Matthew 23:28 Meaning and Explanation
“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus applies the image plainly: they look righteous to people, but inside they are full of pretense and lawlessness.
What Does Matthew 23:28 Mean?
This verse names directly what the tomb pictured. To human eyes the leaders seemed righteous, but Jesus, who sees within, declares the inner reality: hypocrisy, the gap between appearance and truth, and iniquity, a heart out of step with God's law.
The contrast between how we appear and who we truly are stands at the center of this whole discourse. People see the surface; God sees the heart. The aim of faith is not to manage appearances but to be made genuinely righteous within. Jesus exposes the gap so that it may be closed, not by better acting but by real transformation. He offers the inner renewal that makes a person righteous in truth, the same without and within.
Matthew 23:28 in the Original Language
anomia (ἀνομία), 'iniquity' -- lawlessness, a condition of life set against God's law.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 23:28
What does Matthew 23:28 mean?
Jesus applies the image plainly: they look righteous to people, but inside they are full of pretense and lawlessness.