Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 23:13-33

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter[.] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows` houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel! Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men`s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?" — Matthew 23:13-33 (ASV)

After He instructed the disciples and the multitudes about the caution they should have regarding the Jews' doctrine, He now directs His words to the Scribes by rebuking them.

1. He rebukes them about their pretense of religion.
2. He rebukes them about their pretense of purity, since they were impure.
3. He rebukes them about their pretense of piety, since they were impious.

The second part is where He says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup, and so on; the third part is where He says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who build the sepulchres of the prophets, and so on.

Regarding religious matters, there are certain things that the priests owe to the people and vice versa. Therefore:

1. He first points out their malice in those things that the priests owe to the people.
2. He then points out the malice in those things that the people owe to the priests, where He says, Woe to you who say, Whosoever shall swear, and so on.

A priest owes something to those who are already converted and something else to those who are not. To those who are not converted, he is obliged to convert them. To those who are converted, he is obliged to give them doctrine: The lips of the priests shall keep knowledge (Malachi 2:7). Likewise, he is bound to offer intercessions for them: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that pertain to God (Hebrews 5:1).

And these men were doing bad deeds in regard to both. Hence:

1. He first rebukes them about the first point.
2. He then rebukes them about the second point, where He says, Woe to you who devour the houses of widows, and so on.

In all these reproaches, He shows Himself to be the Son of Him who gave the Old Law.

In Deuteronomy 26 and 28, curses are bestowed upon those who will not continue in the Law, and, later, blessings are bestowed upon those who continue in the Law. But because He had come to loosen the curses of the Law, it follows that the blessings are first given above: Blessed are the poor… Blessed are the meek (Matthew 5:3–4). But, towards the end of His teaching, He gives a curse.

Hence, they wrongly find fault with the Old Law, who do so on the pretext that curses are contained in it, because what is found in the Old Law is also in the New. For as in the Old Law men were not cursed unless they violated the Law, so it is now: Reject not the correction of the Lord (Proverbs 3:11).

But what does He mean when He says, You shut the kingdom of heaven against men? The happiness of eternal life is called the kingdom of heaven: Unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Likewise, Sacred Scripture is called the kingdom of heaven: The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, meaning the understanding of Sacred Scripture. Christ is the gate to both kingdoms: I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures (John 10:9).

And so, what does it mean to close the kingdom of heaven, except that these men were closing it through their bad teachings and bad lives? Something is not closed unless it was opened. The teachings concerning Christ were opened, but these men were closing them, since they were making them obscure. It is written: The Lord himself will come and will save you. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped (Isaiah 35:4–5). When the Lord was performing these miracles, this Scripture was opened, but they were closing it, saying, He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils (Luke 11:15).

Likewise, they were closing it by their bad lives when, by their bad examples, they were inducing men to commit sin: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence (Psalms 1:1). He is properly said to sit in the chair of pestilence who receives the duty of teaching and, through his bad life, corrupts the people. Also, a judge destroys a man by an unjust sentence, yet he pronounces the unjust sentence in vain. For the power of binding and loosing is given for building, not for destroying. Hence, it can be said to them: Woe to you… because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men.

Similarly, whoever impedes entrance to the kingdom undoubtedly acts wickedly; hence, He continues, For you yourselves do not enter in and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter, meaning you do not allow others to be converted. Hence: You have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble (Malachi 2:8).

Woe to you… who devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. This is the second woe, in which their pretense in prayer is mentioned. And first, He rebukes them for their voracity when He says, Who devour the houses of widows, because whatever they did, all was related to their gluttony, such that the passage from 2 Maccabees 6 applies to them, namely, that the whole Temple was full of lust and overindulgence. The houses of widows means the possessions of widows.

But why does He speak of the houses of widows rather than those of others? The reason is because they were more intent on misleading widows, because men are wiser and more discerning, and are not so readily deceived. Likewise, women have a disposition more inclined to giving: But, as it becometh women professing godliness, with good works (1 Timothy 2:10). He also says, the houses of widows, because a woman who has a husband has in him a head and a counselor, and so she is not so easily deceived. Moreover, a married woman does not have control of her house, but a widow does. For that reason, a widow is able to give more than a married woman, and so they were making a greater profit from them than from other women, since they were more inclined to give. Hence, the passage well applies to them: They have slain the widow and the stranger (Psalms 93:6).

