Matthew 23:25-39 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:32

Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Of their sins; for there were bounds and limits set how far they should proceed, and no further; as yet they had not got to the end of their iniquity: their fathers had gone great lengths in sin, but their iniquity was not yet full, as is said of the Amorites, Genesis 15:16 these their sons were to fill it up. They had shed the blood of many of the prophets; and indeed there were none of them but they had persecuted and abused, in one shape or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:33

Ye servants, ye generation of vipers ,.... The latter of these names, John the Baptist calls the Sadducees and Pharisees by, in Matthew 3:7 and Christ, in Matthew 12:34 both express their craft and subtlety, their inward poison, and venomous nature; their fair outside, and specious pretences; their hypocrisy, malice, and wickedness; in which they were like to the old serpent, their father the devil, and to their ancestors, that murdered the prophets; nor could any good thing be expected,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:34

Wherefore, behold I send unto you prophets ,.... To try them, whether they would show the respect to prophets, they pretended to have for them; by building and beautifying their sepulchres; by exclaiming against their forefathers for shedding their blood; and by declaring, that had they lived in their days, they would not have joined with them in it; and to make it appear, that these were all empty words, and specious pretences; and that they had the same malicious and bloody principles in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:35

That upon you may come all the righteous blood ,.... Or "the blood of all the righteous men", as the Syriac: Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read; for there is no righteousness in blood, nor any conveyed by it: all men are of one blood, and that is tainted, they that are righteous, are not so naturally, nor by any righteousness of their own, but by the righteousness of Christ: and such were the persons here meant, whose blood being shed in the cause of righteousness, God would revenge;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:36

Verily I say unto you ,.... An usual form of introducing something of moment to raise attention to it, and to ascertain the truth of it: all these things shall come upon this generation ; all the things which Christ had foretold should come to pass in the present age; as that the apostles and ministers of the word he should send to them, some of them they would kill and crucify, and others they would scourge in their synagogues, or persecute from place to place; and all the horrible... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:37

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ,.... The metropolis of Judea, the seat of the kings of Judah, yea, the city of the great king; the place of divine worship, once the holy and faithful city, the joy of the whole earth; wherefore it was strange that the following things should be said of it. The word is repeated to show our Lord's affection and concern for that city, as well as to upbraid it with its name, dignity, and privileges; and designs not the building of the city, but the inhabitants of it; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:38

Behold your house is left unto you desolate. Signifying that the city in which they dwelt, where they had their ceiled houses, and stately palaces, would, in a little time, within the space of forty years, be destroyed, and become a desert; and the temple, formerly the house of God, but now only their's, and in which they trusted, would be abandoned by God, he would grant his presence no more in it; and the Messiah, the proprietor of it, and who was now in it, would then take his leave of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:39

For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth ,.... Meaning in a very little time after the passover, from the time of his crucifixion and death; otherwise they saw him many times after this, as in the palace of the high priest, in Pilate's judgment hall, and on the cross; but not after his resurrection. This shows the reason of their house being desolate, and in what sense it should be so, and immediately became so; namely, by being then directly, and ever after, destitute of his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

Ye make clean the outside - The Pharisees were exceedingly exact in observing all the washings and purifications prescribed by the law; but paid no attention to that inward purity which was typified by them. A man may appear clean without, who is unclean within; but outward purity will not avail in the sight of God, where inward holiness is wanting. Extortion and excess - ' Αρπαγης και ακρασιας , rapine and intemperance; but instead of ακρασιας , intemperance, many of the very best... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:27

For ye are like - Παρομοιαζετε , ye exactly resemble - the parallel is complete. Whited sepulchres - White-washed tombs. As the law considered those unclean who had touched any thing belonging to the dead, the Jews took care to have their tombs white-washed each year, that, being easily discovered, they might be consequently avoided. read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:32

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:33

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:34

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:35

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:36

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:37

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:38

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:39

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:27

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