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Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Matthew 23:27

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Burial;   Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Hypocrisy;   Pharisees;   Satire;   Teachers;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Appearances;   Corruption;   Defilement-Cleansing;   Depravity;   Filthiness;   Names;   Nation, the;   Outward Appearance;   Pharisaism;   Titles and Names;   The Topic Concordance - Cleanness;   Hypocrisy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Burial;   Hypocrites;   Pharisees, the;   Self-Righteousness;   Wicked, the, Are Compared to;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Sepulchre;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Funeral;   Hypocrisy;   Matthew, gospel of;   Pharisees;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Burial;   Ethics;   Grave;   Hypocrisy;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Supralapsarians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dwellings;   Grave;   Purification;   Tombs;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ananias;   Burial;   Pharisees;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Grave;   Hypocrisy;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Salutation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Arts and Crafts;   Ethics;   House;   Hypocrite;   Judas Iscariot;   Lime;   Scribes;   Sin;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Anger (2);   Burial;   Children of God;   Claim;   Colours;   Common Life;   Confession (of Sin);   Courage;   Discourse;   Error;   Ethics (2);   Heart;   Hymenaeus;   Jerusalem (2);   Judgment;   Law of God;   Manuscripts;   Mental Characteristics;   Metaphors;   Paradox;   Physician (2);   Poet;   Purification (2);   Purity (2);   Reality;   Redemption (2);   Sabbath ;   Sacrifice (2);   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Scorn;   Self-Control;   Sepulchre;   Tomb, Grave, Sepulchre;   Uniqueness;   Wall;   Woe;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Grave;   Scribes;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pharisee;   Scribe;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Handicraft;   Scribe;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Burial, Sepulchres;   Handicraft;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bone;   Sepulchre;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Prophets;   Sepulchres;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hypocrisy;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   Of;   Uncleanness;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Burial and sepulchers;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hypocrisy;   Pharisees;   Tombs;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
"It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted white. Outside they look fine, but inside they are full of dead people's bones and all kinds of filth.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Wo be to you Scribe and Pharises ypocrite for ye are lyke vnto paynted tombes which appere beautyfull outwarde: but are wt in full of deed bones and of all fylthynes.
International Standard Version
"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.Luke 11:44; Acts 23:3;">[xr]
New American Standard Bible
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
New Century Version
"How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted white. Outside, those tombs look fine, but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all kinds of unclean things.
Update Bible Version
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whited tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all impurity.
Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness.
Amplified Bible
"Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.
English Standard Version
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
World English Bible
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like whited sepulchres, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.
Weymouth's New Testament
"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ipocritis, that ben lijk to sepulcris whitid, whiche with outforth semen faire to men; but with ynne thei ben fulle of boonus of deed men, and of al filthe.
English Revised Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Berean Standard Bible
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and every impurity.
Contemporary English Version
You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed. On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth.
American Standard Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Bible in Basic English
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and all kinds of rottenness.
Darby Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Etheridge Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! for you are like whited sepulchres, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead and all impurity.
Murdock Translation
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear comely without, but are within full of bones of the dead and all impurity.
King James Version (1611)
Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for yee are like vnto whited sepulchres, which indeed appeare beautifull outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all vncleannesse.
New Living Translation
"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity.
New Life Bible
"It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You are like graves that have been made white and look beautiful on the outside. But inside you are full of the bones of dead men and of every sinful thing.
New Revised Standard
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye are like vnto whited tombes, which appeare beautifull outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and all filthines.
George Lamsa Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like tombs painted white, which look beautiful from the outside, but inside are full of dead bones and all kinds of corruption.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye make yourselves like sepulchres whitewashed, which, outside, indeed, appear, beautiful, but, within, are full, of dead men's bones and all uncleanness, -
Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful but within are full of dead men’s bones and of all filthiness.
Revised Standard Version
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wo vnto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites: for ye are lyke vnto paynted sepulchres, which in dede appeare beautifull outwarde, but are within full of dead [mens] bones, and of all fylthynes.
Good News Translation
"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside.
Christian Standard Bible®
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,
Hebrew Names Version
"Woe to you, Sofrim and Perushim, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Lexham English Bible
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean!
Literal Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened graves which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness.
Young's Literal Translation
`Wo to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharises, ye Ypocrites, which be like vnto paynted Sepulcres, that appeare beutyfull outwarde, but within they are full of deed mens bones and all fylthines.
Mace New Testament (1729)
wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like whited sepulchres, which to outward appearance are fine. but within are full of dead mens bones, and all sort of filth.
THE MESSAGE
"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds.
New English Translation
"Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.
New King James Version
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Simplified Cowboy Version
"You hypocritical preachers and lawyers of the Code are going to come to a terrible reckonin'. You are like pretty cedar caskets. You look good on the outside, but on the inside, you are full of rotting flesh and worms.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