And they did this by way of prayer, Praying long prayers, on account of their pretense of sanctity. So they turned prayer into profit, and profit to their glory. Hence, they could be rebuked because they were gluttons, because they were plunderers, and again, because they were pretenders of sanctity. And so, He continues, For this you shall receive the greater judgment, that is to say, for their greater sins.

And why are their sins greater? It is because if someone robs using the arms of the devil, he sins; but if he robs using God’s arms, he sins doubly, because he sins both against God and against his neighbor. Or He says, greater, because ‘You receive from those to whom you ought to give.’ Or, greater, as it is stated: The servant, who knew the will of his lord and prepared not himself and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes (Luke 12:47).

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. This can be explained in two ways, so that it refers either to the time after Christ or to the time before Christ. If it refers to the time after Christ, then He is speaking of the future and present time. For He foresaw that the Jews would be dispersed throughout the whole world, that they would begin to follow their own law, and that they would draw away whomever they could from Christ. And for that reason, it is said, You go round about the sea and the land, and so on. Those who converted from the Gentiles or from the Christians to their faith are called proselytes, and for that reason, He says this.

And He says, One, because very few were converted. Therefore, they fell under that curse which is written: I found Israel like grapes in the desert (Hosea 9:10). And when he is made, namely, a Jew, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves: because he was first a Gentile and then a Jew, and consequently he is guilty of double sins—namely, those of the Gentiles and those of the Jews—and he becomes a participant in the killing of Christ.

If, however, he had been a Christian and then became a Jew, he becomes worse in two ways: namely, he destroys the gifts of the Holy Ghost which he had received in the Sacraments. Likewise, he becomes a partaker in the sins of the Jews: You are of your father the devil (John 8:44).

These words can also be referred to the time before Christ, because they converted some men to their faith before Christ. This is evident, because everyone loves themselves more than others; therefore, if they were to convert other men for the salvation of their souls, they ought to care more for their own salvation, but they did not care about their own salvation. Rather, they were doing everything for the sake of gain; more specifically, they wanted the offerings to be increased. Hence, their teaching was useless.

And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves; because he was first converted to Judaism and was scandalized, so, later, he reverts to paganism. Hence: It had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after they have known it, to turn back (2 Peter 2:21). Before he was a Jew, he refrained from evil deeds, at least for the sake of men’s praise, but afterwards, he did not refrain from evil. Hence: For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these, having not the law, are a law to themselves (Romans 2:14). Thus, they were following the example of the wicked.

Woe to you, blind guides. In saying this, He is showing that they are pretenders of holiness in relation to things owed to religious leaders.

1. First, they are pretenders regarding offerings.
2. Second, they are pretenders regarding tithes, where He says, Woe to you… who tithe mint, and so on.

Notice that He first cites their tradition, and second, He denounces it for three reasons. The first part, in which their tradition and the reason for it are pointed out, has two parts.

The second part is where it is said, And whosoever shall swear by the altar, and so on. These men were turning all religion into gain, and so they encouraged men to make offerings. Much gold was put into the Temple; hence, they were saying that if someone swore by the Temple he owed nothing, but he who swore by its gold obligated himself for as much as he swore.

Likewise, there was a second tradition, because there was an altar there and they were offering many things upon the altar. Hence, they were saying that he who swore by the altar owed nothing, but he who swore by an offering obligated himself to the value of the offering. And why did they say this? It was so that they could profit from the penalties, and so, by exaggerating the holiness of the offering, they were inciting men to offer more.

First, Matthew relates the first part, and second, he relates the second part. About the first, Matthew does two things: first, he sets forth their tradition, and second, he sets forth the reproof, where it is said, Ye foolish and blind, and so on.

He says, therefore: Woe to you, blind guides, and so on. This is similar to what was said above: They are blind, and leaders of the blind (Matthew 15:14); His watchmen are all blind (Isaiah 56:10). You who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple of God, it is nothing, because it is impossible that he would make another temple; but he who shall swear by the gold of the temple, that is by gold, is a debtor, namely, of that gold.

