Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

English Standard Version

Matthew 23:30

saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Hypocrisy;   Pharisees;   Satire;   Self-Righteousness;   Teachers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Self-Righteousness;   The Topic Concordance - Hypocrisy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Pharisees, the;   Self-Righteousness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hypocrisy;   Matthew, gospel of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Hypocrisy;   Kill, Killing;   Persecution;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Supralapsarians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Father;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Matthew, the Gospel of;   Salutation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hypocrite;   Judas Iscariot;   Scribes;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Blood ;   Children of God;   Claim;   Common Life;   Courage;   Discourse;   Error;   Fathers;   Judgment;   Law of God;   Man (2);   Mental Characteristics;   Old Testament (I. Christ as Fulfilment of);   Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   Paradox;   Quotations (2);   Reality;   Sabbath ;   Sacrifice (2);   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Self-Control;   Woe;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Scribes;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pharisee;   Scribe;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Father;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Day;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hypocrisy;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
King James Version (1611)
And say, If wee had beene in the dayes of our fathers, wee would not haue bene partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets.
King James Version
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.
New American Standard Bible
and you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
New Century Version
You say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped them kill the prophets.'
Amplified Bible
and you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
Legacy Standard Bible
and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
Berean Standard Bible
And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
Contemporary English Version
And you claim that you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets.
Complete Jewish Bible
and you say, ‘Had we lived when our fathers did, we would never have taken part in killing the prophets.'
Darby Translation
and ye 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.
Easy-to-Read Version
And you say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped them kill these prophets.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
And say, If we had bene in the dayes of our fathers, we would not haue bene partners with them in the blood of the Prophets.
George Lamsa Translation
And you say, If we had been living in the days of our forefathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Good News Translation
and you claim that if you had lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have done what they did and killed the prophets.
Lexham English Bible
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets!'
Literal Translation
And you 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.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets.
Hebrew Names Version
and say, 'If we had been in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'
International Standard Version
Then you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in sheddingshedding">[fn] the blood of the prophets.'
Etheridge Translation
If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been with them partakers in the blood of the prophets:
Murdock Translation
and ye say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been participators with them in the blood of the prophets.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And say, yf we had ben in the dayes of our fathers, we woulde not haue ben parteners with them in the blood of the prophetes.
English Revised Version
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.
World English Bible
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.'
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
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.
Weymouth's New Testament
and your boast is, "`If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seien, If we hadden be in the daies of oure fadris, we schulden not haue be her felowis in the blood of prophetis.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
New King James Version
and say, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'
New Living Translation
Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.'
New Life Bible
You say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our early fathers, we would not have helped kill the early preachers.'
New Revised Standard
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and say - If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets:
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and saye: Yf we had bene in the dayes of oure fathers we wolde not have bene parteners with them in the bloud of the Prophetes.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and saye: Yf we had bene in oure fathers tyme, we wolde not haue bene partakers with them in the bloude of the prophetes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and say, if we had liv'd in the time of our forefathers, we would not have been accessory with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.
Simplified Cowboy Version
You say, 'If we lived way back then, we wouldn't have been a part of the posse that murdered these great people!'

Contextual Overview

13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 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. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" 14Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. 16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the blood: Matthew 23:34, Matthew 23:35, Matthew 21:35, Matthew 21:36, 2 Chronicles 36:15, Jeremiah 2:30

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 21:16 - Manasseh 2 Chronicles 29:6 - For our fathers Ezra 9:7 - Since the days Psalms 37:14 - slay Psalms 50:18 - partaker Psalms 72:14 - precious Ecclesiastes 1:10 - it hath Jeremiah 26:15 - ye shall Zechariah 1:2 - Lord Matthew 23:37 - thou Matthew 27:25 - His Luke 20:11 - entreated Revelation 16:6 - they have Revelation 18:4 - partakers

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And say, if we had been in the days of our fathers,.... Their ancestors and predecessors: signifying, that if they had lived in the times they did, or had been in the same post and office with them, they should have opposed, at least not consented to their measures:

we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets; would not have joined them in persecuting the prophets, and in shedding their blood, and putting them to death; but would have received them as the prophets of the Lord, have hearkened to their advice and message, and have honoured and obeyed them as such; and this they thought they sufficiently declared, by building and adorning their tombs.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And say ... - This they professed to say by rebuilding their tombs. They also, probably, publicly expressed their disapprobation of the conduct of their fathers. All this, in building and ornamenting tombs, was a profession of extraordinary piety. Our Lord showed them it was mere pretence.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 30. We would not have been partakers — They imagined themselves much better than their ancestors; but our Lord, who knew what they would do, uncovers their hearts, and shows them that they are about to be more abundantly vile than all who had ever preceded them.


 
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