A long condemnation of the religious leaders of the time, honoring the righteous when dead.
Matthew 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Matthew 23:31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
Therefore you testify for yourselves that you are the sons of those killing the prophets.
Like father, like son.
This is a punchline based on the play of words on "blood" in the previous verse inferring both murder and kinship. This seems to be a simple accusation, but the Greek, with the appropriate pause and the first clause, is much lighter. In Judaic law, the sons were responsible for their father's debts.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "witnesses" is not a noun, but an active verb, "testify."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "which" doesn't exist in the source.
- UW - Untranslated Word -- The word "prophets" means "shining light" or "oracle." It is the untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who" doesn't exist in the source.
- UW - Untranslated Word -- The word "prophets" means "shining light" or "oracle." It is the untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
Wherefore - "Wherefore" is from an adverb that marks the power or virtue by which one does a thing. At the beginning of a sentence, it marks a strong conclusion.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
be - -- This helping verb indicates the present tense of the verb.
witnesses - (WF) "Witnesses" is from the Greek verb that means "to give testimony" and "to bear witness." It has the sense of being true testimony. It is the verb form of the Greek word for "testimony" and "proof," which is the source of our word "martyr," and its funny spelling.
unto -- This word "unto" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
yourselves, - The humor of this line is in the "yourselves" here. It is the reflexive pronoun (yourself, myself, etc.) for emphasis in the form that is usually an indirect object ("testify to yourselves") but also for the benefit of, "for yourselves."
that - The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
are - The verb "are" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
children - The word translated as "children" primarily means "sons." It refers to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those that follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
which -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "which" in the Greek source. It was added because the previous verb was translated as active rather than a participle.
killed - "Killed" is from the Greek verb for "murder," and killing a way the stains the murder with blood. It is in the form of an adjective used as a noun, "the ones who killed."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
prophets. - (UW) The Greek word translated as "prophets" means "one who speaks for God," "interpreter" and was the highest level of priesthood in Egypt. Christ uses it to refer not only to divine spokepeople, but their books in the OT. It is from the verb that means "to shine before."
So - "So" is from an adverb that marks the power or virtue by which one does a thing. At the beginning of a sentence, it marks a strong conclusion.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
testify - "Testify " is from the Greek verb that means "to give testimony" and "to bear witness." It has the sense of being true testimony. It is the verb form of the Greek word for "testimony" and "proof," which is the source of our word "martyr," and its funny spelling.
against -- This word "against" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object. However, the translator can choose other prepositions: "with," "in," "of," "as," "by," "for," "at," or "on" depending on the context. The case can indicate a "with" for instruments, an "in" for locations, an "as" for purposes, an "about" (or "for" or "against") indicating interest, an "of" for possession, a "by" for agents, an "as" for comparisons, "at" or "on" a time, and an "in" for area of effect. -
yourselves, - The humor of this line is in the "yourselves" here. It is the reflexive pronoun (yourself, myself, etc.) for emphasis in the form that is usually an indirect object ("testify to yourselves") but also for the benefit of, "for yourselves."
that - The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
are - The verb "are" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
descendants - The word translated as "children" primarily means "sons." It refers to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those that follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
those -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
who -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "which" in the Greek source. It was added because the previous verb was translated as active rather than a participle.
murdered - "Murdered" is from the Greek verb for "murder," and killing a way the stains the murder with blood. It is in the form of an adjective used as a noun, "the ones who killed."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
prophets. - (UW) The Greek word translated as "prophets" means "one who speaks for God," "interpreter" and was the highest level of priesthood in Egypt. Christ uses it to refer not only to divine spokepeople, but their books in the OT. It is from the verb that means "to shine before."
ὥστε [9 verses](adv/conj) "Wherefore" is from hoste, which marks the power or virtue by which one does a thing, "as being," "inasmuch as," expresses the actual or intended result of the action in the principal clause: "as," "for," implying " on condition that," at the beginning of a sentence, to mark a strong conclusion, "and so," "therefore," and with subj. " in order that."
μαρτυρεῖτε [16 verses](verb 2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye be witness" is martyreo, which means "to bear witness," "to give evidence," "give a good report," "testify to," and "acknowledge the value of." It is the basis for our word "martyr."
ἑαυτοῖς [75 verses](adj pl masc dat) "Yourselves" is heautou, is a reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," "itself" "themselves," and "ourselves." It is an alternative to autos.
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is from hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
υἱοί [158 verses](noun pl masc nom) "The children" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child."
ἐστε .[614 verses](verb 2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye are" is from eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible." (The future form is esomai. The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.")
τῶν [821 verses](article pl masc gen) "Of them which" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
φονευσάντων (part pl aor act masc gen) "Killed" is phoneuō, which means "to kill," "to murder," "to be slain [passive], and "to stain with blood."
τοὺς [821 verses](article pl masc acc) "Of them which" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
προφήτας. [37 verses](noun pl masc acc) "The prophets" is prophetes, which means "one who speaks for a god and interprets his will," "interpreter," "keepers of the oracle," "the highest level of priesthood in Egypt," "interpreter," and "herald." It is a verb that means "to shine forth" It is a form of the verb, prophao. which means "to shine forth," or "to shine before."
"And so..." he started, as if coming to a conclusion in court. "You are testifying...for your own benefit."
He paused as if they were going to agree.
"That," he continued, "that you are children."
He paused and his opponents protested.
"Of those who murdered the prophets," he finished innocently with a shrug.
The crowd laughed.