Matthew 23:34-35
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Jesus announces he will send more messengers – prophets, wise men, and scribes – directly countering the religious leaders' self-perception and highlighting their guilt. Their continued rejection and persecution of these current divine messengers is presented not as a new problem, but as the direct continuation of their ancestors' blood-guilt.
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, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is concluding his scathing public critique of the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites and vipers for their outward piety that masks their inward corruption. He declares that their rejection of him and his message will lead to their utter destruction, comparing their city to a place God has abandoned. This verse marks the pivot from condemnation to a final, mournful pronouncement of doom upon Jerusalem and its people.
Even when facing hardened hearts, God doesn't give up on humanity. He keeps sending His truth, even when He knows it will be rejected.
Jesus declares, 'Therefore I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes.' This isn't just a statement of fact; it's a declaration of God's persistent love and His deliberate strategy. He equips and sends individuals who carry His message – prophets to foretell, wise men to counsel, and scribes to teach. Think of them as God's spiritual special forces, sent with divine wisdom and authority.
This sending is not haphazard. It's a direct response to the spiritual blindness and rebellion Jesus has just condemned. Even though He knows the outcome – that many will be killed, crucified, flogged, and persecuted – He still sends them. This highlights God's commitment to offering people a chance to repent and believe, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. It’s a picture of divine grace relentlessly pursuing humanity.
History repeats itself, especially when it comes to rejecting God's messengers. Jesus foresees a chilling continuation of an ancient pattern.
Jesus doesn't just say His messengers will be rejected; He details how. 'Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.' This isn't a new phenomenon. It's a grim, predictable cycle.
Jesus is explicitly linking the actions of his audience to the actions of their ancestors. They are not just children of those who killed the prophets; they are continuing the same work. The methods of persecution evolve – crucifixion (a Roman method often carried out at the Jews' instigation), flogging in their own religious centers (the synagogues), and relentless pursuit. This highlights a deep-seated hostility towards God's truth, manifesting in increasingly brutal ways.
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The prophecy is stark: the very people who claim to honor the prophets and the Law will become their persecutors. This cycle of rejection and violence will ultimately bring judgment upon that generation.
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.
dikaiou · Greek Adjective
One who lives in conformity to God’s will, justified by faith, and whose life bears the fruit of divine truth.
naou · Greek Noun
The innermost part of the temple, the holy place representing the dwelling of God’s presence among His people.
thysiastēriou · Greek Noun
The place of sacrifice where atonement is made; symbolically, it represents the meeting point between a holy God and sinful humanity.
This prophecy highlights a recurring cycle in Israel's history: God sends messengers (prophets, apostles, teachers), but they are often rejected, persecuted, and even killed by religious and political leaders. Jesus' words show this pattern is not new, but a continuation of their ancestors' actions, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, a devastating consequence of rejecting God's final message of grace.
c. 33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Warnings
Jesus delivers this discourse in Jerusalem, lamenting the city's rejection of God's messengers throughout history and warning of impending judgment.
c. 33-34 AD
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus himself is crucified in Jerusalem, an event that exemplifies the very pattern of violence against God's messengers he just condemned.
c. 34 AD
Stoning of Stephen
Stephen, a disciple and teacher filled with wisdom and the Spirit, is stoned to death in Jerusalem, marking one of the first significant persecutions of the early Christian movement.
c. 41-44 AD
Execution of James
James, the brother of John and one of Jesus' inner circle apostles, is executed by the sword by order of King Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem.
c. 62 AD
Execution of James the Just
James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, is thrown from the temple pinnacle and beaten to death by Jewish leaders.
66-70 AD
First Jewish-Roman War
The Jewish revolt against Roman rule begins, leading to widespread conflict and immense suffering for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea.
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman legions under Titus destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy of desolation and bringing an end to the sacrificial system.
This passage also presents 'the wisdom of God' speaking, declaring 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some they will kill and persecute,' directly paralleling Jesus' warning about the rejection of God's messengers.
Acts 7:59-60Stephen's martyrdom exemplifies the violent rejection Jesus predicts, as he is stoned to death while calling on the Lord, directly fulfilling the pattern of persecution foretold.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22The account of Zechariah being stoned in the temple court is a specific historical instance of a prophet being murdered within Jerusalem, which Jesus references as part of the bloodguilt of that generation.
Jeremiah 1:17-19This passage shows God commissioning Jeremiah to be a prophet, but warning him of the opposition he will face from Judah and its kings, establishing a pattern of prophetic persecution that continues through Jesus' warning.
Matthew 10:16-20In this earlier discourse, Jesus explicitly warns his disciples that they will be handed over to councils and flogged, directly mirroring the persecution from town to town that he foretells for the messengers in Matthew 23:34.
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 he will send more messengers – prophets, wise men, and scribes – directly countering the religious leaders' self-perception and highlighting their guilt. Their continued rejection and persecution of these current divine messengers is presented not as a new problem, but as the direct continuation of their ancestors' blood-guilt.
Jesus is concluding his scathing public critique of the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites and vipers for their outward piety that masks their inward corruption. He declares that their rejection of him and his message will lead to their utter destruction, comparing their city to a place God has abandoned. This verse marks the pivot from condemnation to a final, mournful pronouncement of doom upon Jerusalem and its people.
Jesus is concluding his scathing public critique of the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites and vipers for their outward piety that masks their inward corruption. He declares that their rejection of him and his message will lead to their utter destruction, comparing their city to a place God has abandoned. This verse marks the pivot from condemnation to a final, mournful pronouncement of doom upon Jerusalem and its people.
"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, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from…" — Jesus announces he will send more messengers – prophets, wise men, and scribes – directly countering the religious leaders' self-perception and highlighting their guilt. Their continued rejection and…
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Last reviewed October 2026
