Matthew 23:34
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)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus announces that He will send new prophets, wise men, and scribes, but rather than being welcomed, they will face the same violent rejection as those who came before. This highlights a tragic pattern: humanity's repeated resistance to God's messengers, even when those messengers are divinely appointed.
Jesus has just delivered a series of pronouncements of "woe" against the scribes and Pharisees, condemning their hypocrisy and the way they have rejected God's messengers throughout history. In response to their corruption and continued defiance, Jesus declares that he will continue to send them prophetic voices, but he predicts that they will respond with violence, killing and persecuting these messengers, just as their ancestors did. This leads into his lament over Jerusalem and the coming destruction of the city.
Jesus declares He will send more prophets, wise men, and scribes. Why would God continue to send messengers when He knew they would be met with violence?
This verse reveals a profound tension in God's dealings with humanity. Despite knowing the outcome, God persistently sends His messengers – prophets, wise men, and scribes – to His people. This isn't a sign of divine naivete, but a demonstration of His relentless love and commitment to offer salvation.
Jesus mentions sending 'wise men' and 'scribes' alongside 'prophets.' What does this mean in the context of the New Testament church?
The categories Jesus uses – prophets, wise men, and scribes – echo the recognized roles within ancient Israelite society. However, when Jesus applies them to the messengers He is sending, He redefines and elevates them for the New Covenant community.
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 prophecy of Jesus wasn't just about abstract future suffering, but about a pattern of rejection and persecution that would continue from ancient Israel's history right up to the early church, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem.
c. 33 AD
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus, the 'Wisdom of God,' is actively teaching, healing, and calling disciples throughout Judea. He is confronting the religious establishment, particularly the scribes and Pharisees.
c. 33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees
In the Temple courts, Jesus delivers a powerful series of 'woes' against the religious leaders in Jerusalem, condemning their hypocrisy and rejection of God's messengers.
c. 33 AD
Jesus' Lament Over Jerusalem
Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem, foreseeing its future destruction and lamenting its persistent rejection of God's prophets and His own offer of salvation.
c. 34 AD
Martyrdom of Stephen
Stephen, a Hellenistic Jew and early Christian deacon, is stoned to death by a mob for preaching against the Temple and the Law, becoming one of the first Christian martyrs.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' statement, attributing the sending of prophets and apostles to 'the Wisdom of God,' highlighting the persistent, yet rejected, divine outreach to humanity.
Acts 7:59-60This passage shows the martyrdom of Stephen, who, like the prophets Jesus mentions, was killed by his own people, demonstrating the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy regarding the persecution of His messengers.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22This passage describes the stoning of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, in the temple courts, serving as a historical example of the violent rejection of God's messengers within Jerusalem that Jesus alludes to.
Matthew 23:37This verse immediately follows, with Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem's rejection of His messengers and its destructive path, directly connecting the rejection of prophets to the city's impending doom.
1 Thessalonians 2:15This passage speaks to the ongoing persecution of believers by the Jews, directly echoing Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 23:34 about the rejection and mistreatment of God's messengers by the same people.
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 announces that He will send new prophets, wise men, and scribes, but rather than being welcomed, they will face the same violent rejection as those who came before. This highlights a tragic pattern: humanity's repeated resistance to God's messengers, even when those messengers are divinely appointed.
Jesus has just delivered a series of pronouncements of "woe" against the scribes and Pharisees, condemning their hypocrisy and the way they have rejected God's messengers throughout history. In response to their corruption and continued defiance, Jesus declares that he will continue to send them prophetic voices, but he predicts that they will respond with violence, killing and persecuting these messengers, just as their ancestors did. This leads into his lament over Jerusalem and the coming destruction of the city.
Jesus has just delivered a series of pronouncements of "woe" against the scribes and Pharisees, condemning their hypocrisy and the way they have rejected God's messengers throughout history. In response to their corruption and continued defiance, Jesus declares that he will continue to send them prophetic voices, but he predicts that they will respond with violence, killing and persecuting these messengers, just as their ancestors did. This leads into his lament over Jerusalem and the coming destruction of the city.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Matthew 23:34 is available in the Sola app.
Together, these roles represent the fullness of God's gifted communicators sent to build His church. They are equipped not just with knowledge, but with divine wisdom and prophetic insight.
Jesus foretells that His messengers will face the same violence their predecessors did. How does this cycle of rejection and suffering point to impending judgment?
Jesus connects the rejection of His messengers to the accumulated guilt of Israel's history. This isn't just about isolated incidents of violence; it's about a pattern of resistance to God's redemptive efforts.
c. 44 AD
Martyrdom of James, Son of Zebedee
James, one of Jesus' original twelve apostles, is executed by King Herod Agrippa I, marking a significant moment in the early persecution of the apostles.
c. 62 AD
Martyrdom of James, Brother of Jesus
James, the leader of the Jerusalem church and brother of Jesus, is thrown from the Temple pinnacle and then stoned to death by a faction of Jewish leaders.
70 AD
Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple
The Roman army, led by Titus, sacks Jerusalem and destroys the Second Temple, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy of its desolation and the end of the sacrificial system.
"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 announces that He will send new prophets, wise men, and scribes, but rather than being welcomed, they will face the same violent rejection as those who came before. This highlights a tragic pat…