Later, Matthew relates the reproof: Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? It is evident that what is in the Temple is holy by reason of the Temple; hence, he who steals something that is in the Temple commits sacrilege. Therefore, it is greater to swear by the Temple than by the gold in the Temple.

Chrysostom says: “This is contrary to those who say that to swear by God is nothing.” Hence, some who swear by God believe that they do not swear at all; but when they swear by God’s holy Gospels, they think that it is something great. Thus, it can be said to them: ‘Which is greater, God or the Gospel?’ It is clear that God is greater. And this is simply true; it is otherwise when some circumstance which aggravates the sin is added. For example, he who swears by God’s holy Gospels swears with a certain deliberation and solemnity and, for that reason, sins more gravely.

Then Matthew relates the second part of the tradition: And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor. Afterwards, he relates the reproof: Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? For a gift cannot be sanctified except by an altar.

He therefore that sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things that are upon it. Here, He gives another reason. The Temple contains the gold, and not vice versa. Hence, he who swears by the Temple swears by the gold that is in the Temple; and he who swears on the altar (meaning by the altar) swears by that which is on it.

Likewise, another reason follows: And whosoever shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth in it. These men were saying: ‘He who swears by the Temple swears nothing.’ But He wants to show that he who swears by the Temple swears by God, because he would not swear by the Temple unless it were sanctified, and it is not sanctified except by God.

Therefore, he who swears by the Temple swears by God. Then another reason is given: And he that sweareth in heaven (meaning by heaven) would not swear by it if it were not God’s throne and because God’s power is manifested there; hence, And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon.

God is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven (Psalms 10:5). And this throne is said to be there as a similitude. But mystically, according to Origen, He makes mention of the Temple, of gold, and of the altar, by which the contemplative life and the life of glory are signified. By gold, the contemplative life is signified, through which a derived, subtle meaning of Scripture is signified; because no matter how much the meaning seems reasonable, it is worthless unless it is in the Temple, that is to say, unless it is confirmed in Holy Scripture.

By the altar, the heart is signified, in which the fire of devotion ought to be: The fire on the altar shall never cease (Leviticus 6:12). By offerings, services and gifts are signified, which, unless they proceed from a pure heart or from a holy altar, cannot have value: If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome (Matthew 6:22). By the throne, the life of glory is signified: God who surpasses all things is there.

Or by the altar and the Temple, we understand Christ to be meant, for He calls Himself a temple: Destroy this temple; and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19). Likewise, He is said to be an altar: We have an altar whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle (Hebrews 13:10). Hence, whatever good we do, unless it is in this temple, which is Christ, and sanctified, it is valueless. Therefore, all is worthless unless it is referred to Christ.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint and anise and cummin. Here, He rebukes them concerning tithes, and He does three things:

1. He relates their practice.
2. He introduces His teaching.
3. He makes a sort of comparison.

The second part is where He says, These things you ought to have done; and the third part is where He says, Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and so on.

Hence, He says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees; and He adds, hypocrites, because their principal intention was pretense, because you tithe mint and anise and cummin. This can be understood as a tithe of things given or of things exacted. Hence, there were very many priests and Levites who had the right to exact the tithes due them, as is stated in Numbers 18 and Deuteronomy 14. For that reason, they were very diligent in exacting tithes; therefore, they were exacting them even on the least things, such as cummin and anise. And you have left the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith.

For certain things were due to the priests for themselves, such as the tithes on which they were to live. But there were other things to which they were obliged on account of God, such as to do judgment and mercy. Hence, the Lord was demanding these things from them, namely, judgment and mercy: Mercy and judgment I will sing to thee, O Lord (Psalms 100:1). Likewise, He wants faith on account of His glory. Therefore, they did not care about those things to which they were bound on account of God; hence, He says: You have left the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith.

But concerning the tithes to which they were bound on account of themselves, they cared very much, according to what is written: All seek the things that are their own not the things that are God’s (Philippians 2:21). Charity does the contrary, namely, that it does not seek the things that are its own (1 Corinthians 13:5), but the things that are Jesus Christ’s (Philippians 2:21).

