27. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like
whited sepulchres--or, whitewashed sepulchres. (Compare
Ac 23:3).
The process of whitewashing the sepulchres, as LIGHTFOOT says, was performed on a certain day every
year, not for ceremonial cleansing, but, as the following words seem
rather to imply, to beautify them.
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead
men's bones, and of all uncleanness--What a powerful way of conveying
the charge, that with all their fair show their hearts were full of
corruption! (Compare
Ps 5:9;
Ro 3:13).
But our Lord, stripping off the figure, next holds up their iniquity in
naked colors.
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children
of them which killed the prophets--that is, "ye be witnesses that
ye have inherited, and voluntarily served yourselves heirs to, the
truth-hating, prophet-killing, spirit of your fathers." Out of
pretended respect and honor, they repaired and beautified the
sepulchres of the prophets, and with whining hypocrisy said, "If we had
been in their days, how differently should we have treated these
prophets?" While all the time they were witnesses to themselves that
they were the children of them that killed the prophets, convicting
themselves daily of as exact a resemblance in spirit and character to
the very classes over whose deeds they pretended to mourn, as child to
parent. In
Lu 11:44
our Lord gives another turn to this figure of a grave: "Ye are as
graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware
of them." As one might unconsciously walk over a grave concealed from
view, and thus contract ceremonial defilement, so the plausible
exterior of the Pharisees kept people from perceiving the pollution
they contracted from coming in contact with such corrupt
characters.
JFB.
Outline
Jesus reproves the scribes and Pharisees. (1-12)
Crimes of the Pharisees. (13-33)
The guilt of Jerusalem. (34-39)
Painted Illustration of a Pharisee During the time of Jesus
Important Topics for Bible Study
Quick Reference Map
Map of Judea in the Time of Jesus
(Click to Enlarge)
Painted Illustration of a Scribe During the time of Jesus
Painted Illustration of a Rabbi During the time of Jesus
Ancient Customs
Geography
Jerusalem
Judaea
Matthew Resources
The New Testament