with their murderous forefathers. Their "building" is not an act of sorrow or repentance, but a completion of the ancestral crime, marking their complicity.

#### Literary Devices
Luke 11:48 is rich in **Irony**, which is the most prominent literary device. The religious leaders, by building tombs for the prophets, believe they are honoring God and distancing themselves from the sins of their ancestors. However, Jesus reveals the profound irony: their actions, far from absolving them, actually serve as a "witness" that they "allow" or approve of their fathers' murderous deeds. Their outward piety is a mask for inner spiritual alignment with those who persecuted God's messengers. This creates a powerful **Paradox**, where an act of apparent reverence becomes an indictment of complicity. The very monuments intended to memorialize the victims become symbols of the perpetrators' continued spirit. Furthermore, Jesus' entire series of "woes" in this chapter, including this verse, employs **Hyperbole** and strong, confrontational language to underscore the severity of the religious leaders' spiritual condition and to shock His audience into recognizing their profound hypocrisy.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 11:48 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of true righteousness versus performative piety. It exposes the danger of outward religious observance that lacks genuine inner transformation and a heart aligned with God's truth. The religious leaders' actions illustrate a pattern of rejecting God's living word and His messengers, preferring instead to honor dead traditions or historical figures while opposing the present manifestation of God's will. This verse highlights that true honor for God's prophets is not found in building monuments to their memory, but in heeding their message and embracing the truth they proclaimed. It speaks to the continuity of God's redemptive plan and the persistent human tendency to resist divine revelation, a resistance that culminates in the rejection of Christ Himself.

* [Matthew 23:29-36](/matthew/23-29-36 "Matthew 23:29-36 - Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees")
* [Acts 7:51-53](/acts/7-51-53 "Acts 7:51-53 - Stephen's Rebuke of Israel's History")
* [Isaiah 29:13](/isaiah/29-13 "Isaiah 29:13 - Honouring God with Lips, Not Heart")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Luke 11:48 stands as a timeless warning against the insidious nature of spiritual hypocrisy. It challenges believers across all generations to critically examine the motives behind their religious practices and to ensure that their outward expressions of faith are rooted in genuine inward transformation. We are called to be vigilant against the temptation to merely honor past spiritual heroes or traditions while neglecting the living, challenging truths of God's Word in our present context. This verse compels us to consider whether our actions truly reflect a heart submitted to Christ, or if we, too, are inadvertently "building sepulchres" by celebrating historical faith while resisting the Spirit's contemporary call to justice, mercy, and humility. True faith demands more than ritual; it demands a radical alignment of heart, mind, and deed with the will of God, even when it confronts our comfort or challenges our established norms.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might we, like the Pharisees, outwardly honor spiritual truths or figures while inwardly resisting their implications for our lives or our communities?**
* **How do our actions or attitudes, perhaps subtly, align us with historical or contemporary patterns of rejecting God's challenging truths or those who speak them?**
* **What does "building sepulchres" look like in our modern context, and how can we ensure our faith is genuine and transformative rather than merely performative or traditional?**

### FAQ

**Why did Jesus accuse them of "allowing" their fathers' deeds if they were building tombs for the prophets?**

Answer: Jesus' accusation reveals a profound irony and spiritual insight. While building tombs for prophets might appear as an act of reverence, Jesus saw it as a form of complicity. By honoring the *dead* prophets, they were implicitly acknowledging the *fact* of their ancestors' murderous deeds. More critically, their contemporary actions — rejecting Jesus, the ultimate Prophet, and persecuting His disciples — demonstrated that they shared the same spiritual disposition as their ancestors. Their outward piety was a veneer for an inward spirit of opposition to God's living truth. Thus, building the sepulchres was not an act of repentance for ancestral sin, but rather a public "witness" that they approved of the very deeds that necessitated those tombs, effectively completing the cycle of rejection and violence against God's messengers. This theme is also explored in [Matthew 23:29-32](/matthew/23-29-32 "Matthew 23:29-32 - Filling Up the Measure of Your Fathers").

**What is the significance of "sepulchres" in this context?**

Answer: "Sepulchres" (tombs) were monuments erected to commemorate the dead, often with great care and expense. In this context, their significance lies in the stark contrast between outward appearance and inward reality. The Pharisees were meticulously maintaining and beautifying the tombs of prophets whom their ancestors had killed. This act was culturally perceived as pious and respectful. However, Jesus exposes it as a symbol of their hypocrisy. They honored the *dead* prophets, but they were actively persecuting the *living* Prophet (Jesus) and His followers. The sepulchres, therefore, became monuments not of true reverence, but of a deceptive piety that preferred a safely dead past over a challenging living truth, revealing a continuation of the same murderous spirit that filled those tombs in the first place.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 11:48, with its indictment of those who rejected God's prophets, finds its ultimate and tragic fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the culmination of all the prophets, the very Word of God made flesh ([John 1:14](/john/1-14 "John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh")). The pattern of rejecting God's messengers, highlighted by Jesus in this verse, reached its zenith with His own crucifixion at the hands of those who outwardly claimed to serve God. Yet, in His death and resurrection, Christ not only fulfilled the prophetic pattern of suffering and vindication ([Acts 3:18-20](/acts/3-18-20 "Acts 3:18-20 - Christ's Suffering and Repentance")), but also broke its cycle. No longer do we "build sepulchres" for dead prophets while rejecting the living truth; instead, we are called to build our lives upon the living cornerstone, Jesus Christ ([Ephesians 2:19-22](/ephesians/2-19-22 "Ephesians 2:19-22 - Christ as the Cornerstone")). True honor for the prophets and for God Himself is found in receiving Christ, the one whom the prophets foretold ([Luke 24:44-47](/luke/24-44-47 "Luke 24:44-47 - Jesus Explains the Scriptures")). His resurrection is the ultimate vindication of all God's messengers, demonstrating that God's truth, though often rejected and persecuted, ultimately triumphs.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

James 5:10

Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

2 Chronicles 36:16

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.

Matthew 21:35

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Matthew 21:38

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

Acts 7:51

¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.

Acts 7:52

Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

Matthew 23:31

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