Matthew 23 · Verse 33

Matthew 23:33

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matthew 23:33, King James Version

Matthew 23:33 in other translations

BSBYou snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
WEBYou serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
ASVYe serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?
YLT‘Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?
DARBYSerpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
BBEYou snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the punishment of hell?
WebsterYe serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

What does Matthew 23:33 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?--In thus, at the end of His ministry, recalling the words of the Baptist at the outset of his, our Lord would seem to intimate that the only difference between their condemnation now and then was, that now they were ripe for their doom, which they were not then.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 33. Ye serpents. This name is given to them on account of their pretending to be pious, and very much devoted to God, but being secretly evil. At the heart, with all their pretensions, they were filled with evil designs, as the serpent was, Gen 3:1-5.

Generation of vipers. Mt 12:34.

Damnation of hell. This refers, beyond all question, to future punishment. So great was their wickedness and hypocrisy, that if they persevered in this course, it was impossible to escape the damnation that should come on the guilty. This is the sternest language that Jesus ever used to wicked men. But it by no means authorizes ministers to use such language to sinners now. Christ knew that this was true of them. He had an authority which none now have. It is not the province of ministers to denounce judgment, or to use severe names; least of all to do it on pretence of imitating Christ. He knew the hearts of men; we know them not. He had authority to declare certainly that those whom he addressed would be lost; we have no such authority. He addressed persons; we address characters.

(p) "generation of vipers" Mt 3:7

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers - What a terrible stroke! - Ye are serpents, and the offspring of serpents. This refers to Mat 23:31 : they confessed that they were the children of those who murdered the prophets; and they are now going to murder Christ and his followers, to show that they have not degenerated - an accursed seed, of an accursed breed. My old MS. translates this passage oddly - Gee serpentis, fruytis of burrownyngis of eddris that sleen her modris. There seems to be here an allusion to a common opinion, that the young of the adder or viper which are brought forth alive eat their way through the womb of their mothers. Hence that ancient enigma attributed to Lactantius: - Non possum nasci, si non occidero matrem Occidi matrem: sed me manet exitus idem Id mea mors faciet, quod jam mea fecit origo Cael. Firm. Symposium, N. xv I never can be born, nor see the day, Till through my parent's womb I eat my way Her I have slain; like her must yield my breath; For that which gave me life, shall cause my death Every person must see with what propriety this was applied to the Jews, who were about to murder the very person who gave them their being and all their blessings.

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 23:33 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.

ὄφειςopheisSerpentsG3789
γεννήματαgennēmataOffspringG1081
ἐχιδνῶν,echidnōnof vipers!G2191
πῶςpōsHowG4459
φύγητεphugēteshall you escapeG5343
ἀπὸapofromG575
τῆςtēstheG3588
κρίσεωςkriseōssentenceG2920
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
γεέννης;geennēsof hell?G1067

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

Cross references for Matthew 23:33

  • Matthew 3:7

    But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

  • Matthew 12:34

    O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

  • Luke 3:7

    Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

  • Matthew 5:22

    But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

  • Genesis 3:15

    And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

  • John 8:44

    Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

  • Matthew 21:34-35

    And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

  • Revelation 12:9

    And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

  • Psalms 58:3-5

    The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

  • Isaiah 57:3-4

    But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

  • Hebrews 10:29

    Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

  • Matthew 23:13-15

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
serpents.
3:7; 12:34; 21:34,35; Ge 3:15; Ps 58:3-5; Isa 57:3,4; Lu 3:7
Joh 8:44; 2Co 11:3; Re 12:9
how.
14; Heb 2:3; 10:29; 12:25

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

Context

  • Matthew 23:32

    Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

  • Matthew 23:33

    Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

  • Matthew 23:34

    Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

Read all of Matthew 23

Matthew 23:33 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¡Serpientes, generación de víboras! ¿cómo evitaréis el juicio del infierno?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Serpents, race de vipères! comment échapperez-vous au jugement de la géhenne?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Schlangen! Otternbrut! wie solltet ihr dem Gericht der Hölle entfliehen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Serpentes, genimina viperarum, quomodo fugietis a judicio gehennæ?