Matthew 23:27
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 kind of impurity.
Woe to you
The word "woe" is a strong expression of grief or denunciation. In the Greek, "ouai" conveys a sense of impending judgment and sorrow. Jesus uses this term to express both lament and condemnation, highlighting the seriousness of the Pharisees' spiritual condition. It serves as a prophetic warning, urging repentance and introspection.

scribes and Pharisees
The scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders in Jewish society, known for their strict adherence to the Law. Historically, scribes were scholars and teachers of the Law, while Pharisees were a sect known for their emphasis on purity and tradition. Jesus' rebuke of these groups underscores their failure to embody the true spirit of the Law, focusing instead on external observance.

you hypocrites
The term "hypocrites" comes from the Greek "hypokrites," originally meaning an actor or one who wears a mask. Jesus accuses the religious leaders of pretending to be righteous while hiding their true nature. This highlights the danger of external religiosity without internal transformation, a theme consistent throughout Jesus' teachings.

You are like whitewashed tombs
In ancient Jewish culture, tombs were often whitewashed to make them visible and prevent ritual impurity from accidental contact. The imagery of "whitewashed tombs" suggests a facade of purity and beauty that conceals inner corruption. This metaphor powerfully illustrates the contrast between outward appearances and inward reality.

which look beautiful on the outside
The emphasis on outward beauty reflects the Pharisees' focus on external rituals and appearances. This phrase challenges believers to consider the condition of their hearts rather than merely their outward actions. It serves as a reminder that God values inner purity over external show.

but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones
The phrase "dead men’s bones" symbolizes spiritual death and decay. In Jewish thought, contact with the dead was a source of impurity. Jesus uses this stark imagery to convey the spiritual lifelessness and moral corruption hidden beneath the Pharisees' religious facade.

and every kind of impurity
"Impurity" in this context refers to moral and spiritual uncleanness. The Greek word "akatharsia" encompasses a range of defilements. Jesus' critique is not just about specific sins but a pervasive state of impurity that affects the whole being. This calls for a holistic transformation that begins with the heart.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, addressing the religious leaders of His time with a strong rebuke.

2. Scribes
Jewish scholars and teachers of the Law, responsible for interpreting and teaching the Scriptures.

3. Pharisees
A religious and political group known for strict adherence to the Law and traditions, often criticized by Jesus for their hypocrisy.

4. Whitewashed Tombs
A metaphor used by Jesus to describe the outward appearance of righteousness that conceals inner corruption.

5. Jerusalem
The city where Jesus delivered this discourse, a central place for Jewish worship and religious authority.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is a serious sin that Jesus condemns. It involves pretending to be something we are not, especially in matters of faith.

Outward Appearance vs. Inner Reality
True righteousness is not about external appearances but about the condition of the heart. We must seek inner transformation through the Holy Spirit.

Self-Examination
Regular self-examination is crucial for spiritual growth. We should ask God to reveal areas of our lives where we may be like "whitewashed tombs."

Authentic Faith
Our faith should be genuine and reflected in our actions. We are called to live out our beliefs consistently and transparently.

The Call to Repentance
Jesus' rebuke is also an invitation to repentance. We must turn away from hypocrisy and seek a sincere relationship with God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we identify areas in our lives where we might be acting like "whitewashed tombs"?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our faith is genuine and not just an outward show?

3. How does the concept of God looking at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) challenge our understanding of righteousness?

4. What steps can we take to avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy in our daily walk with Christ?

5. How can the vision of the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 inspire us to seek spiritual renewal and vitality?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 15:8-9
Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for honoring God with their lips while their hearts are far from Him, emphasizing the theme of hypocrisy.

1 Samuel 16:7
God looks at the heart rather than outward appearances, contrasting human judgment with divine insight.

Ezekiel 37:1-14
The vision of the valley of dry bones, symbolizing spiritual renewal and the power of God to bring life to what is dead.

Romans 2:28-29
Paul speaks about true circumcision being a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter of the law.

Revelation 3:1
The church in Sardis is warned about having a reputation for being alive while being spiritually dead.
Pharisees and SadduceesMarcus Dods Matthew 23:2-33
Deception DeceivedJ. C. Coghlan, D. D.Matthew 23:25-28
Emblem of HypocrisyG. S. Bowes., S. Rutherford., R. Pollok.Matthew 23:25-28
False AppearancesT. Guthrie, D. D.Matthew 23:25-28
Fatal BlindnessJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 23:25-28
Garnished TombsGadsby.Matthew 23:25-28
God Searches the HeartMatthew 23:25-28
Hypocrisy ContradictoryAdams.Matthew 23:25-28
Hypocrisy DeceptiveCawdray.Matthew 23:25-28
Hypocrisy Sometimes Difficult to DiscoverArchbishop Secker.Matthew 23:25-28
Moral AblutionA. Tucker.Matthew 23:25-28
Outward Purification Must Begin WithinT. Williston.Matthew 23:25-28
Posthumous Testimony to the Great and GoodMatthew 23:25-28
The Hypocrite Takes a Partial ChristMatthew 23:25-28
TombsN. Rogers.Matthew 23:25-28
Whited SepulchresJ. Trapp.Matthew 23:25-28
Whitened SepulchresMatthew 23:25-28
People
Abel, Barachias, Berechiah, Hen, Jesus, Zachariah, Zacharias, Zechariah
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
FALSE, Appear, Beautiful, Bones, Curse, Dead, Eye, Full, Hypocrites, Indeed, Inside, Inwardly, Law, Men's, Ones, Outside, Outward, Outwardly, Pharisees, Pleases, Resting-places, Scribes, Seem, Sepulchers, Sepulchres, Teachers, Though, Tombs, Unclean, Uncleanness, Whited, Whitened, Whitewashed, Within, Wo, Woe
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 23:27

