English Standard Version
Matthew 23:37
37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Matthew 23:37 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- New International Version (NIV)“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
- New Living Translation (NLT)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.
Context of Matthew 23:37
35so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38See, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
Read all of Matthew 23Matthew 23:37 word by word
Ἰερουσαλὴμ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἡ ἀποκτείνουσα τοὺς προφήτας καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτήν, ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου, ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις ἐπισυνάγει τὰ νοσσία αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- O JerusalemἹερουσαλήμHierousalēm · JerusalemG2419
- that killestἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
- the prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- stonestλιθοβολέωlithoboleō · to stoneG3036
- them which are sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- theeαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- how oftenποσάκιςposakis · how often!G4212
- would I haveθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- gatheredἐπισυνάγωepisunagō · to gatherG1996
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
- evenὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- asτρόποςtropos · wayG5158
- a henὄρνιςornis · henG3733
- herἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- chickensνοσσίονnossion · chickG3556
- underὑπόhupo · by/under: underG5259
- wingsπτέρυξpterux · wingG4420
- notοὐou · noG3756
Cross-references for Matthew 23:37
- Jeremiah 4:14O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?
- Jeremiah 6:8Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I turn from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land."
- Luke 13:34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
- Revelation 11:8and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.
- Matthew 23:30saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
- Matthew 5:12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- Matthew 21:35And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
- Matthew 22:6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
- 2 Chronicles 24:21But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord.
- Nehemiah 9:26"Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
- Jeremiah 2:30In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.
- Jeremiah 26:23and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.
- Mark 12:3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
- Luke 20:11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
- Acts 7:51"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind
Commentaries on Matthew 23:37
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem - It is evident that our blessed Lord seriously and earnestly wished the salvation of the Jews. That he did every thing that could be done, consistently with his own perfections, and the liberty of his creatures, to effect this. That his tears over the city, Luke 19:41, sufficiently evince his sincerity. That these persons nevertheless perished. And That the reason was, they would not be gathered together under his protection…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37O Jerusalem - See the notes at Luke 19:41-42. Would I have gathered - Would have protected and saved. Thy children - Thy people.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-39Verses 34-39 Our Lord declares the miseries the inhabitants of Jerusalem were about to bring upon themselves, but he does not notice the sufferings he was to undergo. A hen gathering her chickens under her wings, is an apt emblem of the Saviour's tender love to those who trust in him, and his faithful care of them. He calls sinners to take refuge under his tender protection, keeps them safe, and nourishes them to eternal life. The present dispersion and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37Even though Jesus had just given a severe judgment against Israel (Matthew 23:29–36), he truly wanted them to repent and accept God's grace. as a hen: This is an image of protective care (see also Deuteronomy 32:11; Ruth 2:12; Psalms 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 91:4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3737. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, &c.--How ineffably grand and melting is this apostrophe! It is the very heart of God pouring itself forth through human flesh and speech. It is this incarnation of the innermost life and love of Deity, pleading with men, bleeding for them, and ascending only to open His arms to them and win them back by the power of this story of matchless love, that has…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 23:37
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries