Matthew 23 16

Matthew 23:16 kjv

Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Matthew 23:16 nkjv

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'

Matthew 23:16 niv

"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.'

Matthew 23:16 esv

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'

Matthew 23:16 nlt

"Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear 'by God's Temple,' but that it is binding to swear 'by the gold in the Temple.'

Matthew 23 verses

Matthew 23 16 Meaning

This verse is part of Jesus' scathing denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, specifically targeting their distorted interpretation of oaths. It reveals their hypocritical casuistry where they taught that an oath sworn by the Temple itself held no binding power, yet an oath sworn by the gold or treasure within the Temple was binding. Jesus exposes their spiritual blindness, indicating they valued material wealth associated with the Temple more than the sacredness of God's dwelling place, thereby misleading people and profaning divine truth.

Matthew 23 16 Context

Matthew 23 records Jesus' final public discourse and his most severe denunciation of the Jewish religious leadership: the scribes and Pharisees. This chapter, following intense debate with them (Matt 21-22), reveals Jesus unmasking their hypocrisy, pride, legalism, and spiritual blindness. He pronounces "woes" upon them for their corrupt practices and teachings. Verse 16 specifically targets their sophisticated system of casuistry (overly subtle reasoning in moral questions) regarding oaths, which they used to circumvent the spirit of the law while meticulously observing its letter. In the first-century Jewish society, oaths were widely used to affirm truthfulness and to bind oneself to a commitment. The Temple, as the dwelling place of God's presence and the center of Israel's worship, held immense religious significance. The Pharisees, through their oral traditions, had developed intricate rulings about which oaths were binding and which were not, often based on trivial distinctions. This specific "woe" exposes their prioritization of material offerings and the Temple's wealth over the sanctity of the divine presence symbolized by the Temple itself.

Matthew 23 16 Word analysis

• Woe (Οὐαί - Ouai): This strong Greek interjection signifies lament, sorrow, and impending judgment. It is not merely an expression of grief but a pronouncement of doom and divine displeasure, often used by Old Testament prophets (e.g., Isa 5; Amos 5) and frequently by Jesus himself against those who oppose God's truth or cause others to stumble.
• to you: This directly addresses the scribes and Pharisees, identifying them as the recipients of this severe judgment.
• blind guides (ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί - hodēgoi typhloi): A core descriptive phrase. Typhlos means physically or spiritually blind. Hodēgoi means guides, leaders, or instructors. The conjunction implies a deep spiritual inability to discern truth combined with a dangerous position of leading others, resulting in both falling into error (Matt 15:14). Their teaching regarding oaths demonstrates this blindness; they cannot see the moral absurdity and spiritual gravity of their distinctions.
• who say: Introduces the specific perversion of the law taught by these leaders, outlining their exact false doctrine.
• ‘If anyone swears by the temple (ναῷ - naō), it is nothing;:
  • Temple (ναῷ - naō): Refers to the innermost sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem (the holy place and the Holy of Holies), signifying God's direct dwelling presence. An oath by the Temple invokes the sanctity of the place of God's immediate presence.
  • it is nothing (οὐδέν ἐστιν - ouden estin): Implies such an oath is non-binding, without legal or moral force. Their teaching diminishes the very sacredness associated with God's dwelling, making oaths based on it meaningless.
• but if anyone swears by the gold (χρυσῷ - chrysō) of the temple, he is bound by his oath (ὀφείλει - opheilei).’:
  • gold (χρυσῷ - chrysō): Refers to the gold adorning the Temple or the financial offerings and sacred vessels made of gold within it (the temple treasury). This signifies material wealth.
  • of the temple: Specifies the gold’s connection to the sacred place, implying its value is derived from the Temple but is elevated above the Temple itself in their casuistry.
  • he is bound by his oath (ὀφείλει - opheilei): Literally, "he owes" or "he is indebted." This term means one is obligated, under an ethical, legal, or financial requirement, to fulfill the oath.
• words-group analysis: 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’: This contrasts two types of oaths and exposes the Pharisees’ corrupted value system. They teach that oaths involving the sanctuary itself (representing God's dwelling) are void, while oaths involving the material offerings or financial aspects of the temple (gold) are binding. This twisted logic suggests they prioritize money and offerings (which financially benefit the priestly system) over the inherent sacredness and spiritual significance of God's house and the integrity of a vow made in His presence. It shows a profound misunderstanding of spiritual priorities.
• words-group analysis: blind guides...who say: The combination powerfully highlights the dangerous nature of leadership devoid of spiritual insight. Their blindness is evident in the flawed, self-serving doctrines they disseminate, leading their followers into similar error. They preach traditions that diminish God’s glory and promote human schemes.

Matthew 23 16 Bonus section

The casuistry concerning oaths that Jesus condemns in this verse and the following (Matt 23:17-22) reveals a common rabbinic method of interpretation that allowed for convenient loopholes in ethical obligations. This type of legal hair-splitting, which flourished in Jewish traditions, became a way to differentiate between oaths that had to be kept and those that didn't, often to the advantage of the oath-taker or the religious system. Jesus' condemnation is not against oaths themselves (though he advocates for complete honesty rendering oaths unnecessary, Matt 5:33-37), but against the cynical abuse of oaths that made God's name and holy things subservient to human financial interests. The underlying message is that everything consecrated by God's presence holds immense value, and attempting to separate components for the sake of creating non-binding vows is a blasphemous act demonstrating a lack of fear of the Lord and deep spiritual blindness.

Matthew 23 16 Commentary

Matthew 23:16 serves as a powerful indictment of religious hypocrisy, demonstrating how the scribes and Pharisees, under the guise of piety, distorted divine law for personal gain and influence. Jesus reveals their fundamental spiritual blindness; they focused on superficial distinctions and external wealth, completely missing the intrinsic holiness of God's presence in the Temple. Their perversion of the law regarding oaths underscores a broader issue: they elevated human tradition and material possessions above God's divine command and true reverence. By valuing the gold over the Temple itself (which consecrated the gold), they betrayed a carnal rather than spiritual mindset, effectively reducing a sacred covenant with God to a mere financial transaction. Jesus' "Woe" underscores the grave spiritual danger of those who, being in positions of leadership, mislead others and ultimately invalidate God's principles through their warped teachings and example. It calls believers to examine their own priorities, ensuring that genuine devotion to God takes precedence over outward show or material gain.