Matthew 23:15 Meaning and Explanation
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus rebukes a zeal that crosses the world to win converts, only to form them in the same hypocrisy, twice over.
What Does Matthew 23:15 Mean?
A proselyte was a convert who embraced the faith of Israel. The leaders expended great effort to gain even one, traveling far by sea and land. Yet Jesus says the convert, shaped by their example, becomes twice as fit for destruction as those who taught him.
Zeal alone is not holiness. Energy poured into spreading a corrupted faith only multiplies the corruption. What we pass on to others is not merely our doctrine but our character, and a follower often outdoes the teacher in both virtue and vice. The warning is searching: those who would lead others to God must first let God form them truly, so that what they reproduce is life and not its counterfeit.
Matthew 23:15 in the Original Language
proselytos (προσήλυτος), 'proselyte' -- one who has come over to a new faith, a convert who joins the people of God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 23:15
What does Matthew 23:15 mean?
Jesus rebukes a zeal that crosses the world to win converts, only to form them in the same hypocrisy, twice over.