Matthew 23:29 Meaning and Explanation
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus pronounces a woe over those who honor dead prophets with fine tombs while sharing the spirit that killed them.
What Does Matthew 23:29 Mean?
The leaders built and decorated monuments to the prophets and righteous people of old, honoring those whom earlier generations had rejected. On the surface this looked like reverence and a disowning of their ancestors' violence.
Yet Jesus sees the contradiction forming. It is easy to honor the prophets of the past, whose hard words no longer trouble us, while resisting the living voice of God in the present. To build a prophet's tomb costs little; to heed a prophet's message costs much. The warning reaches every age: God's people may revere old saints yet refuse the truth God speaks now. Jesus calls his hearers to honor God's word not in stone but in obedient, listening hearts.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 23:29
What does Matthew 23:29 mean?
Jesus pronounces a woe over those who honor dead prophets with fine tombs while sharing the spirit that killed them.