Matthew 23:16

¹⁴ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

¹⁵ 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.

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!

¹⁷ Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

¹⁸ And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
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!
WEB: “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
ASV: Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
DARBY: Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
BLB: Woe to you⁺, blind guides, those saying, ‘Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’

ÅB: «Ve dere, blinde veiledere som sier: ‘Om noen sverger ved templet er det ingen ting, men om noen sverger ved gullet i templet er han bundet!’
OTB: Ve dere, blinde veiledere! Dere sier: ‘Hvis noen sverger ved tempelet, betyr det ingenting; men hvis noen sverger ved gullet i tempelet, er de bundet av den eden.’
B1930: Ve eder, I blinde veiledere, som sier: Om nogen sverger ved templet, det er intet; men den som sverger ved gullet i templet, han er bundet!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Matthew 15:14
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Read in context
James 5:12
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Read in context
Matthew 23:24
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Read in context
Matthew 23:17
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Read in context
Matthew 5:33–35
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
Read in context
Matthew 23:26
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Read in context
John 9:39–41
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Read in context
Matthew 15:5–6
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Read in context