Matthew 23 15

Matthew 23:15 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.

Matthew 23:15 nkjv

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Matthew 23:15 niv

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

Matthew 23:15 esv

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Matthew 23:15 nlt

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!

Matthew 23 verses

Matthew 23 15 Meaning

This verse issues a stern denunciation from Jesus to the Scribes and Pharisees, identifying them as hypocrites. It condemns their zealous missionary efforts which, despite traveling far and wide to convert a single person to Judaism, ultimately lead that convert to a worse spiritual condition, making them twice as liable to hell's condemnation as their teachers. It highlights the profound danger of a religious system that values outward conformity and human tradition over true heart transformation, turning a seeker of truth into a more ardent adherent of a damning path.

Matthew 23 15 Context

Matthew chapter 23 immediately follows a series of sharp disputes between Jesus and the Jewish religious authorities in the Temple, escalating Jesus' public confrontation with them. It serves as Jesus' final and most extensive public denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees, spoken to the crowds and His disciples. The chapter is characterized by eight "woes" – a prophetic expression of lament, condemnation, and judgment – revealing their hypocrisy, legalism, spiritual blindness, and corruption. Verse 15 specifically highlights their missionary zeal, not in a positive light, but as part of their damning hypocrisy, revealing that their external pursuit of converts was spiritually bankrupt, leading their disciples not to salvation but to intensified damnation. This verse reveals a direct polemic against the Pharisaic form of proselytism, exposing its flawed foundation and disastrous outcomes.

Historically and culturally, the Pharisees were a prominent Jewish sect known for their strict adherence to the Mosaic Law and their extensive oral traditions, which they elevated to the status of divine command. They actively sought converts from among the Gentiles, believing they were bringing them into God's covenant. This proselytization was generally seen as a commendable act. However, Jesus' criticism cuts through this external show, exposing that their religion was one of superficial obedience, legalism, and self-righteousness. Thus, anyone converted by them would merely adopt their teachers' spiritual vices, adding to their own existing sin the Pharisees' specific brand of dead religion, making them "twice as much a child of hell" – a stark term derived from the Aramaic "Gehenna" (Valley of Hinnom), signifying a place of final judgment and destruction.

Matthew 23 15 Word Analysis

• Woe (Greek: ouai, οὐαί): A strong interjection expressing lament, sorrow, and especially a pronouncement of doom or judgment. It signifies profound disapproval and prophetic condemnation, far beyond mere disappointment.
• to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Greek: humīn, grammateis kai Pharisaoi, hypokritai!, ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι, ὑποκριταί!):
  • Scribes (Greek: grammateis, γραμματεῖς): Scholars and teachers of the Jewish Law, often skilled in its interpretation and application, holding significant authority.
  • Pharisees (Greek: Pharisaoi, Φαρισαῖοι): A dominant Jewish religious party known for strict adherence to the Torah and oral tradition, aiming for ritual purity and piety. They were highly respected by the people but frequently condemned by Jesus for their externalism.
  • Hypocrites (Greek: hypokritai, ὑποκριταί): Literally "mask-wearers" or actors in ancient Greek drama. Spiritually, it refers to those who pretend to be religious or righteous while their hearts are far from God, displaying outward piety but lacking inner genuineness.
• For you travel across sea and land (Greek: hoti periagete tēn thalassan kai tēn xēran, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηράν):
  • travel across (Greek: periagete, περιάγετε): Signifies moving around, going about, often with purpose. It highlights their active, persistent effort.
  • sea and land (Greek: tēn thalassan kai tēn xēran, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηράν): A figure of speech (merism) indicating thoroughness, covering every possible domain; it emphasizes the extent of their evangelistic zeal. Their efforts were far-reaching and committed.
• to make a single proselyte, (Greek: poiēsate hena prosēlyton, ποιήσατε ἕνα προσήλυτον):
  • make (Greek: poiēsate, ποιήσατε): To cause, to bring about, to create.
  • proselyte (Greek: prosēlytos, προσήλυτος): A person who has converted from paganism to Judaism, typically involving circumcision, ritual bathing, and offerings, demonstrating full adherence to Jewish law and custom. The word literally means "one who has come over."
• and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (Greek: kai genētai, poieite auton diploteron hymōn hyion Geennēs, καὶ γένηται, ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν διπλοτερόν ὑμῶν υἱὸν Γεέννης):
  • becomes one (Greek: genētai, γένηται): Refers to the point of successful conversion.
  • twice as much (Greek: diploteron, διπλοτερόν): Indicates a greater degree, an increased measure, doubled. It emphasizes an intensified negative outcome for the proselyte.
  • child of hell (Greek: hyion Geennēs, υἱὸν Γεέννης): A Hebrew idiom (Hebraism), "son of" meaning characterized by or destined for something (e.g., "sons of light," "sons of disobedience"). Here, "Gehenna" (Γέεννα) refers to the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where garbage and possibly dead bodies were burned, becoming a metaphor for ultimate judgment and eternal destruction (hell). Thus, "child of hell" means one who is subject to, characterized by, or destined for hell.
  • as yourselves (Greek: hymōn, ὑμῶν): This chilling comparison highlights that the converts become even more entangled in spiritual ruin than their teachers. The reason for being "twice as much" could be multifaceted:
    • They adopt the Pharisaic legalism and hypocrisy with even greater zeal, possibly to overcompensate or prove their new commitment, thus becoming more rigidly self-righteous or fanatical than their teachers.
    • They fall from whatever spiritual liberty or search for truth they previously possessed in paganism, gaining nothing of true righteousness but only an intensified form of externalism.
    • They inherit not only the spiritual blindness but also the active resistance to God's true way (as represented by Jesus). They are led further from light by false teaching, effectively compounding their spiritual blindness.