     4859   white
     5137   bones

Matthew 23:1-32

     8767   hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-33

     5381   law, letter and spirit
     8749   false teachers

Matthew 23:1-36

     5379   law, Christ's attitude
     7552   Pharisees, attitudes to Christ

Matthew 23:2-33

     7464   teachers of the law

Matthew 23:13-33

     9250   woe

Matthew 23:13-39

     2318   Christ, as prophet

Matthew 23:23-28

     8761   fools, in teaching of Christ

Matthew 23:23-33

     2009   Christ, anger of
     5943   self-deception

Matthew 23:25-28

     5173   outward appearance
     7340   clean and unclean
     8720   double-mindedness
     8774   legalism

Matthew 23:27-28

     1025   God, anger of
     5132   biting
     5514   scribes
     5920   pretence
     6147   deceit, practice
     7328   ceremonies
     8735   evil, origins of
     8784   nominal religion
     8824   self-righteousness, nature of
     9050   tombs

Library
The Morality of the Gospel.
Is stating the morality of the Gospel as an argument of its truth, I am willing to admit two points; first, that the teaching of morality was not the primary design of the mission; secondly, that morality, neither in the Gospel, nor in any other book, can be a subject, properly speaking, of discovery. If I were to describe in a very few words the scope of Christianity as a revelation, [49] I should say that it was to influence the conduct of human life, by establishing the proof of a future state
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Christianity Misunderstood by Believers.
Meaning of Christian Doctrine, Understood by a Minority, has Become Completely Incomprehensible for the Majority of Men-- Reason of this to be Found in Misinterpretation of Christianity and Mistaken Conviction of Believers and Unbelievers Alike that they Understand it--The Meaning of Christianity Obscured for Believers by the Church--The First Appearance of Christ's Teaching--Its Essence and Difference from Heathen Religions-- Christianity not Fully Comprehended at the Beginning, Became More and
Leo Tolstoy—The Kingdom of God is within you

First Attempts on Jerusalem.
Jesus, almost every year, went to Jerusalem for the feast of the passover. The details of these journeys are little known, for the synoptics do not speak of them,[1] and the notes of the fourth Gospel are very confused on this point.[2] It was, it appears, in the year 31, and certainly after the death of John, that the most important of the visits of Jesus to Jerusalem took place. Many of the disciples followed him. Although Jesus attached from that time little value to the pilgrimage, he conformed
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

For which Cause Our Lord Himself Also with his Own Mouth Saith...
4. For which cause our Lord Himself also with His own mouth saith, "Cleanse what are within, and what are without will be clean." [1813] And, also, in another place, when He was refuting the foolish speeches of the Jews, in that they spake evil against His disciples, eating with unwashen hands; "Not what entereth into the mouth," said He, "defileth the man: but what cometh forth out of the mouth, that defileth the man." [1814] Which sentence, if the whole of it be taken of the mouth of the body,
St. Augustine—On Continence

Relation of the Pharisees to the Sadducees and Essenes, and to the Gospel of Christ
On taking a retrospective view of Pharisaism, as we have described it, there is a saying of our Lord which at first sight seems almost unaccountable. Yet it is clear and emphatic. "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do" (Matt 23:3). But if the early disciples were not to break at once and for ever with the Jewish community, such a direction was absolutely needful. For, though the Pharisees were only "an order," Pharisaism, like modern Ultramontanism, had not only become
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The General Service to a Prophet.
At the Vespers, for O Lord, I have cried, the Stichera, Tone 4. Similar to: Called from above... Thou that hast in the purity of thy mind received the reflex of the God-emitted light and wast the herald of the divine words and seer and divine prophet, thou appearedst as the God-moved mouth of the Spirit, conveying that which was shewn by Him unto thee, O all-honoured (mentioned by name), and declaring unto all the peoples the salvation that was being granted and the Kingdom of Christ; do entreat
Anonymous—The General Menaion

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Hints to Teachers and Questions for Pupils
Teacher's Apparatus.--English theology has no juster cause for pride than the books it has produced on the Life of Paul. Perhaps there is no other subject in which it has so outdistanced all rivals. Conybeare and Howson's Life and Epistles of St. Paul will probably always keep the foremost place; in many respects it is nearly perfect; and a teacher who has mastered it will be sufficiently equipped for his work and require no other help. The works of Lewin and Farrar are written on the same lines;
James Stalker et al—The Life of St. Paul

