Devine Scripture

Matthew 23:28

What does Matthew 23:28 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 23:28 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 23:28 means

Jesus explicitly interprets the metaphor of the whitewashed sepulchres, stating that the scribes and Pharisees outwardly appear righteous to others. However, behind this deceptive facade, their inner lives are consumed by hypocrisy and lawlessness. This verse unveils their true spiritual condition, revealing that their entire religious performance is a sham, driven by a desire for human approval rather than genuine devotion to God. Their external piety is a calculated deception, not true godliness.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just: but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Context

This verse explicitly states the meaning of the whitewashed sepulchre metaphor from the previous verse. It acts as a direct interpretation, leaving no room for misunderstanding their outward display of righteousness versus their inward reality of hypocrisy and iniquity. This clear articulation of their spiritual state then sets the direct opposition, serving as an introduction to Jesus' final, sweeping condemnation involving their ancestral guilt and impending judgment in the subsequent lengthy woe.

v.27Woe 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.

v.28This passage

v.29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Matthew 15:19

    For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:

  • Matthew 23:5

    But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

  • Hebrews 4:12

    For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.

  • Matthew 12:34

    Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

  • Mark 7:21

    For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,

  • 1 Samuel 16:7

    But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.

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