Matthew 23:34-36
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. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus declares that He is the one sending these messengers, not just relaying a message from God. This highlights His divine authority and personal involvement in the ongoing mission to reach His people, even when facing their murderous opposition.
Jesus has just finished denouncing the scribes and Pharisees with a series of "woes," highlighting their hypocrisy and guilt in rejecting God's messengers. He then declares that he is sending them more prophets, wise men, and scribes—representing the apostles and early believers—but predicts they will be met with the same violent opposition their predecessors faced, including killing, crucifixion, flogging, and persecution. This sets the stage for his lament over Jerusalem and the pronouncement of its impending destruction.
Jesus declares He is sending more messengers, yet He knows they will face brutal opposition. What does this reveal about God's heart and humanity's pattern?
Jesus, speaking as the very 'Wisdom of God,' announces He will send more prophets, wise men, and scribes. This isn't a passive hope, but a divine initiative. Despite knowing their fate—being killed, crucified, flogged, and persecuted—Jesus still sends them.
This highlights a profound truth: God's pursuit of humanity is relentless, even in the face of predictable rejection. The messengers He sends are not just ordinary people, but those endowed with His Spirit and wisdom, mirroring the Old Testament prophets and teachers. Their mission is to call people back to God, but the leaders of Israel have hardened their hearts.
The repeated sending of messengers, even to those who have historically rejected and killed them, demonstrates God's persistent love and desire for reconciliation. It also underscores the deep-seated rebellion of the human heart that continues to fight against God's truth.
Jesus doesn't just predict future persecution; He connects it to a long, bloody history. Why is this historical context so crucial?
Jesus' words, 'some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,' aren't just predictions of future suffering for His followers. They are a direct indictment of a long-standing pattern of violence against God's messengers.
Commentators point out that Jesus is revealing how the current generation of leaders in Jerusalem are not different from their fathers. Just as their ancestors killed the prophets, this generation will continue that legacy by persecuting and killing Jesus' apostles and early followers.
The mention of specific actions like flogging in synagogues and persecution from town to town shows that this opposition wasn't just external, but deeply embedded within the religious and social structures of the time. It highlights a consistent human tendency to silence or destroy those who speak truth, especially when that truth challenges established power or comfort.
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.
Jesus' words about sending prophets and the subsequent persecution and death of God's messengers foreshadow a long history of rejection and violence against those who speak truth, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, which had become a place that killed the very messengers God sent.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Warnings to Jerusalem
Jesus delivers powerful pronouncements, including woes against the religious leaders and prophecies of Jerusalem's destruction. He laments Jerusalem's rejection of His message and warns of impending judgment.
c. AD 33
Stephen's Martyrdom
Stephen, one of the early deacons and a powerful preacher, is stoned to death. This event marks a significant escalation of persecution against early followers of Jesus.
c. AD 44
James, Son of Zebedee, is Executed
James, one of the twelve apostles, is put to death by the sword, likely at the order of King Herod Agrippa I.
c. AD 62
James, Brother of Jesus, is Martyred
James, a leader in the Jerusalem church, is thrown from the temple pinnacle and then stoned and clubbed to death by religious opponents.
This passage shows Samuel, a prophet sent by God, growing in acceptance and recognition, contrasting with the rejection and persecution Jesus predicts for His messengers.
Jeremiah 2:30Similar to Jesus' accusation here, this verse laments that God sent messengers and chastisements to Israel, yet they never truly responded or repented.
Acts 7:51-52Stephen's speech directly echoes Jesus' condemnation, accusing his listeners of rejecting and killing the prophets, just as their ancestors did.
Luke 11:49-50This parallel passage explicitly states 'Therefore the wisdom of God said,' linking Jesus' words to divine pronouncements and highlighting that the blood of all the prophets will be required of that generation.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22This Old Testament account describes the stoning of Zechariah, the priest and prophet, in the temple courts, a specific act of violence against a messenger of God that Jesus alludes to.
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 is the one sending these messengers, not just relaying a message from God. This highlights His divine authority and personal involvement in the ongoing mission to reach His people, even when facing their murderous opposition.
Jesus has just finished denouncing the scribes and Pharisees with a series of "woes," highlighting their hypocrisy and guilt in rejecting God's messengers. He then declares that he is sending them more prophets, wise men, and scribes—representing the apostles and early believers—but predicts they will be met with the same violent opposition their predecessors faced, including killing, crucifixion, flogging, and persecution. This sets the stage for his lament over Jerusalem and the pronouncement of its impending destruction.
Jesus has just finished denouncing the scribes and Pharisees with a series of "woes," highlighting their hypocrisy and guilt in rejecting God's messengers. He then declares that he is sending them more prophets, wise men, and scribes—representing the apostles and early believers—but predicts they will be met with the same violent opposition their predecessors faced, including killing, crucifixion, flogging, and persecution. This sets the stage for his lament over Jerusalem and the pronouncement of its impending destruction.
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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.
genea · Greek Noun
The period of time or the contemporary group of people to whom a specific prophetic message or judgment applies.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman army, under Titus, besieges and destroys Jerusalem, razing the Temple to the ground. This fulfills Jesus' prophecies about the city's desolation.
"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 declares that He is the one sending these messengers, not just relaying a message from God. This highlights His divine authority and personal involvement in the ongoing mission to reach His p…
