Matthew 23:33 kjv
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matthew 23:33 nkjv
Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Matthew 23:33 niv
"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
Matthew 23:33 esv
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
Matthew 23:33 nlt
Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
Matthew 23 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Snakes/Vipers & Offspring | ||
| Gen 3:15 | I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring... | The Serpent as original enemy. |
| Ps 58:4 | Their venom is like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear... | Deceptive and dangerous nature. |
| Isa 59:5 | They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; whoever eats their eggs dies... | Evil and destructive schemes. |
| Jer 8:17 | "For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders, that will bite you, and you will not charm them," declares the Lord. | God's judgment likened to venomous creatures. |
| Matt 3:7 | But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!..." | John the Baptist's same denunciation. |
| Lk 3:7 | He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you... | John the Baptist's denunciation of religious hypocrisy. |
| Jn 8:44 | You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning... | Their spiritual father is the devil. |
| Rev 12:9 | And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world... | Satan identified as the "ancient serpent." |
| Judgment & Condemnation | ||
| Ps 9:17 | The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. | The fate of the unrighteous. |
| Ecc 12:14 | For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. | Universal judgment. |
| Matt 7:19 | Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | Judgment based on fruit/deeds. |
| Jn 3:18 | Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already... | Condemnation for unbelief. |
| Jn 5:29 | and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. | Resurrection leads to either life or judgment. |
| Rom 2:5 | But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation... | Unrepentant hearts lead to judgment. |
| Heb 9:27 | And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment... | Death followed by judgment. |
| Rev 20:12-15 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... | The Great White Throne judgment. |
| Hell / Gehenna | ||
| 2 Ki 23:10 | He defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech. | Valley of Hinnom's association with idolatry. |
| Isa 66:24 | "And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched..." | Imagery used for eternal punishment. |
| Dan 12:2 | And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. | Everlasting contempt as a form of judgment. |
| Matt 5:22 | "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...to the hell fire." | Jesus mentions "Gehenna of fire." |
| Matt 10:28 | "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." | God's power over eternal destiny. |
| Mk 9:43 | "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire." | Urgency to avoid Gehenna. |
| Lk 12:5 | "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!" | God's ultimate authority over hell. |
| 2 Thes 1:8-9 | in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction... | Eternal destruction from God's presence. |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake of fire... | The "lake of fire" as ultimate judgment. |
Matthew 23 verses
Matthew 23 33 Meaning
Matthew 23:33 is a climactic and severe condemnation from Jesus directed at the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day. It unmasks their inherent spiritual corruption, likening them to venomous snakes, implying their destructive nature and their spiritual lineage rooted in evil. The rhetorical question "how will you escape being condemned to hell?" powerfully asserts the inevitability and certainty of their ultimate divine judgment, highlighting the inescapable consequence of their deep-seated hypocrisy and rejection of truth.
Matthew 23 33 Context
Matthew 23:33 is the culmination of Jesus' "seven woes" against the scribes and Pharisees, delivered shortly before His crucifixion. The entire chapter serves as a comprehensive and public denunciation of the religious leadership in Jerusalem. Earlier verses in the chapter criticize their hypocrisy, their desire for public honor, their misguidance of others, their rigid legalism coupled with neglecting the weightier matters of the Law (justice, mercy, and faithfulness), and their self-righteousness. This verse escalates the severity, stripping away any pretense and revealing their true nature and their inevitable spiritual end. Historically, this denunciation targeted the influential class who rigidly upheld the oral tradition and Mosaic Law, believing themselves righteous, yet they stood in stark opposition to the very Son of God whom they would soon reject and crucify. Jesus' words served as a final, urgent warning, underlining that outward religious observance without inward transformation leads to damnation.
Matthew 23 33 Word analysis
- You snakes (Gk: ὀφεῖς, opheis): This direct address likens the Pharisees to serpents. In biblical symbolism, the serpent often represents cunning, deception, poison, and is ultimately linked to Satan, the original deceiver (Gen 3). This highlights their insidious, harmful influence and corrupt spiritual nature.