Contextual Overview

13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

like: Isaiah 58:1, Isaiah 58:2, Luke 11:44, Acts 23:3

sepulchres: Numbers 19:16

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 14:25 - But in all Israel 2 Kings 23:14 - the bones of men 2 Chronicles 29:16 - all the uncleanness Isaiah 10:1 - Woe Jeremiah 4:14 - wash Malachi 3:7 - Wherein Matthew 23:13 - woe Luke 11:42 - woe Romans 3:13 - throat Colossians 2:23 - a show 2 Timothy 3:5 - a form Revelation 18:24 - in her

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,.... It is much these men could bear to hear themselves so often called by this name; and it shows great courage in our Lord, so freely to reprove them, and expose their wickedness, who were men of so much credit and influence with the people:

for ye are like unto whited sepulchres; or "covered with lime", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, render it. For the Jews used to mark their graves with white lime, that they might be known: that so priests, Nazarites, and travellers, might avoid them, and not be polluted with them. This appears from various passages in their writings:

"The vineyard of the fourth year, they marked with clods of earth, and an uncircumcised one with dust, ושל קברות בסיד, "and graves with chalk", mixed (with water) and poured (on them x.)''

Of this marking of the graves, the reason of it, the time and manner of doing it, Maimonides y gives us this account:

"Whoever finds a grave, or a dead carcass, or anything for the dead that defiles, by the tent he is obliged to put a mark upon it, that it may not be a stumbling to others; and on the intermediate days of a feast, they go out from the sanhedrim, to mark the graves.--With what do they mark? בסיד ממחה, "with chalk infused" in water, and poured upon the unclean place: they do not put the mark upon the top of the unclean place, (or exactly in it,) but so that it may stand out here and there, at the sides of it, that what is pure may not be corrupted; and they do not put the mark far from the place of the uncleanness, that they may not waste the land of Israel; and they do not set marks on those that are manifest, for they are known to all; but upon those that are doubtful, as a field in which a grave is lost, and places that are open, and want a covering.''

Now because when the rains fell, these marks were washed away, hence on the first of Adar (February) when they used to repair the highways, they also marked the graves with white lime, that they might be seen and known, and avoided; and so on their intermediate feast days z: the reason why they made use of chalk, or lime, and with these marked their graves, was because it looked white like bones a; so that upon first sight, it might be thought and known what it was for, and that a grave was there: hence this phrase, "whited sepulchres":

which indeed appear beautiful outward; especially at a distance, and when new marked:

but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness; worms and rottenness, which arise from the putrefied carcasses, and are very nauseous and defiling.

x Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 5. sect. 1. y Hilch. Tumath Meth, c. 8. sect. 9. z Misn. Shekalim, c. 1. sect. 1. & Moed Katon, c. 1. sect. 2. Maimon. & Bartenora in lb. a Jarchi in Misu. Moed Katan, c. 1. sect. 2. & Bartenora in Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 5. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Like unto whited sepulchres - For the construction of sepulchres, see the notes at Matthew 8:28. Those tombs were annually whitewashed to prevent the people from accidentally coming in contact with them as they went up to Jerusalem. This custom is still continued. Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, vol. i. p. 148) says, “I have been in places where this is repeated very often. The graves are kept clean and white as snow, a very striking emblem of those painted hypocrites, the Pharisees, beautiful without, but full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness within.” The law considered those persons unclean who had touched anything belonging to the dead, Numbers 19:16. Sepulchres were therefore often whitewashed, that they might be distinctly seen. Thus “whited,” they appeared beautiful; but within they contained the bones and corrupting bodies of the dead. So the Pharisees. Their outward conduct appeared well, but their hearts were full of hypocrisy, envy, pride, lust, and malice - suitably represented by the corruption within a whited tomb.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:27. For ye are like — παρομοιαζετε, ye exactly resemble - the parallel is complete.

Whited sepulchresWhite-washed tombs. As the law considered those unclean who had touched any thing belonging to the dead, the Jews took care to have their tombs white-washed each year, that, being easily discovered, they might be consequently avoided.


 
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