TRV
Translation
King James Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Complete Jewish Bible
"Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the tzaddikim,
Berean Standard Bible
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
American Standard Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
World English Bible Messianic
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
Geneva Bible (1599)
Wo be vnto you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye build the tombes of the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Young's Literal Translation
`Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous,
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In the KJVVerse 23,948 of 31,102
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Origen of Alexandria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 253
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Without just cause He seems to utter denunciations against those who build the sepulchres of the Prophets; for so far what they did was praiseworthy; how then do they deserve this woe?
And in the prophetic writings, the historical sense is the body, the spiritual meaning is the soul; the sepulchres are the letter and books themselves of Scripture. They then who attend only to the historical meaning, honour the bodies of the Prophets, and set in the letter as in a sepulchre; and are called Pharisees, i. e. 'cut off,' as it were cutting off the soul of the Prophets from their body.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74
Not because they build, nor because they blame the others, doth He say, woe, but because, while both thus, and by what they say, they are pretending to condemn their fathers, they do worse. For in proof that the condemnation was a pretense, Luke saith, ye do allow because ye build; for, "Woe unto you," saith He, "for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness, and ye allow the deeds of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers." For here He reproves their purpose, wherewith they built, that it was not for the honoring of them that were slain, but as making a show of the murders, and afraid, lest, when the tombs had perished by time, the proof and memory of such daring should fade away, setting up these glorious buildings, as a kind of trophy, and priding themselves in the daring deeds of those men, and displaying them.
For the things that ye now dare to do, show that ye do these things also in this spirit. For, though ye speak the contrary, saith He, as condemning them, as, for instance, "We should not, if we had been in their days, have been partakers with them;" yet the disposition is evident wherewith ye say these things. Wherefore also unfolding it, though darkly, still He hath expressed it. For when He had said, ye say, "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets;" He added, "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them that slew the prophets." And what blame is it to be a murderer's son, if one partake not in the mind of one's father? None. Whence it is evident, that for this same thing He brings it forward against them, hinting at their affinity in wickedness.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Hom. lxxiv.) He does not blame them for building the sepulchres, but discovers the design with which they built them; which was not to honour the slain, but to erect to themselves a triumphal monument of the murder, as fearing that in process of time the memory of this their audacious wickedness should perish.
What kind of accusation is this, to Call one the son of a murderer, who partakes not in his father's disposition? Clearly there is no guilt in being so; wherefore this must be said in proof of their resemblance in wickedness.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
By a most subtle syllogism He proves them to be the sons of murderers, while to gain good character and reputation with the people, they build the sepulchres of the Prophets whom their fathers put to death.
Though they speak not this in words, they proclaim it by their actions, in ambitious and magnificent structures to their memory.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Verse 29 onwards) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. In the most skillful syllogism, they are proven to be the offspring of murderers, while they themselves, by the opinion of goodness and glory among the people, build tombs for the prophets whom their forefathers killed, and they say, 'If we had lived in that time, we would not have done what our fathers did.' However, even if they do not say it in words, they speak through their actions by ambitiously and magnificently building monuments to the slain, whom they do not deny were killed by their forefathers.
And you, fulfill the measure of your fathers. Having proven with the previous words that they were the children of murderers and those who killed the prophets, he now concludes what he wanted and puts forth the final part of the syllogism. And you, fulfill the measure of your fathers. What was lacking for them, you complete. They killed the servants, you crucify the Lord. They killed the prophets, you kill him who was preached by the prophets.
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
But say, hypocrite, if it be good to be wicked, why do you not desire to seem that which you desire to be? For what it is shameful to seem, that it is more shameful to be; and what to seem is fair, that it is fairer to be. Either therefore be what you seem, or seem what you are.
Or, they said within themselves, If we do good to the poor not many see it, and then but for a moment; were it not better to raise buildings which all may see, not only now, but in all time to come? O foolish man, what boots this posthumous memory, if, where you are, you are tortured, and where you are not there you are praised? While He corrects the Jews, He instructs the Christians; for had these things been spoken to the former only, they would have been spoken, but not written; but now they were spoken on their account, and written on ours. When one, besides other good deeds, raises sacred buildings, it is an addition to his good works; but if without any other good works, it is a passion for worldly renown. The martyrs joy not to be honoured with money which has caused the poor to weep. The Jews, moreover, have ever been adorers of saints of former times, and contemners, yea persecutors, of the living. Because they could not endure the reproaches of their own Prophets, they persecuted and killed them; but afterwards the succeeding generation perceived the error of their fathers, and thus in grief at the death of innocent Prophets, they built up monuments of them. But they themselves in like manner persecuted and put to death the Prophets of their own time, when they rebuked them for their sins. This is what is meant, And ye 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.
What they thought in their hearts, that they spoke by their deeds. Christ lays bare here the natural habit of all wicked men; each readily apprehends the other's fault, but none his own; for in another's case each man has an unprejudiced heart, but in his own case it is distorted. Therefore in the cause of others we can all easily be righteous judges. He only is the truly righteous and wise who is able to judge himself. It follows, Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the Prophets.
The character of the parents is a witness to the sons; if the father be good and the mother bad, or the reverse, the children may follow sometimes one, sometimes the other. But when both are the same, it very rarely happens that bad sons spring of good parents, or the reverse, though it be so sometimes. This is as a man is sometimes born out of the rule of nature, having six fingers or no eyes.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
In Matthew 23:29, Jesus pronounces a severe "woe" upon the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their profound hypocrisy. He condemns them for outwardly honoring deceased prophets and righteous individuals by building and adorning their tombs, while simultaneously demonstrating the same persecuting spirit as their ancestors by rejecting and plotting against the living Prophet, Jesus, and His message. This denunciation highlights the stark contrast between their external religious displays and their corrupt inner spiritual condition, revealing their true alignment with those who historically opposed God's messengers.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 23:29 powerfully employs Irony. The scribes and Pharisees, who outwardly honor the dead prophets by building and adorning their tombs, are simultaneously demonstrating the same persecuting spirit as those who killed the prophets in the past. Their actions are a performative display of piety that directly contradicts their inner spiritual state and their treatment of the living Prophet, Jesus. This creates a profound sense of dramatic irony, where the audience understands the true implications of their actions, which the Pharisees themselves seem blind to. The repeated use of "Woe unto you" throughout Matthew chapter 23 functions as a form of Anaphora, emphasizing the severity and repetitive nature of Jesus' condemnation. Furthermore, the passage utilizes Juxtaposition by contrasting the outward act of honoring dead prophets with the inward disposition of rejecting the living Christ, highlighting the chasm between their religious facade and their spiritual reality.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly underscores the biblical emphasis on internal spiritual reality over external religious performance. Jesus exposes a form of piety that is self-serving and deceptive, demonstrating that outward acts of devotion, no matter how grand or traditional, are meaningless if the heart is not aligned with God's truth and justice. The scribes and Pharisees, by honoring past prophets while rejecting the present one, reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of God's continuous revelation and His call to genuine righteousness. Their actions serve as a timeless warning against the dangers of religious hypocrisy, where form supplants substance, and tradition becomes a barrier to recognizing and responding to God's living word.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 23:29 serves as a potent mirror for self-examination, challenging us to look beyond superficial religious acts and probe the true condition of our hearts. It warns against the insidious nature of hypocrisy, where we might outwardly honor spiritual heroes or past truths while inwardly resisting the living, active truth of God's Word and the Holy Spirit in our present lives. True faith is not about constructing impressive monuments to past piety but about cultivating a living, dynamic relationship with God that manifests in genuine obedience, humility, and love. We are called to embody the values and truths proclaimed by the prophets and righteous individuals, not merely to venerate their memory. This requires a constant vigilance against self-deception, ensuring that our outward expressions of faith are consistent with our inner motives and actions, and that we are open to God's ongoing revelation, even when it challenges our comfort zones or established traditions.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was it considered hypocritical for the Pharisees to build tombs for the prophets?
Answer: It was considered hypocritical because, while they outwardly honored the deceased prophets by building and beautifying their tombs, their actions and attitudes towards Jesus, the living Prophet, mirrored the very persecution and rejection that their ancestors had inflicted upon those same prophets. Jesus highlights the stark contrast between their supposed reverence for the past and their active hostility towards God's present messenger. They claimed to revere the prophets' messages, but they failed to recognize or accept the fulfillment of those messages in Christ, demonstrating that their outward piety was a disguise for an unrepentant and rebellious heart. This is further emphasized in Matthew 23:31, where Jesus states they are "witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets."
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 23:29 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in exposing the profound spiritual blindness that led to the rejection of Jesus Himself. The Pharisees' act of honoring dead prophets while persecuting the living Christ underscores the tragic irony that God's people, entrusted with His revelation, failed to recognize the very culmination of that revelation. Jesus, as the Prophet greater than Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), the ultimate fulfillment of all prophetic declarations (Luke 24:27), and the Righteous One par excellence (Acts 3:14), stood before them. Their veneration of past messengers was a hollow gesture, as their hearts were hardened against the One whom all prophets foretold. The "woe" pronounced upon them foreshadows the judgment that would fall upon those who reject God's ultimate messenger, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-38). Conversely, for those who truly honor the prophets, their faith culminates in receiving Christ, the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), demonstrating that true spiritual lineage is not through physical descent or outward ritual, but through faith in the Son whom God has sent (John 3:16-18).