Matthew 23:33 meaning
In this powerful denunciation, Jesus addresses the religious leaders of His time, specifically the scribes and Pharisees, whom He labels as "serpents" and "vipers." This harsh description underscores their cunning yet toxic influence on the faith community. By invoking the imagery of snakes, Jesus emphasizes the deceitful nature of these leaders, contrasting their outward respectability with their inner corruption. Their reality embodies hypocrisy—a significant theme in this discourse. Despite their profound knowledge of religious law, their actions reveal a fundamental disconnect from God's intentions.
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Deeper Commentary Covering this Verse:
- Matthew 23:29-36 meaning. Jesus’s final woe of warning to the scribes and Pharisees was condemning. In it He demonstrated how they were just like their fathers who murdered God’s prophets when they killed John the Baptist. He also said they would get their fill of even more prophet’s blood—so much so that they would become as guilty as though they killed every righteous person from Abel to Zechariah.
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Matthew 5:21-22 meaning. Jesus says that righteousness is a matter of both outwardly following the Law and inwardly reflecting the spirit behind the law. Acting in violence and harboring violent attitudes results in disharmony (unrighteousness).
- Matthew 11:25-27 meaning. Jesus prays to His Father in Heaven, revealing His relationship to God as His Son. And as the Son’s identity is revealed by the Father upon those whom He chooses, so is the Father known only by those the Son wills to reveal.
- John 2:13-17 meaning. John reports that Jesus's public ministry begins at Cana (John 2:1-12), albeit somewhat inconspicuously. He does not stay discrete for long, however, as John next reports that Jesus travels to Jerusalem for Passover, where He confronts the moneychangers and animal sellers who had set up shop in the temple. He drives them out of the temple with a whip, declaring that His Father's house should not be made into a place of business.
Set to dark modeSet to dark modeAsk The Bible Says