Matthew 23:17 Meaning and Explanation
“Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus presses the point: the temple is greater than its gold, for it is the temple that makes the gold holy.
What Does Matthew 23:17 Mean?
Jesus answers the false distinction with a question that exposes its folly. The gold has worth, but the temple is what gives the gold its sacred meaning, for the gold becomes holy only by belonging to God's house. To rank the gold above the temple is to reverse the true order of things.
Beneath the argument lies a deeper truth: it is God's presence that hallows everything connected to him, not the value people assign to it. When we lose sight of what is truly sacred, we begin to prize the lesser thing and miss the greater. Jesus calls his hearers back to clear vision, where God himself is honored as the source of all holiness, and nothing is allowed to obscure him.
Matthew 23:17 in the Original Language
hagiazo (ἁγιάζω), 'sanctifieth' -- to make holy, to set apart as belonging to God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 23:17
What does Matthew 23:17 mean?
Jesus presses the point: the temple is greater than its gold, for it is the temple that makes the gold holy.