Building and Garnishing Tombs - Matthew 23:29

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus in addition to other warnings said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse twenty-nine of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus said the “scribes and Pharisees” “build tombs” and “garnish sepulchers” where we read:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous

The verse reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Matthew began with the words, “woe unto you” which is “used an expression of grief or denunciation toward the religious leaders”, “scribes” or “men who were learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings as interpreters and teachers” “and Pharisees” which means “the sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to Old Testament books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief and life”, “hypocrites” or “actors, stage players, dissemblers and pretenders”! Matthew shared how Jesus once again pronounced “woe” upon the “scribes and Pharisees” and described them as “stage players”.

The verse goes on to say, “... because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous” Matthew continued the word, “because” which means “since and on account that” “you build” or “the scribes and Pharisees erect, found, construct, confirm, establish and promote” “the tombs” which means “the burial places, graves or sepulchers” “of the prophets” or “belonging to the ones who were moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman and solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation”, “and garnish” which means “put in order, arrange, make ready, prepare and adorn with ornaments” “the sepulchers” or “the memorials, monuments and tombs” “of the righteous” which means “belonging to the ones observing divine laws, upright and virtuous”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “scribes and Pharisees” were careful to “adorn and prepare” “tombs” of “prophets” and “adorn with ornaments” the “sepulchers” of the “righteous” people who lived before them.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “religious leaders” known as the “scribes and Pharisees” were very attentive to the “burial places” of the people who were “prophets” and “righteous” who lived before them. This is an honorable trait, and Jesus will have more to say about the way these “leaders” were, but for now, let it suffice to understand God takes interest in how people attend to the “burial places” of those who have lived before them. His desire is to have a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and those who yield their lives to Him shall not only “observe” the “gravesides” of those who lived before, but shall also receive “everlasting life” with God.

Next time we see Matthew write how Jesus points out what the “scribes and Pharisees” say they would not do, “if we had been in the days of our fathers”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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