Matthew 23:31

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

Wherefore {G5620} ye be witnesses {G3140} unto yourselves {G1438}, that {G3754} ye are {G2075} the children {G5207} of them which killed {G5407} the prophets {G4396}.

In this you testify against yourselves that you are worthy descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.

Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.

Matthew 23:31 delivers a scathing indictment from Jesus Christ to the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their deep-seated hypocrisy and their spiritual connection to those who historically persecuted God's messengers. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Jesus pronounces woes upon these religious leaders.

Context

This verse is found within Matthew chapter 23, a powerful and extended rebuke by Jesus against the religious elite of His day. Throughout this chapter, Jesus systematically dismantles their outward show of piety, revealing their internal corruption and their opposition to God's truth. Leading up to verse 31, Jesus has just condemned them for building tombs for the prophets and decorating the memorials of the righteous (Matthew 23:29-30), claiming that if they had lived in their fathers' days, they would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Then, in verse 31, He turns their own words and actions against them.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Self-Condemnation and Hypocrisy: Jesus highlights how their actions (building tombs for prophets) paradoxically serve as a confession of their true spiritual lineage. By honoring dead prophets while rejecting the living Prophet (Jesus Himself), they "witness unto themselves" their continuity with those who killed the prophets. Their outward show of reverence for the past prophets contrasted sharply with their active opposition to the present manifestation of God's truth.
  • Rejection of God's Messengers: The core accusation is that they are "children of them which killed the prophets." This refers to a long history in Israel of rejecting and persecuting those whom God sent to speak His word, from Elijah to Jeremiah and beyond. Jesus implies that the scribes and Pharisees are not merely descendants by blood, but inheritors of this same spirit of rebellion and unbelief. This theme is echoed elsewhere, such as in Stephen's speech in Acts 7:52, where he asks, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?" A parallel account in Luke 11:48 also highlights their complicity.
  • Spiritual Lineage: The phrase "children of them" goes beyond mere physical descent. It signifies a spiritual affinity, a shared character and disposition. Despite their claims of righteousness and being Abraham's children, Jesus reveals their true spiritual fatherhood to be with those who resisted God's will and harmed His servants.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "witnesses unto yourselves" (Greek: martyres heautois) is particularly potent. It means they are, by their own actions and words, providing evidence against themselves. They are self-incriminating. Their efforts to honor past prophets, while simultaneously plotting against Jesus, served as an ironic testimony to their alignment with the very persecutors they claimed to disavow. This is a form of self-condemnation, where their outward piety is unmasked as a deeper complicity.

Practical Application

This powerful rebuke from Jesus serves as a timeless warning. It challenges us to examine our own hearts and actions. Are we quick to honor historical figures or past spiritual movements while resisting present truth or the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit? Do we outwardly profess faith while inwardly harboring attitudes of pride, self-righteousness, or opposition to God's genuine messengers today? The verse calls for genuine humility and a willingness to receive God's word, regardless of the messenger or the cost. It reminds us that true faith is not merely about acknowledging the past, but about obeying God in the present.

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.

  • 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:

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:15

    Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:16

    Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

  • Joshua 24:22

    And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.

  • Job 15:5

    For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

  • Job 15:6

    Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

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