KJV: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
YLT: Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves.
Darby: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he is become such, ye make him twofold more the son of hell than yourselves.
ASV: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.
Οὐαὶ | Woe |
Parse: Interjection Root: οὐαί Sense: alas, woe. |
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ὑμῖν | to you |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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γραμματεῖς | scribes |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural Root: γραμματεύς Sense: a clerk, scribe, esp. |
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Φαρισαῖοι | Pharisees |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural Root: Φαρισαῖος Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. |
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ὑποκριταί | hypocrites |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural Root: ὑποκριτής Sense: one who answers, an interpreter. |
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περιάγετε | you traverse |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: περιάγω Sense: to lead around, to lead about with one’s self. |
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θάλασσαν | sea |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: θάλασσα Sense: the sea. |
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ξηρὰν | dry [land] |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ξηρός Sense: dry. |
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ποιῆσαι | to make |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active Root: ποιέω Sense: to make. |
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ἕνα | one |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: εἷς Sense: one. |
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προσήλυτον | convert |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: προσήλυτος Sense: a newcomer. |
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γένηται | he has become [so] |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 3rd Person Singular Root: γίνομαι Sense: to become, i. |
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ποιεῖτε | you make |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: ποιέω Sense: to make. |
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υἱὸν | a son |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: υἱός Sense: a son. |
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γεέννης | of hell |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: γέεννα Sense: Hell is the place of the future punishment call “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire”. |
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διπλότερον | twofold more |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular, Comparative Root: διπλόος Sense: twofold, double. |
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ὑμῶν | than yourselves |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 23:15
It is a convert to Pharisaism rather than Judaism that is meant by “one proselyte” The Pharisees claimed to be in a special sense sons of the kingdom (Matthew 8:12). They were more partisan than pious. Διπλους Diplous (twofold, double) is common in the papyri. The comparative here used, as if from διπλος diplos appears also in Appian. Note the ablative of comparison hūmōn It was a withering thrust. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 23:15
This terrible word of Jesus appears first from him in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:2, Matthew 6:5, Matthew 6:16; Matthew 7:5), then in Matthew 15:7 and Matthew 22:18. Here it appears “with terrific iteration” (Bruce) save in the third of the seven woes (Matthew 23:13, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:23, Matthew 23:25, Matthew 23:27, Matthew 23:29). The verb in the active The MSS. that insert it put it either before Matthew 23:13 or after Matthew 23:13. Plummer cites these seven woes as another example of Matthew‘s fondness for the number seven, more fancy than fact for Matthew‘s Gospel is not the Apocalypse of John. These are all illustrations of Pharisaic saying and not doing (Allen). [source]
A favourite Hebrew idiom like “son of hell” (Matthew 23:15), “sons of this age” (Luke 16:8). The Jews felt that they had a natural right to the privileges of the kingdom because of descent from Abraham (Matthew 3:9). But mere natural birth did not bring spiritual sonship as the Baptist had taught before Jesus did. [source]
