The Meaning of Matthew 23:37 Explained

Matthew 23:37

KJV: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

YLT: 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that art killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto thee, how often did I will to gather thy children together, as a hen doth gather her own chickens under the wings, and ye did not will.

Darby: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

ASV: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  [thou] that killest  the prophets,  and  stonest  them which are sent  unto  thee,  how often  would I  have gathered  thy  children  together,  even as  a hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  [her] wings,  and  ye would  not! 

What does Matthew 23:37 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jerusalem was the city of David and the city of peace. It was the city God had chosen to reveal Himself to Israel through the temple and as the capital of His kingdom on earth. However it (personified) had killed the prophets God had sent to His people with His messages. Stoning was the penalty for the worst crimes in Israel, including false prophecy. The people had used this form of execution on those who faithfully brought God"s Word to them. Jesus" words recall His ancestor David"s sorrow over the death of his son Absalom ( 2 Samuel 18:33; 2 Samuel 19:4). The repetition of "Jerusalem" reveals the strong emotion that Jesus felt (cf. Luke 10:41; Acts 9:4).
Many times during His ministry Jesus had sought to gather and shelter Jerusalem, used here by synecdoche to represent the whole nation. Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which one part stands for the whole or the whole stands for one of its parts. He wanted the people to take refuge in Him as chicks do under their mother hen physically and as God"s people had done under God"s care spiritually (cf. Deuteronomy 32:11; Psalm 17:8; Psalm 36:7; Psalm 91:4; Jeremiah 48:40). In spite of God"s loving initiatives Israel had willfully rejected Him repeatedly. Jesus" identification with God is very clear in this verse (cf. Ezekiel 18:32). Jeremiah prefigured Jesus as he sadly described Jerusalem"s destruction by the Babylonians in the Book of Lamentations.

Context Summary

Matthew 23:27-39 - Judgment And Lament
True goodness recognizes and rewards good in the living; while the evil-minded cannot, or will not, believe that the people whom they meet daily are purely and sincerely good. They pride themselves on what they would have done if they had lived in the great days of the past, but they miss the opportunities which are always ready to hand. In this they judge and condemn themselves.
How sad is this lament over Jerusalem! The yearning love which longed to intercept her descending judgment, as the hen the stroke of danger which menaces her brood, was about to be withdrawn. After striving His best to save them, the world's Redeemer was abandoning His people to the results of their sin, until the time spoken of in Zechariah 14:1-4. Oh my soul, see that thou art hidden under those wings, until all calamities are overpast and the day has broken! [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 23

1  Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5  His disciples must beware of their ambition
13  He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness,
34  and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem

Greek Commentary for Matthew 23:37

How often would I have gathered [ποσακις ητελησα επισυναγειν]
More exactly, how often did I long to gather to myself (double compound infinitive). The same verb (επισυναγει — episunagei) is used of the hen with the compound preposition υποκατω — hupokatō Everyone has seen the hen quickly get together the chicks under her wings in the time of danger. These words naturally suggest previous visits to Jerusalem made plain by John‘s Gospel. [source]
Hen [ὄρνις]
Generic: bird or fowl; but hen is used generically of the mother-bird of all species. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 23:37

