Bible Strands
Matthew 23:17
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the religious leaders in Jerusalem during his final week, directly responding to their contradictory oath teachings in Matthew 23:16 and 23:18. He confronts their flawed logic regarding vows sworn by temple objects.
The words — The Greek terms τυφλοὶ (typhloi, blind) and μωροὶ (mōroi, foolish) frame the rebuke, while μεῖζων (meizōn, greater) establishes the comparative question. The text states that the temple sanctifies the gold, making the source greater than the consecrated material.
The thread — This rhetorical structure repeats in Matthew 23:19 with the altar and its gift, and aligns with the consecration logic of Exodus 30:26 and Numbers 16:38. The sequence tracks a consistent error in prioritizing material value over the sacred object that establishes its holiness.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to acknowledge that an oath by a consecrated object binds the swearer because the sacred source governs the material. It demands rejection of human traditions that invert divine priority and forces assessment of spiritual commitments by their ultimate authority.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Cross-references
- Matthew 23:19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
- Numbers 16:38 As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”
- Exodus 30:26 Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,
- Psalms 94:8 Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?