Matthew 23 · Verse 34

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:

Matthew 23:34, King James Version

Matthew 23:34 in other translations

BSB	Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.
WEB	Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
ASV	Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
YLT	‘Because of this, lo, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and of them ye will kill and crucify, and of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will pursue from city to city;
DARBY	Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city;
BBE	For this reason, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will put to death and put on the cross, and to some of them you will give blows in your Synagogues, driving them from town to town;
Webster	Wherefore behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

What does Matthew 23:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

34. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes--The I here is emphatic: "I am sending," that is, "am about to send." In Lu 11:49 the variation is remarkable: "Therefore also, said the wisdom of God, I will send them," &c. What precisely is meant by "the wisdom of God" here, is somewhat difficult to determine. To us it appears to be simply an announcement of a purpose of the Divine Wisdom, in the high style of ancient prophecy, to send a last set of messengers whom the people would reject, and rejecting, would fill up the cup of their iniquity. But, whereas in Luke it is "I, the Wisdom of God, will send them," in Matthew it is "I, Jesus, am sending them"; language only befitting the one sender of all the prophets, the Lord God of Israel now in the flesh. They are evidently evangelical messengers, but called by the familiar Jewish names of "prophets, wise men, and scribes," whose counterparts were the inspired and gifted servants of the Lord Jesus; for in Luke (Lu 11:49) it is "prophets and apostles." unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar--As there is no record of any fresh murder answering to this description, probably the allusion is not to any recent murder, but to 2Ch 24:20-22, as the last recorded and most suitable case for illustration. And as Zacharias' last words were, "The Lord require it," so they are here warned that of that generation it should be required.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 34. I send unto you prophets, etc. He doubtless refers here to the apostles, and other teachers of religion. Prophets, wise men, and scribes, were the names by which the teachers of religion were known among the Jews; and he, therefore, used the same terms when speaking of the messengers which he would send. I send has the force of the future, I will send.

Some of them ye shall kill. As in the case of Stephen, Acts 7:59, and James, Acts 12:1,2.

Crucify. Punish with death on the cross. There are no cases of this mentioned; but few historical records of this age have come down to us. The Jews had not the power of crucifying, but they gave them into the hands of the Romans to do it.

Shall scourge. Mt 10:17. This was done, Acts 22:19-24, 2Cor 11:24,25.

Persecute, etc. Mt 5:10. This was fulfilled it the case of nearly all the apostles.

(q) "shall kill" Acts 7:59 (r) "ye scourge" Acts 5:40, 2Cor 11:24,25 (s) "city to city" Heb 11:37

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 34 Wherefore - To show how my prediction, Ye will fill up the measure of your fathers, shall be verified, Behold, I send (I am just going to commission them) prophets, etc. and some ye will kill, (with legal process), and some ye will crucify, pretend to try and find guilty, and deliver them into the hands of the Romans, who shall, through you, thus put them to death. See on Luk 11:49 (note). By prophets, wise men, and scribes, our Lord intends the evangelists, apostles, deacons, etc., who should be employed in proclaiming his Gospel: men who should equal the ancient prophets, their wise men, and scribes, in all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 23:34-39

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 unbelief of the Jews, and their future conversion to Christ, were here foretold. Jerusalem and her children had a large share of guilt, and their punishment has been signal. But ere long, deserved vengeance will fall on every church which is Christian in name only. In the mean time the Saviour stands ready to receive all who come to him. There is nothing between sinners and eternal happiness, but their proud and unbelieving unwillingness.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Matthew 23:34 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.

διὰdiaBecause ofG1223

τοῦτοtoutothisG3778

ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400

ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473

ἀποστέλλωapostellōsendG649

πρὸςprostoG4314

ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771

προφήταςprophētasprophetsG4396

καὶkaiandG2532

σοφοὺςsophouswise [men]G4680

καὶkaiandG2532

γραμματεῖς·grammateisscribes;G1122

ἐξexSome ofG1537

αὐτῶνautōnthemG846

ἀποκτενεῖτεapokteneiteyou will killG615

καὶkaiandG2532

σταυρώσετεstaurōsetewill crucifyG4717

καὶkaiand [some]G2532

ἐξexofG1537

αὐτῶνautōnthemG846

μαστιγώσετεmastigōseteyou will flogG3146

ἐνeninG1722

ταῖςtaistheG3588

συναγωγαῖςsunagōgaissynagoguesG4864

ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771

καὶkaiandG2532

διώξετεdiōxetewill persecuteG1377

ἀπὸapofromG575

πόλεωςpoleōstownG4172

εἰςeistoG1519

πόλιν·polintown;G4172

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

Cross references for Matthew 23:34

Matthew 10:16-17
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Matthew 13:52
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
Colossians 1:28
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Luke 11:49-51
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
Acts 13:1
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Matthew 10:23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Matthew 23:34-36
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: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Luke 24:47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Acts 12:2
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
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:
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
2 Corinthians 11:24-25
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

I send.
10:16; 28:19,20; Lu 11:49; 24:47; Joh 20:21; Ac 1:8; 1Co 12:3-11
Eph 4:8-12
prophets.
Ac 11:27; 13:1; 15:32; Re 11:10
and wise.
Pr 11:30; 1Co 2:6; 3:10; Col 1:28
scribes.
13:52
ye.
10:16,17; Joh 16:2; Ac 5:40; 7:51,52,58,59; 9:1,2; 12:2; 14:19
Ac 22:19,20; 2Co 11:24,25; 1Th 2:16; Heb 11:37

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

Context

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:
Matthew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Read all of Matthew 23

Matthew 23:34 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Por tanto, he aquí, yo envío á vosotros profetas, y sabios, y escribas: y de ellos, á unos mataréis y crucificaréis, y á otros de ellos azotaréis en vuestras sinagogas, y perseguiréis de ciudad en ciudad:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	C’est pourquoi voici, moi, je vous envoie des prophètes, et des sages, et des scribes; et vous en tuerez et vous en crucifierez, et vous en fouetterez dans vos synagogues, et vous les persécuterez de ville en ville,
German Elberfelder 1871	Deswegen siehe, ich sende zu euch Propheten und Weise und Schriftgelehrte; und etliche von ihnen werdet ihr töten und kreuzigen, und etliche von ihnen werdet ihr in euren Synagogen geißeln und werdet sie verfolgen von Stadt zu Stadt;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Ideo ecce ego mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, et ex illis occidetis, et crucifigetis, et ex eis flagellabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini de civitate in civitatem: