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Lexham English Bible

Matthew 23:17

Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Hypocrisy;   Pharisees;   Satire;   Teachers;   Temple;   The Topic Concordance - Blindness;   Guidance;   Hypocrisy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fools;   Hypocrites;   Oaths;   Pharisees, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Holiness;   Hypocrisy;   Matthew, gospel of;   Pharisees;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Blindness;   Ethics;   Fool, Foolishness, Folly;   Hypocrisy;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Supralapsarians;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Scribes;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Blindness;   Fool, Foolishness, and Folly;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Oaths;   Salutation;   Sanctification;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hypocrite;   Judas Iscariot;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Scribes;   Sin;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Anger (2);   Children of God;   Claim;   Common Life;   Courage;   Discourse;   Error;   Fool (2);   Foolishness;   Gold;   Judgment;   Law of God;   Mental Characteristics;   Nationality;   Oath;   Organization (2);   Paradox;   Profaning, Profanity;   Questions and Answers;   Reality;   Sabbath ;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Self-Control;   Teaching of Jesus;   Temple (2);   Woe;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Blindness;   Oath;   Scribes;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pharisee;   Scribe;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Fool;   Pharisees;   Scribe;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Oath,;   Scribes;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gold;   Vow;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Debt;   Fool;   Gold;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Sanctification;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hypocrisy;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
King James Version (1611)
Ye fooles and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold?
King James Version
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
English Standard Version
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
New American Standard Bible
"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
New Century Version
You are blind fools! Which is greater: the gold or the Temple that makes that gold holy?
Amplified Bible
"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
Legacy Standard Bible
You fools and blind men! For which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold?
Berean Standard Bible
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Contemporary English Version
You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
Complete Jewish Bible
You blind fools! Which is more important? the gold? or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
Darby Translation
Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
Easy-to-Read Version
You are blind fools! Can't you see that the Temple is greater than the gold on it? It's the Temple that makes the gold holy!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye fooles and blinde, whether is greater, the golde, or the Temple that sanctifieth the golde?
George Lamsa Translation
O you fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
Good News Translation
Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
Literal Translation
Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold, or the Holy Place that sanctifies the gold?
American Standard Version
Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?
Bible in Basic English
You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
Hebrew Names Version
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
International Standard Version
You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy?Exodus 30:29;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
You senseless and blind ! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Murdock Translation
Ye fools, and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye fooles and blynde. For whether is greater, the golde, or the temple that sanctifieth the golde?
English Revised Version
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?
World English Bible
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Ye fools and blind: for which is greater? The gold? Or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Weymouth's New Testament
"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ye foolis and blynde, for what is grettere, the gold, or the temple that halewith the gold?
Update Bible Version
You fools and blind men: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that has sanctified the gold?
Webster's Bible Translation
[Ye] fools, and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
New English Translation
Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
New King James Version
Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies [fn] the gold?
New Living Translation
Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?
New Life Bible
You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the house of God that makes the gold holy?
New Revised Standard
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Foolish and blind! for which is, greater, The gold, or the Temple that hath hallowed the gold?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Revised Standard Version
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye foles and blinde? whether is greater the golde or the teple that sanctifieth ye golde.
Young's Literal Translation
Fools and blind! for which [is] greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ye fooles and blynde, whether is greater? the golde, or the teple that sanctifieth the golde?
Mace New Testament (1729)
ye blind fools, which is most sacred, the treasure of the temple, or the temple that makes the treasure sacred?
Simplified Cowboy Version
You blind idiots! Which is more important: the gift, or the means by which the gift is made?

Contextual Overview

13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are! "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.' Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.' Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary to do these things while not neglecting those. Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean! In the same way, on the outside you also appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 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!' Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets! And you—fill up the measure of your fathers! Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation to hell? For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation! "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her young together under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house has been left to you desolate! For I tell you, you will never see me from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'" 14Seven Woes Pronounced on the Scribes and Pharisees Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as they do, for they tell others to do something and do not do it themselves. And they tie up heavy burdens and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing with their finger to move them. And they do all their deeds in order to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries broad and make their tassels long. And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi' by people. But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,' because one is your teacher, and you are all brothers, And do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your heavenly Father. And do not be called teachers, because one is your teacher, the Christ. And the greatest among you will be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in to enter. 15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are! 16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.' 17 Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.' 19 Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? 20 Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. 21 And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ye fools: Psalms 94:8

or: Matthew 23:19, Exodus 30:26-29, Numbers 16:38, Numbers 16:39

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:37 - it shall be an Exodus 30:29 - whatsoever Leviticus 21:18 - a blind man Psalms 53:4 - Have Ezekiel 44:19 - sanctify Zechariah 11:15 - a foolish Matthew 12:6 - General Matthew 23:16 - ye blind Luke 11:40 - fools

Cross-References

Genesis 23:7
And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites.
Genesis 23:10
Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city, and said,
Genesis 23:14
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
Genesis 23:20
And the field and the cave which was in it passed to Abraham as a burial site from the Hittites.
Genesis 25:9
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, that was east of Mamre,
Genesis 50:13
And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite before Mamre.
Psalms 112:5
It goes well for a man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his business properly.
Matthew 10:16
"Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Acts 7:16
And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Ephesians 5:15
Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ye fools, and blind,.... That argue after so ridiculous a manner, that make use of such thin sophistry, that everybody may see through it; who must be stupid and sottish to the last degree, and their minds foolishly blinded with avarice; as to please and satisfy themselves: with so poor a distinction; that would by no means serve them, but make against them:

for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? The temple, to be sure: for that was the seat of the divine majesty; built for him to dwell in, and in which he took up his residence; and was dedicated to his service, and in it was divine worship performed unto him. The temple was sanctified by the presence of God in it; and the gold sanctified by the temple, being devoted to the service of it: whatever holiness it had, it had it from the temple, and therefore the temple must be greater than that; and consequently it must be most extravagantly ridiculous and foolish in them, to make oaths by the gold of the temple, and gifts dedicated to its service, and on that score sanctified by it, more binding and sacred than such as were by the temple itself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The temple that sanctifieth the gold - To sanctify is to make holy. The gold had no holiness but what it derived from the temple. If in any other place, it would be no more holy than any other gold. It was foolish, then, to suppose that that was more holy than the temple, from which it received all the sanctity which it possessed.


 
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