Matthew 23:17 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

The temple that sanctifieth the gold - To sanctify is to make holy. The gold had no holiness but what it derived from the temple. If in any other place, it would be no more holy than any other gold. It was foolish, then, to suppose that that was more holy than the temple, from which it received all the sanctity which it possessed.

Matthew 23:17

17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?