Discovery BoxMatthew 23:30-36 
Context23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, 1 we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 2
23:34 “For this reason I 3 am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, 4 some of whom you will kill and crucify, 5 and some you will flog 6 in your synagogues 7 and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, 8 whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, 9 this generation will be held responsible for all these things! 10
1 tn Grk “fathers” (so also in v. 32).
2 tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.”
sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
3 tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
4 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
5 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
6 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
7 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
8 sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
9 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
10 tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”