On Attending the Church Service
"The sin of the young men was very great." 1 Sam. 2:17. 1. The corruption, not only of the heathen world, but likewise of them that were called Christians, has been matter of sorrow and lamentation to pious men, almost from the time of the apostles. And hence, as early as the second century, within a hundred years of St. John's removal from the earth, men who were afraid of being partakers of other men's sins, thought it their duty to separate from them. Hence, in every age many have retired from
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Machinations of the Enemies of Jesus.
Jesus passed the autumn and a part of the winter at Jerusalem. This season is there rather cold. The portico of Solomon, with its covered aisles, was the place where he habitually walked.[1] This portico consisted of two galleries, formed by three rows of columns, and covered by a ceiling of carved wood.[2] It commanded the valley of Kedron, which was doubtless less covered with debris than it is at the present time. The depth of the ravine could not be measured, from the height of the portico; and
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Early Ministry in Judea
113. We owe to the fourth gospel our knowledge of the fact that Jesus began his general ministry in Jerusalem. The silence of the other records concerning this beginning cannot discredit the testimony of John. For these other records themselves indicate in various ways that Jesus had repeatedly sought to win Jerusalem before his final visit at the end of his life (compare Luke xiii. 34; Matt. xxiii. 37). Moreover, the fourth gospel is confirmed by the probability, rising almost to necessity, that
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

The Crossing of the Jordan
THE CROSSING OF THE JORDAN Just how did you feel at the time you were sanctified? I have heard some tell of how the holy fire of the Spirit seemed to go all through them. Others have told of a deeper, more complete peace. Some have shouted for joy. Others have wept for joy. And I am wondering how one ought to feel. Can you tell me? And how can I know that I am consecrated? Every teacher of entire sanctification that I ever heard says that the consecration must be complete; but how am I to know when
Robert Lee Berry—Adventures in the Land of Canaan

Subjects of Study. Home Education in Israel; Female Education. Elementary Schools, Schoolmasters, and School Arrangements.
If a faithful picture of society in ancient Greece or Rome were to be presented to view, it is not easy to believe that even they who now most oppose the Bible could wish their aims success. For this, at any rate, may be asserted, without fear of gainsaying, that no other religion than that of the Bible has proved competent to control an advanced, or even an advancing, state of civilisation. Every other bound has been successively passed and submerged by the rising tide; how deep only the student
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Letter Xliv Concerning the Maccabees but to whom Written is Unknown.
Concerning the Maccabees But to Whom Written is Unknown. [69] He relies to the question why the Church has decreed a festival to the Maccabees alone of all the righteous under the ancient law. 1. Fulk, Abbot of Epernay, had already written to ask me the same question as your charity has addressed to your humble servant by Brother Hescelin. I have put off replying to him, being desirous to find, if possible, some statement in the Fathers about this which was asked, which I might send to him, rather
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Number and Order of the Separate Books.
The number of the books was variously estimated. Josephus gives twenty-two, which was the usual number among Christian writers in the second, third, and fourth centuries, having been derived perhaps from the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Origen, Jerome, and others have it. It continued longest among the teachers of the Greek Church, and is even in Nicephorus's stichometry.(83) The enumeration in question has Ruth with Judges, and Lamentations with Jeremiah. In Epiphanius(84) the number twenty-seven
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Elucidations.
I. (Who first propounded these heresies, p. 11.) Hippolytus seems to me to have felt the perils to the pure Gospel of many admissions made by Clement and other Alexandrian doctors as to the merits of some of the philosophers of the Gentiles. Very gently, but with prescient genius, he adopts this plan of tracing the origin and all the force of heresies to "philosophy falsely so called." The existence of this "cloud of locusts" is (1) evidence of the antagonism of Satan; (2) of the prophetic spirit
Hippolytus.—The Refutation of All Heresies

"The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not Subject to the Law of God, Neither Indeed Can Be. So Then they that Are
Rom. viii. s 7, 8.--"The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." It is not the least of man's evils, that he knows not how evil he is, therefore the Searcher of the heart of man gives the most perfect account of it, Jer. xvii. 12. "The heart is deceitful above all things," as well as "desperately wicked," two things superlative and excessive in it, bordering upon an infiniteness, such
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

We are not Binding Heavy Burdens and Laying them Upon Your Shoulders...
37. We are not binding heavy burdens and laying them upon your shoulders, while we with a finger will not touch them. Seek out, and acknowledge the labor of our occupations, and in some of us the infirmities of our bodies also, and in the Churches which we serve, that custom now grown up, that they do not suffer us to have time ourselves for those works to which we exhort you. For though we might say, "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Repentance and Impenitence.
In the discussion of this subject I shall show,-- I. What repentance is not. 1. The Bible everywhere represents repentance as a virtue, and as constituting a change of moral character; consequently, it cannot be a phenomenon of the intelligence: that is, it cannot consist in conviction of sin, nor in any intellectual apprehension of our guilt or ill-desert. All the states or phenomena of the intelligence are purely passive states of mind, and of course moral character, strictly speaking, cannot be
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Second Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to Brotherly Love.
Text: 1 John 3, 13-18. 13 Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

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