Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. New Living Translation “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. English Standard Version Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Berean Standard Bible So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Berean Literal Bible Thus you bear witness to yourselves that you are sons of those having murdered the prophets. King James Bible Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. New King James Version “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. New American Standard Bible So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. NASB 1995 “So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. NASB 1977 “Consequently you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Legacy Standard Bible So you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Amplified Bible So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Christian Standard Bible So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Holman Christian Standard Bible You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. American Standard Version Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. Contemporary English Version But you prove you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. English Revised Version Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. GOD'S WORD® Translation So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Good News Translation So you actually admit that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets! International Standard Version Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Majority Standard Bible So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. NET Bible By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. New Heart English Bible Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Webster's Bible Translation Wherefore ye are witnesses to yourselves, that ye are the children of them who killed the prophets. Weymouth New Testament "So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets. World English Bible Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionSo that you testify to yourselves that you are sons of them who murdered the prophets; Berean Literal Bible Thus you bear witness to yourselves that you are sons of those having murdered the prophets. Young's Literal Translation So that ye testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets; Smith's Literal Translation Wherefore ye bear testimony to yourselves, that ye are the sons of those having slain the prophets. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets. Catholic Public Domain Version And so you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. New American Bible Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; New Revised Standard Version Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleNow you testify concerning yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Therefore you testify against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered The Prophets. NT Translations Anderson New TestamentSo then you testify against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. Godbey New Testament Haweis New Testament Wherefore ye bear a testimony to yourselves, that ye are the children of those who killed the prophets. Mace New Testament whereby you yourselves own that ye are indeed the children of those who killed the prophets, Weymouth New Testament "So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets. Worrell New Testament Worsley New Testament Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Woes to Scribes and Pharisees…30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.… Cross References Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— Luke 11:47-48 Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them. / So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Hebrews 11:36-38 Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. / They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. / The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground. 1 Thessalonians 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, Romans 11:3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”? Acts 7:51-53 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— / you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.” 1 Kings 19:10 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.” Nehemiah 9:26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. Jeremiah 2:30 “I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.” Jeremiah 26:23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him put to the sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people. 2 Chronicles 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. 2 Chronicles 24:20-21 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’” / But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. Ezekiel 2:3-5 “Son of man,” He said to me, “I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. To this very day they and their fathers have rebelled against Me. / They are obstinate and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ / And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. Zechariah 1:4-6 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD. / Where are your fathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? / But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’” Zechariah 7:11-12 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. / They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts. Treasury of Scripture Why you be witnesses to yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets. witnesses. 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. Job 15:5,6 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty… Psalm 64:8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. that. 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… 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: … Jump to Previous Bear Children Death Descendants Killed Murder Murdered Prophets Slew Testify Wherefore Witness Witnesses YourselvesJump to Next Bear Children Death Descendants Killed Murder Murdered Prophets Slew Testify Wherefore Witness Witnesses YourselvesMatthew 23 1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples5. His disciples must beware of their ambition. 13. He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness, 34. and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem. So you testify against yourselves In this phrase, Jesus is addressing the religious leaders of His time, specifically the Pharisees and scribes. By saying they "testify against themselves," He highlights their acknowledgment of their spiritual lineage and actions. This self-incrimination is significant because it reveals their awareness of their connection to past transgressions against God's messengers. The concept of self-testimony is crucial in Jewish law, where a person's own words can be used as evidence against them. This phrase underscores the leaders' hypocrisy, as they claim to honor the prophets while embodying the same rebellious spirit that led to the prophets' persecution. that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, addressing the scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem. He is confronting them about their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. 2. Scribes and Pharisees Religious leaders of the Jewish community during Jesus' time. They are known for their strict adherence to the law but are often criticized by Jesus for their hypocrisy. 3. Prophets Messengers sent by God in the Old Testament to convey His will to the people. Many were persecuted and killed for their messages. 4. Jerusalem The city where Jesus is delivering this message. It is significant as the religious and cultural center of Jewish life. 5. Ancestors The forefathers of the scribes and Pharisees, who were responsible for persecuting and killing the prophets. Teaching Points Acknowledging Spiritual HeritageRecognize the importance of understanding our spiritual lineage and the actions of those who came before us. This awareness can help us avoid repeating past mistakes. Hypocrisy and Self-Examination Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees serves as a reminder to examine our own lives for hypocrisy. Are we living out the faith we profess? Respect for God's Messengers The treatment of prophets in the past should remind us to respect and heed the messages of those God sends to guide us today. Repentance and Change Acknowledge the sins of the past and seek genuine repentance and transformation in our lives. Courage in Faith Like the prophets, we are called to stand firm in our faith, even in the face of opposition or persecution.(31) Ye be witnesses unto yourselves.--Their words were true in another sense than that in which they had spoken them. They were reproducing in their deeds the very lineaments of those fathers whom they condemned.Verse 31. - Ye be witnesses unto yourselves. By busying yourselves about adorning the tombs of the prophets slain by your ancestors, you show your descent and the spirit which animates you. Ye are the children; ye are sons. They were true sons of their fathers, inheriting their murderous instincts, following their steps. Like father, like son. They inherited and put in practice the same false principles which led their ancestors astray. Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Soὥστε (hōste) Conjunction Strong's 5620: So that, therefore, so then, so as to. From hos and te; so too, i.e. Thus therefore. you testify μαρτυρεῖτε (martyreite) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 3140: To witness, bear witness, give evidence, testify, give a good report. From martus; to be a witness, i.e. Testify. against yourselves ἑαυτοῖς (heautois) Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself. that ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. you are ἐστε (este) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. [the] sons υἱοί (huioi) Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship. of those τῶν (tōn) Article - Genitive Masculine Plural Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. who murdered φονευσάντων (phoneusantōn) Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural Strong's 5407: To murder, kill. From phoneus; to be a murderer. the τοὺς (tous) Article - Accusative Masculine Plural Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. prophets. προφήτας (prophētas) Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Strong's 4396: From a compound of pro and phemi; a foreteller; by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet. Links Matthew 23:31 NIVMatthew 23:31 NLT Matthew 23:31 ESV Matthew 23:31 NASB Matthew 23:31 KJV Matthew 23:31 BibleApps.com Matthew 23:31 Biblia Paralela Matthew 23:31 Chinese Bible Matthew 23:31 French Bible Matthew 23:31 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Matthew 23:31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you (Matt. Mat Mt) |