Luke 9:58 Birds [πετεινὰ]
Strictly, flying fowl. The common word for bird in the New Testament. Ὄρνις , occurs Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; but both times in the sense of hen. See on Matthew 23:37. Ὄρνεον is found in Revelation 18:2; Revelation 19:17, Revelation 19:21; and πτηνόν , another form for the word in this passage, occurs 1 Corinthians 15:30. [source]
Luke 13:34 Hen []
See on Matthew 23:37. [source]
Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem [Ιερουσαλημ Ιερουσαλημ]
In Matthew 23:37. Jesus utters a similar lament over Jerusalem. The connection suits both there and here, but Plummer considers it “rather a violent hypothesis” to suppose that Jesus spoke these words twice. It is possible, of course, though not like Luke‘s usual method, that he put the words here because of the mention of Jerusalem. In itself it is not easy to see why Jesus could not have made the lament both here and in Jerusalem. The language of the apostrophe is almost identical in both places (Luke 13:34.; Matthew 23:37-39). For details see on Matthew. In Luke we have επισυναγαγειν — episunaxai (late first aorist active infinitive) and in Matthew επισυναγω — episunagagein (second aorist active infinitive), both from ποσακις ητελησα — episunagō a double compound of late Greek (Polybius). Both have “How often would I” How often did I wish. Clearly showing that Jesus made repeated visits to Jerusalem as we know otherwise only from John‘s Gospel. [source]
Luke 13:34 Even as [νοσσιαν]
Accusative of general reference and in Matthew 23:37 also. Incorporation of antecedent into the relative clause.Brood (νοσσια — nossian) is in Luke while Matthew has chickens (νεοσσια — nossia), both late forms for the older ερημος — neossia The adjective desolate (erēmos) is wanting in Luke 13:35 and is doubtful in Matthew 23:39. [source]
John 5:40 And ye will not come to me [και ου τελετε ελτειν προς με]
“And yet” See John 1:11; Matthew 23:37 Men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19). That ye may have life Life in its simplest form as in John 3:36 (cf. John 3:16). This is the purpose of John in writing the Fourth Gospel (John 20:31). There is life only in Christ Jesus. [source]
2 Timothy 3:8 As [ὃν τρόπον]
The formula occurs in the Synoptic Gospels (see Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34), and in Acts (Acts 1:11; Acts 7:28), but not in Paul. Jannes and Jambres. According to tradition, the names of the chiefs of the magicians who opposed Moses. Exodus 7:11, Exodus 7:22. [source]
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness [ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος]
Τρόπος originally turn or direction. Hence ways manner, fashion; way or manner of life. In this sense N.T.oElsewhere often in the phrase ὅν τρόπον or καθ ' ὅν τρόπον inor according to the way in which. See Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; Acts 1:11; Acts 15:11; Acts 27:25. The meaning here is character or moral disposition. Ἁφιλάργυρος withoutcovetousness, only here and 1 Timothy 3:3, see note. [source]
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned [ἐλιθάσθησαν]
A characteristic Jewish punishment. See 2 Chronicles 24:20; Matthew 23:37; John 10:31; Acts 5:26; Acts 7:59; Acts 14:19. The verb λιθοβολεῖν is also used in Matthew, Luke, and Acts, and once in this epistle, Hebrews 12:20. [source]
Revelation 2:21 That she should repent [ινα μετανοησηι]
Sub-final use of ινα — hina with first aorist active subjunctive of μετανοεω — metanoeō she willeth not “And she is not willing.” Blunt and final like Matthew 23:37.To repent of (μετανοησαι εκ — metanoēsai ek). First aorist (ingressive) active infinitive with εκ — ek “to make a change out of,” the usual construction with μετανοεω — metanoeō in this book (Revelation 2:22; Revelation 9:20.; Revelation 16:11), with απο — apo in Acts 8:22. Πορνεια — Porneia (fornication) here, but μοιχευω — moicheuō (to commit adultery) in Revelation 2:22. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 23:37 mean?

Jerusalem Jerusalem - killing the prophets and stoning those having been sent to her How often would I have gathered together the children of you in which way a hen gathers together chicks of her under the wings not you were willing
Ἰερουσαλὴμ Ἰερουσαλήμ ἀποκτείνουσα τοὺς προφήτας καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτήν ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις ἐπισυνάγει νοσσία αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας οὐκ ἠθελήσατε

Ἰερουσαλὴμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
Ἰερουσαλήμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
  - 
Parse: Article, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀποκτείνουσα  killing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀποκτείνω 
Sense: to kill in any way whatever.
προφήτας  prophets 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
λιθοβολοῦσα  stoning 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root: λιθοβολέω  
Sense: to kill by stoning, to stone.
τοὺς  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀπεσταλμένους  having  been  sent 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀποστέλλω 
Sense: to order (one) to go to a place appointed.
αὐτήν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ποσάκις  How  often 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ποσάκις  
Sense: how often.
ἠθέλησα  would  I 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
ἐπισυναγαγεῖν  have  gathered  together 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἐπισυνάγω  
Sense: to gather together besides, to bring together to others already assembled.
τέκνα  children 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τέκνον  
Sense: offspring, children.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὃν  in  which 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
τρόπον  way 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τρόπος  
Sense: a manner, way, fashion.
ὄρνις  a  hen 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ὄρινξ 
Sense: a bird.
ἐπισυνάγει  gathers  together 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπισυνάγω  
Sense: to gather together besides, to bring together to others already assembled.
νοσσία  chicks 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: νοσσίον  
Sense: a brood of birds.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὑπὸ  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπό  
Sense: by, under.
πτέρυγας  wings 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: πτέρυξ  
Sense: a wing: of birds.
ἠθελήσατε  you  were  willing 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.