KJV: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
YLT: 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness;
Darby: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
ASV: 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.
Οὐαὶ | Woe |
Parse: Interjection Root: οὐαί Sense: alas, woe. |
|
ὑμῖν | to you |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you. |
|
γραμματεῖς | scribes |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural Root: γραμματεύς Sense: a clerk, scribe, esp. |
|
Φαρισαῖοι | Pharisees |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural Root: Φαρισαῖος Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. |
|
ὑποκριταί | hypocrites |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural Root: ὑποκριτής Sense: one who answers, an interpreter. |
|
παρομοιάζετε | you are like |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: παρομοιάζω Sense: to be like. |
|
τάφοις | tombs |
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural Root: τάφος Sense: burial. |
|
κεκονιαμένοις | having been whitewashed |
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Dative Masculine Plural Root: κονιάω Sense: to cover with lime, plaster over, whitewash. |
|
ἔξωθεν | outwardly |
Parse: Adverb Root: ἔξωθεν Sense: from without, outward. |
|
μὲν | indeed |
Parse: Conjunction Root: μέν Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed. |
|
φαίνονται | appear |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural Root: φαίνω Sense: to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light. |
|
ὡραῖοι | beautiful |
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: ὡραῖος Sense: blooming, beautiful (used of the human body). |
|
ἔσωθεν | Inside |
Parse: Adverb Root: ἔσωθεν Sense: from within. |
|
δὲ | however |
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc. |
|
γέμουσιν | they are full |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: γέμω Sense: to be full, filled, full. |
|
ὀστέων | of bones |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: ὀστέον Sense: a bone. |
|
νεκρῶν | of [the] dead |
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: νεκρός Sense: properly. |
|
πάσης | of all |
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: πᾶς Sense: individually. |
|
ἀκαθαρσίας | impurity |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: ἀκαθαρσία Sense: uncleanness. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 23:27
The perfect passive participle is from κονιαω koniaō and that from κονια konia dust or lime. Whitened with powdered lime dust, the sepulchres of the poor in the fields or the roadside. Not the rock-hewn tombs of the well-to-do. These were whitewashed a month before the passover that travellers might see them and so avoid being defiled by touching them (Numbers 19:16). In Acts 23:3 Paul called the high priest a whited wall. When Jesus spoke the sepulchres had been freshly whitewashed. We today speak of whitewashing moral evil. [source]
Not the rock-tombs, belonging mostly to the rich, but the graves covered with plastered structures. In general, cemeteries were outside of cities; but any dead body found in the field was to be buried on the spot where it had been discovered. A pilgrim to the Passover, for instance, might easily come upon such a grave in his journey, and contract uncleanness by the contact (Numbers 19:16). It was therefore ordered that all sepulchres should be whitewashed a month before Passover, in order to make them conspicuous, so that travellers might avoid ceremonial defilement. The fact that this general whitewashing was going on at the time when Jesus administered this rebuke to the Pharisees gave point to the comparison. The word νιαμένοις (whitened, from κόνις , dust ) carries the idea of whitening with a powder, as powdered lime. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 23:27
This terrible word of Jesus appears first from him in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:2, Matthew 6:5, Matthew 6:16; Matthew 7:5), then in Matthew 15:7 and Matthew 22:18. Here it appears “with terrific iteration” (Bruce) save in the third of the seven woes (Matthew 23:13, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:23, Matthew 23:25, Matthew 23:27, Matthew 23:29). The verb in the active The MSS. that insert it put it either before Matthew 23:13 or after Matthew 23:13. Plummer cites these seven woes as another example of Matthew‘s fondness for the number seven, more fancy than fact for Matthew‘s Gospel is not the Apocalypse of John. These are all illustrations of Pharisaic saying and not doing (Allen). [source]
The participle, and without the article; and therefore better, as they walk; walk about ( περί ) on their daily business. In Matthew the sepulchres are whitened, that men may see them and avoid ceremonial defilement. Here they are not seen, and men walking on them are unconsciously defiled. See on Matthew 23:27. [source]
These hidden graves would give ceremonial defilement for seven days (Numbers 19:16). Hence they were usually whitewashed as a warning. So in Matthew 23:27 the Pharisees are called “whited sepulchres.” Men do not know how rotten they are. The word αδηλος adēlos (α a privative and δηλος dēlos apparent or plain) occurs in the N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 14:8, though an old and common word. [source]
Compare Matthew 23:27. [source]
Perfect passive participle of κονιαω koniaō (from κονια konia dust or lime). The same word used in Matthew 23:27 for “whited sepulchres” (ταποι κεκονιαμενοι taphoi kekoniamenoi) which see. It is a picturesque way of calling Ananias a hypocrite, undoubtedly true, but not a particularly tactful thing for a prisoner to say to his judge, not to say Jewish high priest. Besides, Paul had hurled back at him the word τυπτειν tuptein (smite) in his command, putting it first in the sentence (τυπτειν σε μελλει ο τεος tuptein se mellei ho theos) in strong emphasis. Clearly Paul felt that he, not Ananias, was living as a good citizen in God‘s commonwealth. [source]
From ὥρα thetime of full bloom or development. Hence the radical idea of the word includes both blooming maturity and vigor. Appropriate here to the swift, vigorous feet. Plato (“Republic,” x. 601) distinguishes between faces that are beautiful ( καλῶν ) and blooming ( ὡραίων ) In Genesis 2:9(Sept.) of the trees of Eden. Compare Matthew 23:27; Acts 3:2, Acts 3:10. [source]
Ἀκαθαρσία in Matthew 23:27of the corruption of the sepulchre. Elsewhere in N.T. of sensual impurity. See Romans 1:24; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 4:19. Here in the sense of impurity on the side of sordidness. In Ephesians 4:19, Paul speaks of working uncleanness ( ἀκαθαρσίαν ) in a spirit of selfish desire ( πλεονεξία ) which is the spirit of covetousness. In Ephesians 5:3, uncleanness and covetousness are closely associated. Paul means that his exhortation did not proceed from greed for gain or lust for power. [source]
Present active participle of τελευταω teleutaō to finish or close (Matthew 2:19), “finishing his life.” Of the departure Late compound for way out, exit as here, metaphorically of death as here (Luke 9:31; 2 Peter 1:15). Concerning his bones Uncontracted form as in Matthew 23:27. [source]