Discovery BoxMatthew 23:31
Context23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
Matthew 23:34
Context23:34 “For this reason I 1 am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, 2 some of whom you will kill and crucify, 3 and some you will flog 4 in your synagogues 5 and pursue from town to town,
Matthew 23:37
Context23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 6 you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! 7 How often I have longed 8 to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but 9 you would have none of it! 10
[23:34] 1 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).
[23:34] 2 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[23:34] 3 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
[23:34] 4 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.”
[23:34] 5 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[23:37] 6 sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
[23:37] 7 tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).
[23:37] 8 sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
[23:37] 9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
