Ye build the tombs, &c.— 8. The eighth woe is denounced, because by the pains they took in adorning the sepulchres of the prophets, they pretended a great veneration for their memory; and as often as they happened to be mentioned, condemned their fathers, who had killed them; declaring, that if they had lived in the days of their fathers, they would have opposed their wickedness; while in the mean time they still cherished the spirit of their fathers, persecuting the messengers of God, and particularly his divine Son, on whose destruction they were resolutely bent. The meaning of the 31st verse is, "By affirming, that if you had lived in the days of your fathers, you would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets, you acknowledge that you are the children of them who murdered the prophets;—their children, I must give you to know, in other respects than by natural generation; for though you pretend to be more holy than they were, you are like them in all respects; particularly you possess their wicked persecuting spirit, and testify it by all your actions." See Luke 11:48 and Genesis 13:27; Genesis 13:29. What Vitringa tells us, (de Synagog. p. 221.) of the extraordinary honour paid to the sepulchre of Mordecai, is an agreeable illustration of these words. Josephus also, from Nicolaus Damascenus, mentions Herod's repairing in a very splendid manner the sepulchre of David. See his Antiq. lib. 16: cap. 7 and compare Acts 2:29. From the 3rd to the 30th verse of this chapter is exposed every thing that commonly passes in the world for religion; whereby the pretenders to it keep both themselves and others from enteringinto the kingdom of God; from attaining, or even seeking after those tempers, in which alone Christianity consists; as, first, punctuality in attending on public and private prayers merely for the sake of shew; Matthew 23:4-14. Secondly, zeal to make proselytes to our opinion or communion, though they have less of the spirit of religion than before; Matthew 23:15. Thirdly, a superstitious reverence for consecrated places or things, without any for him to whom they were consecrated, Matthew 23:16-22. Fourthly, a scrupulous exactness in little observances, though with the neglect of justice, mercy, and fidelity, Matthew 23:23-24. Fifthly, a cautiousness to cleanse the outward behaviour, without any regard to inward purity; Matthew 23:25-26. Sixthly, a specious face of virtue and piety, covering the deepest hypocrisy and villany, Matthew 23:27-28. Seventhly, a professed veneration for all good men, except those among whom they live, Matthew 23:29-30. See Bengelius. All, from Matthew 23:29 to Matthew 23:32., Grotius has very justly observed, should make one sentence; οτι, because, referring to each member of it; and Matthew 23:31 should be in a parenthesis: woe to you Scribes, because you build—and say—and fill up, &c.
Related Commentaries of Matthew 23:29
Matthew 23:29-31
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.