Matthew 23:17
New International Version
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

New Living Translation
Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?

English Standard Version
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

Berean Standard Bible
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

Berean Literal Bible
Foolish and blind! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple having sanctified the gold?

King James Bible
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

New King James Version
Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

New American Standard Bible
You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

NASB 1995
“You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

NASB 1977
“You fools and blind men; which is more important, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?

Legacy Standard Bible
You fools and blind men! For which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold?

Amplified Bible
You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?

Christian Standard Bible
Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold?

American Standard Version
Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Fools and blind men! Which is greater, gold, or The Temple, which sanctifies the gold?

Contemporary English Version
You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

English Revised Version
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the temple that made the gold holy?

Good News Translation
Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple which makes the gold holy?

International Standard Version
You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy?

Literal Standard Version
Fools and blind! For which [is] greater, the gold, or the temple that is sanctifying the gold?

Majority Standard Bible
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

New American Bible
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred?

NET Bible
Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

New Revised Standard Version
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred?

New Heart English Bible
You blind fools. For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye fools, and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

Weymouth New Testament
"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?

World English Bible
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

Young's Literal Translation
Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
16Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? 18And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’…

Cross References
Exodus 30:29
You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

Matthew 23:18
And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.'

Matthew 23:19
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?

Hebrews 2:11
For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.


Treasury of Scripture

You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

Ye fools.

Psalm 94:8
Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?

or.

Matthew 23:19
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Exodus 30:26-29
And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, …

Numbers 16:38,39
The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel…

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Matthew 23
1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5. 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.














Verse 17. - Ye fools. Jesus adds to "blind" the epithet "fools," which implies not only the irrationality and absurdity of their practice, but also its moral delinquency, the fool in sapiential language being the sinner. The temple that sanctifieth the gold. Our Lord shows the absurdity of this sophistical distinction. It was because the temple was the place of God's presence that what was therein was consecrated. The gold was nothing without the temple; the temple, the originally holy, is superior to the gold, the derivatively holy, and an oath that calls the temple to witness is surely obligatory.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[You] blind
τυφλοί (typhloi)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5185: Blind, physically or mentally. From, tuphoo; opaque, i.e. blind.

fools!
μωροὶ (mōroi)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3474: Probably from the base of musterion; dull or stupid, i.e. Heedless, blockhead, absurd.

Which
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

is
ἐστίν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

greater:
μείζων (meizōn)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

gold,
χρυσὸς (chrysos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5557: Perhaps from the base of chraomai; gold; by extension, a golden article, as an ornament or coin.

or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

temple
ναὸς (naos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3485: A temple, a shrine, that part of the temple where God himself resides. From a primary naio; a fane, shrine, temple.

that makes it sacred?
ἁγιάσας (hagiasas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 37: From hagios; to make holy, i.e. purify or consecrate; to venerate.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 23:17 You blind fools! (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 23:16
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