Likewise, it can be said: ‘Woe to you who give tithes of the least things—of mint, of cummin, and of similar things—and you do this to appear religious; but about interior things you do not care, because you do not love mercy, or judgment, or faith.’ If you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent (Matthew 12:7). Origen says that by mint and cummin, and so on, certain things can be understood which pertain to the godliness of religion. Hence, mercy, judgment, and faith are like food, but the other things are like condiments. Therefore, it is as if they were making a greater fuss about the condiments in preparing the food than about the food itself; so, likewise, these men were making more of a fuss about someone kneeling before them than about those things that pertained to God.

These things you ought to have done and not to leave those undone. Because He had said, Woe to you, because you tithe, someone could say that the Lord was forbidding the giving of tithes. For that reason, He says that indeed they ought to give tithes, when He says, These things you ought to have done and not to leave those undone. It is as if He were to say: “You do not sin in these things, but in omitting those things to which you are more obliged. For that reason, these things you ought to have done (meaning to exact tithes), and those things (judgment, justice, and faith) not to leave undone.”

But here a question can be raised about tithes. It seems that the Lord is asserting the necessity of paying tithes; indeed, in the whole New Testament, it is not as explicitly mentioned as it is here. But is it stated as a precept of Law? No, because the Law contains some moral precepts, some ceremonial precepts, and some judicial precepts. The moral precepts are to be observed at all times and by all. The ceremonial precepts are to be observed by certain men and at certain times, such as circumcision, and these precepts were only figurative. Similarly, there are some judicial precepts; for example, if someone were to steal a sheep, he ought to restore fourfold. For that reason, the question is raised regarding tithes, whether tithes are a moral precept.

And it seems that it is not, because moral precepts are of the natural law. Now, a precept is only of the natural law because natural reason urges it. But natural reason does not urge one to give a tenth part more than a ninth or an eleventh, and so on. Therefore, it is not of the natural law. Likewise, if tithes are ceremonial, then those who pay them sin.

Regarding this question, those who came before us said that some precepts are purely moral, some are purely ceremonial, and some are partially moral and partially ceremonial. Thou shalt not kill is purely moral. Likewise, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and so on. If you say, “Thou shalt offer a lamb in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month,” this is a purely ceremonial precept. But if it is said, Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day, the precept is partly ceremonial and partly moral. It is partly moral, namely, because natural reason suggests it—more particularly, that one should have a certain time during which one is free, or in which one is free to pray to God. But that the certain time be on Saturday or Sunday, and so on, is a judicial precept.

Hence, they say that the precept of tithes is partially ceremonial and partially moral. For tithes are meant for the support of the poor and of those who devote themselves to God’s service or to preaching. For he who serves the community has the right to support from the community, and this is of the natural law; but that one should be obliged to give a tenth part, this is a ceremonial precept.

But are men now never obliged to pay tithes? I say that the determination of this precept pertains to any ruler who has the power of making laws. Hence, it is within the Church’s power to establish an obligation to pay a tithe, or a ninth, or similar amounts. Therefore, they are bound, not because it is from the natural law, but from the obligation established by the Church.

Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. In this part, He makes a comparison. Therefore, He says, Strain out a gnat. One who meticulously strains out a gnat focuses on tiny details. Hence, He wishes to say that they take great care in the least things, and little care about important things. Or, by the gnat, the smallest sins are understood, and by the camel, the greatest sins are understood. Thus, they make a fuss about small sins; and this is what He says, They swallow a camel.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish. Above, the Lord rebuked the Pharisees concerning the outward pretense they maintained, which they did not have in their hearts and instead turned into profit. Here, He rebukes them concerning the pretense of purity that they outwardly displayed. And here:

1. He first rebukes them in regard to their desire for temporal goods, or in regard to sins of the flesh.
2. He then rebukes them in regard to spiritual sins.

He treats of the first point, and then the second (where He says, Woe to you… because you are like whited sepulchres). About the first point, He does two things:

1. He rebukes their pretense.
2. He puts forth His sacred teaching, where He says, Thou blind Pharisee, and so on.

He says, therefore: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup, and so on. Observe that this can be understood in two ways. In one way, it is a literal form of speech, and He wishes to mention the Pharisees’ custom of cleaning external things, as it was stated above in Matthew 7, namely, that they maintained the cleanliness of pots and vessels. Hence, woe to you, who take great care in cleaning vessels, but not your hearts. Thus, it follows: but within (meaning in the heart) you are full of rapine and uncleanness. Jerome maintains that it is figurative speech; hence, He wishes all cleanliness that appears outwardly to be understood. Meat is served on a dish; drink is served in a cup.

