Matthew 23:16

Matthew 23:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
• New International Version (NIV)“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’

Context of Matthew 23:16

14Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’

Matthew 23:16 word by word

Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοὶ οἱ λέγοντες· ὃς ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ ναῷ, οὐδέν ἐστιν· ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ χρυσῷ τοῦ ναοῦ, ὀφείλει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• blindτυφλόςtuphlos · blindG5185
• guidesὁδηγόςhodēgos · guide/leaderG3595
• which sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Whosoeverὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• shall swearὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the templeναόςnaos · templeG3485
• it isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• butδέde · thenG1161
• the goldχρυσόςchrusos · goldG5557
• he is a debtorὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784

Cross-references for Matthew 23:16

• Matthew 23:17Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
• Matthew 15:14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
• Isaiah 56:10His watchmen are blind, They are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
• John 9:39And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
• Matthew 5:33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
• James 5:12But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
• Matthew 15:5But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—
• Mark 7:10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
• Galatians 5:3And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Commentaries on Matthew 23:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Whosoever shall swear by the gold - The covetous man, says one, still gives preference to the object of his lust; gold has still the first place in his heart. A man is to be suspected when he recommends those good works most from which he receives most advantage. Is bound thereby, i.e. to fulfill his oath.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Whosoever shall swear … - See the notes at Matthew 5:33-37. The temple - See the notes at Matthew 21:12. It is nothing - It amounts to nothing - it is not binding. The gold of the temple - Either the golden vessels in the temple - the candlestick, etc.; or the gold with which the doors and other parts of the temple were covered; or the gold in the treasury. This, it seems, they considered far more sacred than any other part of the temple, but it is not…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. 16-22The religious leaders said that some oaths were less binding, and this allowed them to deceive people. But Jesus called for honesty and for keeping every commitment (see Matthew 5:33–37).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Woe unto you, ye blind guides--Striking expression this of the ruinous effects of erroneous teaching. Our Lord, here and in some following verses, condemns the subtle distinctions they made as to the sanctity of oaths--distinctions invented only to promote their own avaricious purposes. which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing--He has incurred no debt. but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple--meaning not the gold that…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 23:16

• Blindness
• Church
• Ecclesiasticism
• Hypocrisy
• Minister, Christian
• Pharisees
• Satire
• Teachers
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Abase
• Bewray
• Devour
• Exalt
• Fill
• Gnat
• Ought
• Partaker
• Scribes
• Sit

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