Matthew 23:30
◄  Matthew 23:30  ►
New International Version (©2011)
And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.'

English Standard Version (©2001)
saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
and you say, If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have taken part with them in shedding the prophets' blood.'

International Standard Version (©2012)
Then you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

NET Bible (©2006)
And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And you say, 'If we had been in the days of our forefathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of The Prophets.'

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then you say, 'If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.'

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
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.

American King James Version
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.

American Standard Version
and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Darby Bible Translation
and ye 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.

English Revised Version
and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
and your boast is, "'If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.'

World English Bible
and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'

Young's Literal Translation
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 Henry's Concise Commentary

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. Not for the glory of God and the good of souls, but that they might have the credit and advantage of making converts. Gain being their godliness, by a thousand devices they made religion give way to their worldly interests. They were very strict and precise in smaller matters of the law, but careless and loose in weightier matters. It is not the scrupling a little sin that Christ here reproves; if it be a sin, though but a gnat, it must be strained out; but the doing that, and then swallowing a camel, or, committing a greater sin. While they would seem to be godly, they were neither sober nor righteous. We are really, what we are inwardly. Outward motives may keep the outside clean, while the inside is filthy; but if the heart and spirit be made new, there will be newness of life; here we must begin with ourselves. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was like the ornaments of a grave, or dressing up a dead body, only for show. The deceitfulness of sinners' hearts appears in that they go down the streams of the sins of their own day, while they fancy that they should have opposed the sins of former days. We sometimes think, if we had lived when Christ was upon earth, that we should not have despised and rejected him, as men then did; yet Christ in his Spirit, in his word, in his ministers, is still no better treated. And it is just with God to give those up to their hearts' lusts, who obstinately persist in gratifying them. Christ gives men their true characters.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - And say. They boasted that they were better than their fathers; they disavowed their crimes, and endeavoured, by honouring the prophets' graves, to deliver themselves from the guilt of those who persecuted them. Fair show, with no reality! They professed to venerate the dead, but would not receive the living; they reverenced Abraham and Moses, but were about to murder the Christ to whom patriarch and prophet bore witness. Commentators quote the old adage, herein exemplified, "Sit licet divus, dummodo non vivus." The only practical way of delivering themselves from the guilt of their forefathers was by hearkening to those who now preached the gospel of salvation - the very last thing which they were purposed to do.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And say, if we had been in the days of our fathers,.... Their ancestors and predecessors: signifying, that if they had lived in the times they did, or had been in the same post and office with them, they should have opposed, at least not consented to their measures:

we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets; would not have joined them in persecuting the prophets, and in shedding their blood, and putting them to death; but would have received them as the prophets of the Lord, have hearkened to their advice and message, and have honoured and obeyed them as such; and this they thought they sufficiently declared, by building and adorning their tombs.

Matthew 23:30 Parallel Commentaries

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Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
…29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, 30And 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. 31Why you be witnesses to yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets. …

Matthew 23:29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
Matthew 23:31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
1 Corinthians 10:18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
2 Corinthians 1:7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.