Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus declares that he will send more prophets, wise men, and scribes, not just to Israel's past but also to the current generation. This highlights a relentless divine pursuit of their repentance, even in the face of their ancestors' history of rejecting and killing God's messengers. It underscores that their persistent rejection of these new messengers will culminate in their judgment.
Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just delivered a series of "woes" against the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their hypocrisy and condemning them for their rejection of God's messengers throughout history. In response to their hardened hearts and their ancestors' actions, Jesus declares that he will continue to send them prophets, wise men, and scribes, knowing full well that many will be met with violence, persecution, and even death. This declaration directly links the future actions of this generation to the past sins they have just been accused of perpetuating.
Why does God keep sending messengers, even when He knows they'll be rejected and harmed?
Jesus declares, 'Therefore I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes.' This isn't just a prediction; it's a statement of God's unwavering commitment to reaching humanity. Even though Jesus knows the reception these messengers will face—death, crucifixion, flogging, persecution—He still sends them. This highlights a profound truth: God's grace is persistent, even in the face of certain and severe rejection. He doesn't give up on people. The 'prophets, wise men, and scribes' Jesus mentions are His apostles and early followers who would carry His message forward. They are equipped with divine wisdom and authority, mirroring the roles of Old Testament figures. The tragedy lies in the parallel: just as past generations killed the prophets, this generation would do the same to Jesus' chosen messengers.
What does it mean to 'fill up the measure of your fathers,' and how does it lead to judgment?
Jesus directly confronts the religious leaders of His day, calling them 'serpents, offspring of vipers' (Matthew 23:33). He tells them, 'You must fill up what your fathers have sown.' This isn't about inherited guilt in a way that absolves individuals, but rather about a pattern of rebellion that continues and intensifies through generations. The leaders were building monuments for the prophets their fathers killed, but in doing so, they were not distancing themselves from that violence; they were actively participating in it by rejecting and persecuting the messengers was sending. Their actions weren't a departure from their ancestors' sins but a continuation and completion of them. This accumulation of rejection and violence, particularly against God's chosen messengers, seals their judgment.
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Understand the original words
prophētas · Greek Noun
A spokesperson for God, inspired by the Holy Spirit to declare God's truth, warn of judgment, or announce future events.
apokteneite · Greek Verb
To act as an executioner or to kill unjustly; often used in the Gospels to describe the rejection and murder of God's messengers.
mastigōsete · Greek Verb
To whip or beat with a scourge; a severe form of punishment used in historical Jewish and Roman judicial contexts.
diōxete · Greek Verb
To harass, mistreat, or pursue someone due to their faith or testimony, particularly those representing God’s righteousness.
This verse speaks into a long, tragic history of opposition to God's messengers, stretching from the Old Testament prophets to Jesus' own apostles, with Jesus foreseeing the violent rejection his own followers would face in the very city that had a history of killing prophets.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Teaching in Jerusalem
Jesus delivers his "Woes to the scribes and Pharisees" discourse in Jerusalem, condemning their hypocrisy and foretelling judgment on Jerusalem.
c. 33 AD
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus himself is crucified, an event that tragically fulfills his prophecy about the rejection and murder of God's messengers.
c. 34 AD
Stoning of Stephen
Stephen, one of the early deacons and a powerful witness for Christ, is stoned to death, marking a significant early martyrdom.
c. 44 AD
Execution of James, Son of Zebedee
James, one of the twelve apostles, is put to death by the sword on the orders of King Herod Agrippa I, as recorded in Acts.
c. 60-62 AD
Paul's Imprisonment and Writings
The Apostle Paul, who faced extensive persecution, writes letters from prison, including those that address persecution and the nature of spiritual gifts.
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman armies destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent temple, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy of desolation and bringing an end to the sacrificial system.
This passage is very similar, with 'the Wisdom of God' speaking and stating 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; some they will kill and persecute.' It highlights that this isn't just Jesus speaking, but a divine pronouncement of how God's messengers will be treated.
Acts 7:59-60This passage describes the stoning of Stephen, who is explicitly called a 'deacon' and 'full of grace and power,' acting as a prophet or teacher. His prayer for his persecutors mirrors Jesus' own prayer from the cross, showing the continuation of this violent rejection of God's messengers.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22This passage details the stoning of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, in the temple courts for prophesying against Israel's disobedience. Jesus references this specific event in the following verse (Matthew 23:35) as part of the continuous bloodguilt of Jerusalem, demonstrating a pattern of violence against God's spokesmen.
Jeremiah 7:25-26This Old Testament passage shows a similar pattern where God repeatedly sent prophets to His people, but they refused to listen and hardened their hearts. This prefigures Jesus' own experience and the rejection He knew His apostles would face.
calvinMatthew 23:29-39: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,"
- Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the sepulchers of the prophets and embellish the monuments of the righteous, 30. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their associates in the blood of the prophets. 31. Thus you testify against yourselves, that you are the children of thos…
henryMatthew 23:34-39: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:"
23:34-39 Our Lord declares the miseries the inhabitants of Jerusalem were about to bring upon themselves, but he does not notice the sufferings he was to undergo. A hen gathering her chickens under her wings, is an apt emblem of the Saviour's tender love to those who tru…
Jesus declares that he will send more prophets, wise men, and scribes, not just to Israel's past but also to the current generation. This highlights a relentless divine pursuit of their repentance, even in the face of their ancestors' history of rejecting and killing God's messengers. It underscores that their persistent rejection of these new messengers will culminate in their judgment.
Jesus has just delivered a series of "woes" against the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their hypocrisy and condemning them for their rejection of God's messengers throughout history. In response to their hardened hearts and their ancestors' actions, Jesus declares that he will continue to send them prophets, wise men, and scribes, knowing full well that many will be met with violence, persecution, and even death. This declaration directly links the future actions of this generation to the past sins they have just been accused of perpetuating.
Jesus has just delivered a series of "woes" against the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their hypocrisy and condemning them for their rejection of God's messengers throughout history. In response to their hardened hearts and their ancestors' actions, Jesus declares that he will continue to send them prophets, wise men, and scribes, knowing full well that many will be met with violence, persecution, and even death. This declaration directly links the future actions of this generation to the past sins they have just been accused of perpetuating.
"Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town," — Jesus declares that he will send more prophets, wise men, and scribes, not just to Israel's past but also to the current generation. This highlights a relentless divine pursuit of their repentance,…
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Last reviewed October 2026