Certainly they can “understand” It was like a bombshell in spite of the preliminary preparation. Your will to do Present active indicative of τελω thelō and present active infinitive, “Ye wish to go on doing.” This same idea Jesus presents in Matthew 13:38 (the sons of the evil one, the devil) and Matthew 23:15 (twofold more a son of Gehenna than you). See also 1 John 3:8 for “of the devil” He even called them “broods of vipers” as Jesus did later (Matthew 12:34). A murderer Old and rare word (Euripides) from αντρωπος anthrōpos man, and κτεινω kteinō to kill. In N.T. only here and 1 John 3:15. The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus and so like their father the devil. Stood not in the truth Since ουκ ouk not ουχ ouch is genuine, the form of the verb is εστεκεν esteken the imperfect of the late present stem στηκω stēkō (Mark 11:25) from the perfect active εστηκα hestēka (intransitive) of ιστημι histēmi to place. No truth in him Inside him or outside (environment). The devil and truth have no contact. When he speaketh a lie Indefinite temporal clause with οταν hotan and the present active subjunctive of λαλεω laleō But note the article το to “Whenever he speaks the lie,” as he is sure to do because it is his nature. Hence “he speaks out of his own” For he is a liar Old word for the agent in a conscious falsehood See 1 John 1:10; Romans 3:4. Common word in John because of the emphasis on αλητεια alētheia (truth). And the father thereof (και ο πατηρ αυτου kai ho patēr autou). Either the father of the lie or of the liar, both of which are true as already shown by Jesus. Autou in the genitive can be either neuter or masculine. Westcott takes it thus, “because he is a liar and his father (the devil) is a liar,” making “one,” not the devil, the subject of “whenever he speaks,” a very doubtful expression. [source]
Present active indicative of τελω thelō and present active infinitive, “Ye wish to go on doing.” This same idea Jesus presents in Matthew 13:38 (the sons of the evil one, the devil) and Matthew 23:15 (twofold more a son of Gehenna than you). See also 1 John 3:8 for “of the devil” He even called them “broods of vipers” as Jesus did later (Matthew 12:34). A murderer Old and rare word (Euripides) from αντρωπος anthrōpos man, and κτεινω kteinō to kill. In N.T. only here and 1 John 3:15. The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus and so like their father the devil. Stood not in the truth Since ουκ ouk not ουχ ouch is genuine, the form of the verb is εστεκεν esteken the imperfect of the late present stem στηκω stēkō (Mark 11:25) from the perfect active εστηκα hestēka (intransitive) of ιστημι histēmi to place. No truth in him Inside him or outside (environment). The devil and truth have no contact. When he speaketh a lie Indefinite temporal clause with οταν hotan and the present active subjunctive of λαλεω laleō But note the article το to “Whenever he speaks the lie,” as he is sure to do because it is his nature. Hence “he speaks out of his own” For he is a liar Old word for the agent in a conscious falsehood See 1 John 1:10; Romans 3:4. Common word in John because of the emphasis on αλητεια alētheia (truth). And the father thereof (και ο πατηρ αυτου kai ho patēr autou). Either the father of the lie or of the liar, both of which are true as already shown by Jesus. Autou in the genitive can be either neuter or masculine. Westcott takes it thus, “because he is a liar and his father (the devil) is a liar,” making “one,” not the devil, the subject of “whenever he speaks,” a very doubtful expression. [source]
Of the worshipping proselytes described in Acts 13:16, Acts 13:25 as “those who fear God” (cf. Acts 16:14) employed usually of the uncircumcised Gentiles who yet attended the synagogue worship, but the word προσηλυτοι prosēlutoi Yet the rabbis used it also of proselytes of the gate who had not yet become circumcised, probably the idea here. In the N.T. the word occurs only in Matthew 23:15; Acts 2:10; Acts 6:5; Acts 13:43. Many (both Jews and proselytes) followed Imperfect active of peithō either descriptive (were persuading) or conative (were trying to persuade). Paul had great powers of persuasion (Acts 18:4; Acts 19:8, Acts 19:26; Acts 26:28; Acts 28:23; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 1:10). These Jews “were beginning to understand for the first time the true meaning of their national history” (Furneaux), “the grace of God” to them. [source]
First aorist imperative of διπλοω diploō old verb (from διπλοος diploos double, Matthew 23:15), here only in N.T. Διπλα Diplā is simply the neuter plural accusative (cognate) contract form for διπλοα diploa (not διπλω diplō). Requite here in double measure, a full requital (Exodus 22:4, Exodus 22:7, Exodus 22:9; Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 16:18; Jeremiah 17:18; Zechariah 9:12). The double recompense was according to the Levitical law.Which she mingled (ωι εκερασεν hōi ekerasen). First aorist active indicative of κεραννυμι kerannumi The relative ωι hōi is attracted to the locative case of its antecedent ποτηριωι potēriōi (cup), for which see Revelation 14:8, Revelation 14:10; Revelation 17:4; Revelation 18:3.Mingle unto her double First aorist active imperative of the same verb κεραννυμι kerannumi with the same idea of double punishment. [source]