Matthew 23 15 Bonus Section

This verse subtly reveals Jesus' prophetic insight into the spiritual state of His opponents. He wasn't merely observing their actions; He was diagnosing the depth of their spiritual depravity and the profound damage they inflicted upon others. The "woes" are a testament to His divine authority as a judge and truth-teller. The fact that the proselyte became more damnable is a critical point; it signifies that absorbing the false teaching amplified their spiritual error rather than mitigating it. It highlights that being exposed to corrupted religious teaching can be more detrimental than no teaching at all, as it distorts the truth and creates a false sense of security while leading astray. This condemnation underlines the sanctity of genuine evangelism and the heavy responsibility of those who lead others in matters of faith. It stands in stark contrast to the true discipleship where believers are called to make "disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19), bringing them into life, not damnation.

Matthew 23 15 Commentary

Matthew 23:15 stands as one of Jesus' most severe condemnations of the religious leadership of His time. It is not an indictment of proselytism or evangelism itself, but rather a blistering critique of its motivation and result when undertaken by hypocrites. The Scribes and Pharisees, despite their apparent dedication evidenced by "travel[ing] across sea and land," were teaching a corrupted form of religion centered on outward ritual and human tradition rather than inward righteousness and a true relationship with God. Their proselytes were taught to imitate their teachers' flaws: rigid legalism, self-righteousness, and contempt for those deemed less righteous.

The phrase "twice as much a child of hell" powerfully communicates the disastrous outcome. These converts were not brought closer to God but further entrenched in condemnation. They gained nothing but a superficial adherence to rituals and external purity, failing to experience true transformation. In their zeal to adopt their new faith, they often outdid their teachers in fanaticism, inheriting and amplifying the very spiritual blindness and resistance to truth that characterized the Scribes and Pharisees. This makes their spiritual state more dire, as they are now fiercely devoted to a path leading to ruin, potentially becoming even more resistant to true spiritual enlightenment than if they had never "converted." This verse serves as a timeless warning against any religious endeavor that prioritizes outward conformity, human merit, or self-glory over genuine spiritual rebirth and humble submission to God's truth.

• Practical Example 1: A zealous "churchgoer" pressures someone into a specific religious tradition, emphasizing strict rules and rituals, without teaching the person about God's grace or heart transformation. The convert, trying to fit in, becomes even more dogmatic and judgmental than the initial "teacher," missing the true spirit of the faith.
• Practical Example 2: A person, disillusioned with modern society, seeks meaning in a strict, legalistic spiritual group. The group emphasizes human works and separation from "the world," leading the new member to become rigidly judgmental, alienated, and internally burdened, adopting an even harsher interpretation of rules than the group's established members.