Matthew 23:33
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
34 Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.
35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
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
- You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
- KJV
- Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
- WEB
- You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
- ASV
- Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?
- DARBY
- Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
- BLB
- Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How shall you⁺ escape from the judgment of Gehenna?
- ÅB
- Slanger og ormeyngel! Hvordan kan dere unnslippe helvetes dom?
- OTB
- Dere slanger! Dere ormeyngel! Hvordan skal dere unnslippe å bli dømt til helvete?
- B1930
- I slanger! I ormeyngel! hvorledes kan I undfly helvedes dom?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Matthew 3:7
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Read in contextMatthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Read in contextLuke 3:7
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Read in contextMatthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
Read in contextGenesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Read in contextJohn 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
Read in contextMatthew 21:34–35
When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
Read in contextRevelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Read in context