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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men`s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Verse Takeaways
1
A Painted Warning Sign
Multiple commentators explain the historical practice of whitewashing tombs before Passover. This was not for beautification but to serve as a stark warning for travelers to avoid them and the ritual uncleanness they represented. Jesus' comparison was a sharp insult: the Pharisees' outward piety was like this whitewash, a warning sign of the spiritual death and corruption they contained.
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Matthew
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9
18th Century
Presbyterian
Like unto whited sepulchres. For the construction of sepulchres, see Barnes on Matthew 8:28.
Those tombs were annually whitewashed …
Whited sepulchre (ταφοις κεκονιαμενοις). The perfect passive participle is from κονιαω and that from κονια, dust or lime. Whitened…
19th Century
Anglican
You are like whitewashed tombs — Contact with a tomb resulted in ceremonial uncleanness. For this reason, all burial places were w…
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Baptist
The reason given for the seventh “woe” reveals what the scribes and Pharisees really were like in Christ’s sight: Ye are like unto whited sepul…
During the month of Adar, just before Passover, it was customary to whitewash with lime graves or gravesites that might not be instantly identified…
16th Century
Protestant
You are like whitened sepulchers. This is a different metaphor, but the meaning is the same. For He compares them to sepulchers, …
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites It is much these men could bear to hear themselves so often called by this name; …
The scribes and Pharisees were enemies of the gospel of Christ, and therefore of the salvation of people's souls. It is bad to keep away from Chris…
13th Century
Catholic
After He instructed the disciples and the multitudes about the caution they should have regarding the Jews' doctrine, He now directs His words to t…
