Matthew 23 · Verse 31

Matthew 23:31

Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Matthew 23:31, King James Version

Matthew 23:31 in other translations

BSBSo you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
WEBTherefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
ASVWherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.
YLTSo that ye testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets;
DARBYSo that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
BBESo that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death.
WebsterWherefore ye are witnesses to yourselves, that ye are the children of them who killed the prophets.

What does Matthew 23:31 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 31. Ye be witnesses unto yourselves. The emphasis, here, lies in the words "unto yourselves." It was an appeal to their conscience. It was not by their building the tombs that they were witnesses that they were the children of those who slew the prophets; but in spite of all this pretence to piety--under cloak of all this profession--they knew in their consciences, and were witnesses to themselves, that it was mere hypocrisy, and that they really approved the conduct of those who slew the prophets.

Children of them, etc. Resembling them; approving their conduct; inheriting their feelings. They not only showed that they were descended from them, but that they possessed their spirit, and in similar circumstances would have done as they did.

(n) "which killed" Acts 7:52, 1Thes 2:15

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 Ye be witnesses - Ye acknowledge that ye are the children of those murderers, and ye are about to give full proof that ye are not degenerated. There are many who think that, had they lived in the time of our Lord, they would not have acted towards him as the Jews did. But we can scarcely believe that they who reject his Gospel, trample under foot his precepts, do despite to the Spirit of his grace, love sin, and hate his followers, would have acted otherwise to him than the murdering Jews, had they lived in the same times.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 23:13-33

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 23:13-33 →

Matthew 23:31 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὥστεhōsteThusG5620
μαρτυρεῖτεmartureiteyou bear witnessG3140
ἑαυτοῖςhe'autoisto yourselvesG1438
ὅτιhotithatG3754
υἱοίhuioisonsG5207
ἐστεesteyou areG1510
τῶνtōnof thoseG3588
φονευσάντωνphoneusantōnhaving murderedG5407
τοὺςtoustheG3588
προφήτας·prophētasprophets;G4396

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 23:31

  • Acts 7:51-52

    Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16

    Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

  • Job 15:5-6

    For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

  • Joshua 24:22

    And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

  • Luke 19:22

    And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

  • Psalms 64:8

    So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
witnesses.
Jos 24:22; Job 15:5,6; Ps 64:8; Lu 19:22
that.
Ac 7:51,52; 1Th 2:15,16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 23:30

    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.

  • Matthew 23:31

    Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

  • Matthew 23:32

    Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

Read all of Matthew 23

Matthew 23:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así que, testimonio dais á vosotros mismos, que sois hijos de aquellos que mataron á los profetas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		en sorte que vous êtes témoins contre vous-mêmes que vous êtes les fils de ceux qui ont tué les prophètes;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Also gebet ihr euch selbst Zeugnis, daß ihr Söhne derer seid, welche die Propheten ermordet haben;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		itaque testimonio estis vobismetipsis, quia filii estis eorum, qui prophetas occiderunt.