Now man is called a dish, and the good works he does are the meat that God enjoys: My meat is to do the will of my Father (John 4:34). ‘It is clear that the outer surface of a cup and dish are not used, but the inner surface. Therefore, he who cleans the cup outwardly is one who prepares his body outwardly. You are of this sort’: But within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.

And He mentions two kinds, rapine and uncleanness, because there are two kinds of sin: carnal sins, which are completed in the pleasure of the flesh (namely, gluttony and lust), and the other kind of sin, which is completed in the pleasure of the spirit (namely, pride and avarice). Avarice, in regard to its object, belongs to carnal sins; but in regard to its completion, because it is completed in the mind (namely, in the desire for money), it belongs to spiritual sins. Hence, He rebukes avarice when He says, rapine. Now rapine properly exists when something belonging to another is taken; likewise, a man is properly avaricious who keeps what belongs to another. Therefore, it is opposed to justice: The spoil of the poor is in your house (Isaiah 3:14).

Similarly, they are full of uncleanness regarding gluttony and lust. The soul is made impure by passion. Now, no other passions so weigh down reason as gluttony and lust: Fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you (Ephesians 5:3).

Then He returns to the sound doctrine: Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish. All external purity is from internal purity, as was stated above: If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome (Matthew 6:22). For that reason, He teaches that if a man cleans his heart, then everything will be clean. Hence, He says: Thou blind Pharisee, and so on. Their own malice blinded them . Make clean the inside, because whatever happens externally, as long as it happens from a good will, is all good: With all watchfulness keep thy heart (Proverbs 4:23).

Likewise, this can be understood in relation to the understanding of Sacred Scripture: With the bread of life and understanding, she fed him , in which wisdom is given. The bread of wisdom is the word of life. Hence, some men wish to honor the word outwardly but do not care about its meaning. And these clean what is on the outside.

Woe to you,… because you are like whited sepulchres. Here, He rebukes them in regard to their spiritual sins.

1. First, He makes a comparison.
2. Second, He explains it.

The place where a dead body rests is called a sepulchre. The dead bodies of the Saints are the temples of God, in whom God dwells: The temple of God is holy, which you are (1 Corinthians 3:17). The body is the abode of the soul, and the soul is God’s throne. So just as the body is the abode of the soul, so the soul is the dwelling place of God: The Lord is in his holy temple, and so on (Psalms 10:5). But the body of sin is a sepulchre because it contains something dead, since the soul dies through sin. Therefore, wicked men are called sepulchres: Their throat is an open sepulchre (Psalms 13:3).

In a sepulchre, there is a dead body inside, while sometimes on the outside there is a likeness which apparently seems to be alive: Thou hast the name of being alive. And thou art dead (Revelation 3:1). And, therefore, He says: Which outwardly appear to men beautiful, on account of the ornamentation put on the outside, But within are full of dead men’s bones and of all filthiness, meaning with all rottenness and every uncleanness.

Later, He explains this: So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just (meaning that men judge you to be just), but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. He includes the carnal sins of avarice and gluttony, as was said above, under which vainglory is contained: They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God (John 12:43). Likewise, under iniquity all spiritual sins are included.

Then, when He says, Woe to you, who build the sepulchres of the prophets, He rebukes them concerning their pretense of piety.

1. First, He points out their pretense.
2. Second, He points out their cruelty, where He says, Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, and so on.

Likewise, they pretend in two ways: by deeds and by words. Hence:

1. He first rebukes them concerning their deeds.
2. He then rebukes them concerning their words (the second part is where He says, And say: If we had been, and so on).

He says, therefore, Woe to you, who build the sepulchres of the prophets.

But what is this? Were they doing something bad? Do we not do this suitably, we who put the bodies of the Saints in silver and gold containers? Some say that they are not rebuked for their deed, but for their intention, because their intention was wicked. For they were doing this so that the memory of their fathers’ crimes might be brought back to men’s minds; hence, they wanted the audacity of their parents, who dared to kill the prophets, to be in the memory of all. But this explanation is not consistent with the text.

