Bible Strands
Matthew 23:24
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the scribes and Pharisees during a public teaching sequence condemning their hypocrisy. He speaks directly to them as religious authorities who claim moral leadership but fail in it.
The words — The text highlights διϋλίζοντες (diulizontes), meaning straining out, and κώνωπα (kōnōpa), meaning gnat, to describe a meticulous filtering process. This pairs with τυφλοὶ (tuphloi), meaning blind, to characterize their leadership.
The thread — The camel imagery recurs in Matthew 19:24 to illustrate impossible human effort, while the purity focus echoes Matthew 15:2 regarding handwashing traditions and Matthew 27:6 concerning ritual restrictions on temple funds. These passages collectively trace a pattern of elevating minor regulations over substantive obedience.
Why it lands — The verse demands that readers examine whether their religious practices address core obligations like justice and mercy. It requires aligning external observance with internal reality rather than manipulating minor details to avoid greater responsibilities.
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 blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Cross-references
- Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
- Matthew 27:6 The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”
- Matthew 15:2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Luke 6:7 Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
- Matthew 23:16 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.’
- John 18:28 Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
- Matthew 7:4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?
- John 18:40 “Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)