Matthew 23:27 Meaning and Explanation
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus compares them to whitewashed tombs, lovely on the surface but inside full of death and decay.
What Does Matthew 23:27 Mean?
Tombs near Jerusalem were often whitewashed so that no one would touch them unawares and become ceremonially unclean. Brilliant on the outside, they nevertheless contained bones and corruption. Jesus turns this familiar sight into a mirror for the leaders' inner state.
The image deepens the charge of hypocrisy to its starkest point: a beautiful exterior concealing death within. This is the tragedy of a religion that polishes appearances while the heart remains lifeless. Yet the very starkness of the picture is a summons to honesty before God, who sees past every whitewash. Jesus longs not to expose for its own sake but to call his hearers to inward life, the kind only he can give to hearts willing to be made new.
Matthew 23:27 in the Original Language
taphos (τάφος), 'sepulchre' -- a tomb or grave, a place of burial for the dead.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 23:27
What does Matthew 23:27 mean?
Jesus compares them to whitewashed tombs, lovely on the surface but inside full of death and decay.