Therefore, it should be said otherwise: that they were not being rebuked on this account, but because they only did this to outwardly show signs of piety, as it was said above that they were tithing mint and cummin.

Moreover, You adorn the monuments of the just. They were adorning the monuments and, nevertheless, had the intention of killing on account of their pretense. “It is similar,” says Chrysostom, “in our times: if someone does many good things—for example, he may adorn the sepulchres, he may have an open hand and similar things—but if he builds with stones and seeks after vainglory, he neither walks in the ways of the Lord, nor does it benefit him.”

Again, they were showing piety in their words: And say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. It is common that in the doings of others, all are severe judges. Hence, if we see someone sinning, we judge it to be a big sin but we lessen our own sins. For that reason, these children knew their fathers’ malice, but not their own: Cast out first the beam out of thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye (Matthew 7:5).

Then He points out their cruelty.

1. First, He does so in general.
2. Second, He does so in particular, declaring their punishment during the time of this world, where He says, Behold I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes.

About the first part (their general cruelty):

1. He begins by describing their origin.
2. He describes their imitation of their wicked fathers.
3. He threatens their punishment.

He says: Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets.

But of what were they guilty, since it was not in their power? For that reason, it seems that the guilt ought not to be attributed to them. Note that sometimes a son does not imitate his father’s sins, but sometimes he does imitate his father’s wickedness. If he does not follow his father’s wickedness, it is not imputed to him. Sometimes, it happens that someone has a good father and a bad mother, or vice versa, and he follows the goodness of his father or of his mother. But if both are wicked, it rarely happens that he does not imitate their malice. The reason is that children of wicked parents are accustomed to evil deeds from the beginning; and to what they are accustomed in their youth, they adhere more strongly, and for that reason are more inclined to evil.

Likewise, wicked parents, when they see their children do something bad, do not correct them. This is why their sins are made worse, such that the sins of parents pass on to their children: I am the Lord thy God, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children. For that reason, He says, That you are the sons of those, you who have their malice: Their children wicked . Hence, you are their children by imitation, and this is what follows: Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

This is not imperative but declarative: Fill ye up means ‘you will fill,’ as if someone were speaking; that is to say, ‘you will kill me,’ like That which thou dost, do quickly (John 13:27). Or it can be permissive speech, meaning ‘I will not stop you.’ That is, ‘Sometimes you wanted to kill me, but I did not permit it; but in the future, I will not stop you.’ Hence, Fill ye up the measure of your fathers.

But what does He mean when He says, Fill ye up? One should be aware that everything that occurs happens by God’s sure judgment. But in that judgment of God, punishment is not immediately imposed until the guilt has completely increased and reached its height. Hence, in regard to God’s judgment, their guilt was not yet filled up. They killed the prophets, and their guilt was not yet filled up, but in killing Me it will be filled. Therefore, fill ye up the measure of your fathers. In measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, thou shalt judge it (Isaiah 27:8).

Or, Fill ye up can be understood otherwise: Your fathers sinned, but you yourselves fill them up. It is then that someone ‘fills up’ when he reaches the same measure as his fathers. Thus, your fathers killed the prophets, and you yourselves fill them up. Or it can be said that they sinned by killing the servants of God; these men, however, sinned by killing the Son of God. Hence, they filled up the iniquity of their fathers.

But the Lord offered Himself up voluntarily and did not stand in the way. Likewise, He did not reproach them for their sin against Himself, but only for their sins against others, because it is proper for a good pastor to consider an injury to others as being done to himself.

Then He adds about the punishment, You serpents, generation of vipers, and so on. And it seems that He speaks appropriately about their guilt. A serpent is a poisonous animal and kills by its poison; so these men are called serpents because they killed the prophets. Concerning vipers, it is said that they die when they give birth, as the offspring gnaws upon its mother’s womb. So, since they themselves are evil, they were blaming their fathers. Hence, you being such, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? You escape punishment according to men’s judgment, but according to God’s judgment, how will you escape it? Therefore, one should have a clean heart. Flee then from the face of the sword (Job 19:29).