- you brood of vipers (Gk: γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, gennēmata echidnōn): The word gennēmata means 'offspring' or 'brood', indicating that their very nature, not just their actions, is like vipers. Echidnōn refers to a venomous snake, specifically a viper or adder. This powerful metaphor, also used by John the Baptist (Matt 3:7), suggests that they are children of a corrupt, evil source, embodying the dangerous and deadly characteristics of their spiritual origin (implied to be the devil, Jn 8:44).
- how will you escape (Gk: πῶς φύγητε, pōs phygēte): This is a rhetorical question, emphasizing the absolute impossibility of escape. It implies that their judgment is not just likely, but inevitable and inescapable, given their persistent rejection of truth and their spiritual alignment. There is no loophole, no ceremonial act, no lineage that can deliver them from what is to come.
- being condemned (Gk: ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως, apo tēs kriseōs): The Greek word krisis refers to judgment, sentencing, or condemnation. It denotes a decisive legal act, a verdict passed down by God. This indicates a just and righteous divine decree against them. It is not just about a negative outcome, but a formal pronouncement of guilt.
- to hell (Gk: τῆς γεέννης, tēs geennēs): This is Gehenna, a profound term used by Jesus, transliterating the Hebrew "Ge Hinnom" (Valley of Hinnom), a literal valley south of Jerusalem. This valley was historically a place of child sacrifice (2 Ki 23:10) and later a garbage dump where fires burned continually, consuming refuse. Jesus repurposes this place name to represent ultimate, fiery, eternal judgment and destruction, distinct from Hades (the abode of the dead). It signifies absolute divine wrath and utter separation from God.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "You snakes, you brood of vipers": This intense double-metaphor points to their spiritual identity. They are not merely bad people but inherently linked to destructive evil. It’s a direct insult, but one that is spiritually accurate in Jesus’ divine assessment.
- "how will you escape being condemned": This phrase poses an unanswerable question. It emphasizes the finality and certainty of God's judgment upon them. It indicates that no human effort, no religious pretense, no legalistic observance will suffice to avert their coming punishment.
- "being condemned to hell": This specifies the nature and location of the ultimate judgment. It underscores a judgment that results in complete separation from God, symbolized by the devastating fire and destruction of Gehenna, an image of irreversible and perpetual consequence for those who persist in spiritual rebellion.
Matthew 23 33 Bonus section
This verse stands in stark contrast to Jesus' teaching of love and forgiveness elsewhere, demonstrating His full authority as judge, who distinguishes between sincere error and malicious, hardened hypocrisy that resists divine truth. It's a testament to the fact that while God is merciful, there is also righteous judgment for those who persistently refuse to repent and instead actively work against God's purposes, leading others astray. The reference to "brood of vipers" also underscores the New Testament concept that people align themselves spiritually either as "children of God" (by faith in Christ) or "children of the devil" (by persistent rejection and alignment with evil, Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:10). This is not about human parentage but spiritual allegiance and character.
Matthew 23 33 Commentary
Matthew 23:33 represents the apex of Jesus' divine indictment of the self-righteous and hypocritical religious leadership. It’s a profound declaration of judgment, delivered with a prophet’s authority and the Son of God’s absolute knowledge of their hearts. Jesus unveils their true nature, equating them not merely to sinners but to entities of spiritual venom and evil offspring, reflecting their profound corruption and opposition to God’s will. The rhetorical question regarding escape underscores the inevitability of their condemnation; no human wisdom, status, or ritualistic adherence can shield them from the coming wrath. "Gehenna" as their destination highlights a terrifying, ultimate, and conscious judgment by God Himself. This warning serves as a timeless caution against spiritual pretense and outward religiosity that lacks inner transformation, mercy, and genuine faith. It teaches that God sees beyond our actions into the heart, and His justice is absolute. For practical application, this verse calls believers to introspection, to examine whether their faith is genuine and heart-deep, reflecting the Spirit of God, rather than merely external acts or traditions. It emphasizes that a mere profession of faith or adherence to rules is insufficient; what truly matters is the condition of the heart and the fruit it bears.