Matthew 23:35-36
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Jesus highlights that the impending judgment isn't just for future sins, but a reckoning for all the innocent blood shed since the world began, stretching back to Abel. This staggering scope means the current generation, by rejecting God's messengers and ultimately Jesus himself, is symbolically implicated in every unjust killing that has ever occurred on earth. The precise location of Zechariah's murder, between the sacred sanctuary and the altar, intensifies the horrific sacrilege and points to the utter defiance of God's presence.
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)
Jesus is addressing the scribes and Pharisees, calling out their hypocrisy for outwardly honoring prophets by building tombs, while inwardly rejecting their message and persecuting those who speak truth. He declares that this generation will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed from the very beginning of human history, citing the first martyr Abel and a later prophet Zechariah murdered in the temple. This culminates his judgment on Jerusalem, foretelling its eventual destruction and desolation because of its persistent rejection of God's messengers and ultimately, Jesus Himself.
Jesus doesn't just condemn the religious leaders of his day; he connects their actions to a long, dark history. What does this chain of violence signify?
Jesus paints a stark picture in Matthew 23:35. He's not just talking about isolated incidents of injustice. By saying "so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah," Jesus connects the current generation's rejection of God's messengers directly to the very first murder recorded in Scripture—Abel's.
This isn't just a chronological list; it's a testament to a persistent pattern of violence against God's people. The religious leaders are being told that their rejection of Jesus and his followers is part of this unbroken chain of rebellion and bloodshed. They are, in essence, continuing the legacy of those who killed the prophets before them.
This concept highlights the deep historical roots of the spiritual opposition Jesus faced. It's a pattern that started at the beginning and, in Jesus's view, was reaching a climax with his own rejection and the persecution of his followers.
The location of Zechariah's murder is specific and jarring. What does this sacred space tell us about the depth of the sin?
Jesus pinpoints the location of Zechariah's death: 'between the sanctuary and the altar.' This detail is crucial. The sanctuary (the inner part of the Temple) and the altar (where sacrifices were offered) were the holiest places in Jewish worship.
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To commit murder in this specific area was an act of extreme desecration. It wasn't just a crime against a person; it was a violation of the most sacred ground, a defiance of God in the very heart of His dwelling place.
This act symbolizes the ultimate rejection of God's authority and the corruption of His intended worship. The religious leaders, who were supposed to uphold the sanctity of the Temple, were perpetuating a legacy of violence that even desecrated the holiest of spaces. It shows how far they had fallen, turning a place of sacrifice and reconciliation into a scene of brutal injustice.
Jesus declares that 'all' the righteous blood will 'come upon' this generation. What does this mean for collective responsibility?
Jesus’s pronouncement in Matthew 23:35 is a powerful statement about generational guilt and impending judgment. When he says, 'so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth,' he is holding the current generation accountable not just for their own sins, but for the accumulated sin of their ancestors.
This doesn't mean every individual is personally guilty of every past sin. Rather, it speaks to a corporate or national responsibility. The religious leaders and the people they represented had continued the pattern of rejecting God's prophets and messengers, culminating in their rejection of Jesus himself. By their actions, they were sealing their fate and ensuring that the judgment for all the previous bloodshed would fall upon them.
This foreshadows the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, a catastrophic event that served as a divine reckoning for centuries of rebellion. Jesus is essentially saying that the cup of iniquity, filled over generations, was now overflowing, and judgment was imminent for those who refused to repent.
Understand the original words
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.
Jesus frames the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem not just as a political event, but as divine retribution for centuries of rejecting God's messengers, from the very first prophet, Abel, to a martyr within the Temple itself.
c. 3000 BC
Murder of Abel
The first recorded murder in human history, where Cain killed his brother Abel. This event sets the precedent for the shedding of innocent blood.
c. 872 BC
Murder of Zechariah son of Jehoiada
A prophet named Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, was stoned to death in the temple court for rebuking the people and king for forsaking the Lord. This event is seen as a significant act of violence within the sacred precincts.
c. 700 BC
Prophecies of Zechariah
The minor prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, delivers his prophecies. Some scholars debate whether this is the same Zechariah Jesus refers to, or if there's a conflation of names or traditions.
c. 40 BC - 30 AD
Life and Ministry of Jesus
Jesus walks the earth, teaching, healing, and confronting the religious establishment. He predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Final Week in Jerusalem
During his last days, Jesus delivers strong condemnations against the scribes and Pharisees, culminating in his Olivet Discourse where he predicts the temple's destruction and the judgment to come.
AD 64-70
Jewish Zealot Uprising and Temple Destruction
Growing tensions and rebellion against Roman rule lead to the First Jewish-Roman War. The Zealots cause internal strife, including the murder of a 'Zechariah son of Baruch' in the Temple.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman army under Titus besieges and destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, fulfilling Jesus' prophecies and marking a cataclysmic end to the era.
This verse directly references the murder of Abel, the first righteous person mentioned in the Bible, establishing the beginning of the 'chain of righteous blood shed'.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22This passage recounts the martyrdom of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, stoned in the temple courts, which is the most likely historical event Jesus is referencing, highlighting a murder within God's sanctuary.
Luke 11:50-51This parallel passage from Luke also speaks of 'blood of all the prophets' being required of this generation, underscoring the theme of accountability for the blood of God's messengers.
Matthew 27:25The infamous cry, 'His blood be on us and on our children!', uttered by the crowd during Jesus' trial, directly echoes the sentiment of taking responsibility for shedding innocent blood, which Jesus is holding the leaders accountable for.
Revelation 6:9-10This apocalyptic vision describes the souls of those martyred for God's word crying out from under the altar, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood?' This shows the heavenly perspective on the accumulated cries of the righteous for justice.
vincentMatthew 23:35: "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar."
Temple (ναοῦ)Rev., rightly, sanctuary. See on Matthew 4:5. Zechariah was slain between the temple proper and the altar of burnt-offering, in the priests' court.
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…
Jesus highlights that the impending judgment isn't just for future sins, but a reckoning for all the innocent blood shed since the world began, stretching back to Abel. This staggering scope means the current generation, by rejecting God's messengers and ultimately Jesus himself, is symbolically implicated in every unjust killing that has ever occurred on earth. The precise location of Zechariah's murder, between the sacred sanctuary and the altar, intensifies the horrific sacrilege and points to the utter defiance of God's presence.
Jesus is addressing the scribes and Pharisees, calling out their hypocrisy for outwardly honoring prophets by building tombs, while inwardly rejecting their message and persecuting those who speak truth. He declares that this generation will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed from the very beginning of human history, citing the first martyr Abel and a later prophet Zechariah murdered in the temple. This culminates his judgment on Jerusalem, foretelling its eventual destruction and desolation because of its persistent rejection of God's messengers and ultimately, Jesus Himself.
Jesus is addressing the scribes and Pharisees, calling out their hypocrisy for outwardly honoring prophets by building tombs, while inwardly rejecting their message and persecuting those who speak truth. He declares that this generation will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed from the very beginning of human history, citing the first martyr Abel and a later prophet Zechariah murdered in the temple. This culminates his judgment on Jerusalem, foretelling its eventual destruction and desolation because of its persistent rejection of God's messengers and ultimately, Jesus Himself.
"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 wi…" — Jesus highlights that the impending judgment isn't just for future sins, but a reckoning for all the innocent blood shed since the world began, stretching back to Abel. This staggering scope means…
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Last reviewed October 2026
