God’s Word Translation
Matthew 23:30
30Then you say, ‘If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.’
Matthew 23:30 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)saying, '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.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
Context of Matthew 23:30
28So on the outside you look as though you have God’s approval, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29“How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who had God’s approval. Then you say, ‘If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!
Read all of Matthew 23Matthew 23:30 word by word
καὶ λέγετε· εἰ ἤμεθα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἤμεθα αὐτῶν κοινωνοὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι τῶν προφητῶν,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Ifεἰei · ifG1487
- we had beenεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the daysὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- ofπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- notοὐou · noG3756
- notἄνan · ifG302
- partakersκοινωνόςkoinōnos · participantG2844
- with themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- the bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
- of the prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
Cross-references for Matthew 23:30
- Matthew 23:34I’m sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers of the Scriptures. You will kill and crucify some of them. Others you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city.
- Matthew 21:35The workers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned a third to death.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15The Lord God of their ancestors repeatedly sent messages through his messengers because he wanted to spare his people and his dwelling place.
- Jeremiah 2:30“I have punished your children without results. They didn’t respond to correction. You killed my prophets like a raging lion.
Commentaries on Matthew 23:30
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 30We would not have been partakers - They imagined themselves much better than their ancestors; but our Lord, who knew what they would do, uncovers their hearts, and shows them that they are about to be more abundantly vile than all who had ever preceded them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 30And say - This they professed to say by rebuilding their tombs. They also, probably, publicly expressed their disapprobation of the conduct of their fathers. All this, in building and ornamenting tombs, was a profession of extraordinary piety. Our Lord showed them it was mere pretence.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-33Verses 13-33 The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and form of godliness to be made a cloak to the greatest enormities. But dissembled piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party. Not for the glory of God and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-36Matthew gathered seven warnings of sorrow to come (literally woe to you) inspired by similar Old Testament lists (Isaiah 5:8–23; Habakkuk 2:6–20). Matthew arranged them to reach a climax with the killing of the prophets.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-39For this long and terrible discourse we are indebted, with the exception of a few verses in Mark and Luke, to Matthew alone. But as it is only an extended repetition of denunciations uttered not long before at the table of a Pharisee, and recorded by Luke (Lu 11:37-54), we may take both together in the exposition. Denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees (Mt 23:1-36). The first twelve verses were addressed more immediately to the disciples, the rest to…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 23:30
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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