Matthew 23 26

Matthew 23:26 kjv

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Matthew 23:26 nkjv

Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Matthew 23:26 niv

Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Matthew 23:26 esv

You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Matthew 23:26 nlt

You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

Matthew 23 verses

Matthew 23 26 Meaning

Matthew 23:26 signifies Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees' religious hypocrisy, emphasizing that true righteousness begins internally. It's a call to purify the heart, thoughts, and intentions—the inner character—from all defilement, such as greed and self-indulgence. When the inside is cleansed, the outward actions and appearance will genuinely reflect that purity. The verse stresses the futility of mere external religious observance without a transformed inner being.

Matthew 23 26 Context

This verse is part of Jesus' scathing condemnation of the Scribes and Pharisees, a prominent religious and political group in Judea, in Matthew chapter 23. This discourse is Jesus' final public teaching in the Jerusalem temple before His crucifixion, marking a profound climax to His earthly ministry. Throughout this chapter, Jesus pronounces seven "woes" (condemnations) against these leaders for their hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and spiritual blindness.

Matthew 23:26 specifically addresses their meticulous adherence to outward appearances of purity while neglecting genuine inward transformation. In the immediate context of verses 25-26, Jesus uses the metaphor of cleaning cups and dishes to illustrate this spiritual superficiality. The Pharisees were scrupulous about ceremonial washings and external purity laws, including those for vessels, as commanded in the Mosaic Law and elaborated upon by oral traditions. However, Jesus reveals that while their dishes might be clean on the outside, their lives were full of "extortion and self-indulgence" (Matt 23:25) internally. Historically, the Pharisees often derived their authority and perceived holiness from their rigorous outward displays of piety, making this rebuke particularly direct and challenging to their entire way of life and public image. Jesus directly challenged their claims of spiritual discernment by calling them "blind," indicating their failure to perceive divine truth despite their Scriptural knowledge.

Matthew 23 26 Word analysis

• You blind Pharisee! (Greek: τυφλὲ Φαρισαῖε - typhle Pharisaiye):

  • blind (typhle): This is a harsh, yet precise, spiritual indictment. It signifies a profound lack of spiritual perception and inability to discern divine truth and righteousness. The Pharisees, who claimed to be spiritual guides and seers (Rom 2:19), were ironically and tragically "blind" to God's true requirements and even to the Messiah Himself. It highlights their intellectual and moral inability to understand true purity.
  • Pharisee: Refers to a highly influential Jewish religious sect known for strict adherence to the Torah and oral traditions. Jesus addresses them directly as a group known for external piety but internal corruption.

• First (Greek: πρῶτον - prōton): This adverb signifies priority and precedence. Jesus is not dismissing outward purity, but reordering its relationship to inner purity. The cleansing must begin within, and then true external purity will naturally follow.

• clean (Greek: καθάρισον - katharison): This is an aorist active imperative verb, meaning "purify!" or "make clean!" It is a command for decisive action. The term carries both literal and ceremonial connotations of making something free from dirt or defilement, here applied metaphorically to one's moral and spiritual state.

• the inside (Greek: τὸ ἐντὸς - to entos): Literally "the within" or "the inner part." In the context of the cup and dish, it refers to the inner surface where food/drink is contained. Metaphorically, for the person, it represents the heart, mind, intentions, desires, and conscience—the source of thoughts and motivations (Matt 15:19). It also alludes to what defiles the vessel's interior, i.e., "extortion and self-indulgence" (Matt 23:25).

• of the cup and of the dish: This is a direct metaphor representing one's entire being, life, or livelihood.

  • The "cup" and "dish" are everyday items, easily understood symbols of what holds one's sustenance and, by extension, what one consumes, possesses, and displays in life.
  • In the preceding verse (23:25), the "inside" of these vessels is described as full of "extortion and self-indulgence," which defiles them. Therefore, cleansing the "inside" means purging oneself of such corrupt practices and attitudes that come from the heart.

• so that the outside also may become clean (Greek: ἵνα γένηται καὶ τὸ ἔξωθεν αὐτοῦ καθαρόν - hina genētai kai to exōthen autou katharon):

  • ἵνα (hina): Introduces a purpose clause, indicating the intended result.
  • καὶ τὸ ἔξωθεν (kai to exōthen): "and the outside" – referring to external conduct, observable behavior, and outward appearance of piety.
  • καθαρόν (katharon): "clean, pure, unstained, holy." This means the outward actions and conduct will genuinely align with inner purity, not merely superficially appear so. The transformation must flow from within to truly impact the without.

Matthew 23 26 Bonus section

• This verse encapsulates a fundamental contrast in Jesus' teachings: God's true kingdom values an inner righteousness of the heart over the mere external conformity to rules or traditions. This was a direct challenge to much of the religious establishment of His day.
• The "blindness" mentioned by Jesus is not a physical condition but a spiritual malady. It implies a willful refusal or inability to see and accept God's truth as revealed through Jesus and through the very Law they claimed to uphold. This spiritual blindness often leads to them being "guides of the blind" (Matt 15:14), causing others to stumble.
• The call to clean the "inside" suggests addressing the root causes of sin – pride, greed, selfish ambition, which filled the "cup" of their lives with defilement (e.g., extortion and self-indulgence from v. 25).
• While not explicitly stated, the implication is that this internal cleansing requires genuine repentance, a turning away from sin, and a turning towards God and His Spirit. It is not an act one performs on oneself by mere effort, but rather an allowing of divine purification.
• The teaching has strong implications for modern believers: outward service, charitable giving, church attendance, or moralistic living mean little if the heart remains filled with selfishness, covetousness, or unconfessed sin. True transformation begins in the spirit, transforming every aspect of life.

Matthew 23 26 Commentary

Matthew 23:26 serves as a powerful summary of Jesus' continuous critique against religious superficiality. His sharp words, "You blind Pharisee!", immediately identify the recipient and the core problem: a spiritual inability to perceive truth despite meticulous external observance. Jesus insists that genuine righteousness does not stem from ritualistic cleansing or public displays of piety, but from a profound transformation of the inner person. The metaphor of the cup and dish vividly illustrates that it's the contents and source of sustenance (spiritually, one's motivations and gains, such as ill-gotten wealth through extortion, mentioned in v. 25) that defile, not merely external dirt.

Jesus' instruction to "first clean the inside" reorders the Pharisees' entire religious framework. They prioritized outward appearance and compliance with man-made traditions, neglecting the heart. For Jesus, the inner state of the heart—its intentions, desires, and integrity—is paramount. If the heart is purified by rooting out sin and selfish motives, then all outward actions, words, and practices will naturally become "clean" or truly righteous. This purity will be authentic, consistent, and Spirit-led, in contrast to the hypocritical actions driven by pride or desire for human praise. The verse underlines that outward expressions of faith are meaningless, even deceptive, if they are not outflows of a sincere and cleansed heart. It's a timeless call for integrity, reminding all believers that true holiness starts from within and transforms one's entire being.