Woe to the Hypocrites
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred? Matthew 23:19 · Berean Standard Bible
Jesus asks again: which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? The answer is obvious, but somehow these leaders got it completely wrong.
He's repeating the same point because it's so important. When you value things over the God who makes them meaningful, everything gets distorted.
Jesus challenges them to think clearly about something they should already understand.
Sometimes the most important truths need to be said more than once. Jesus keeps pressing because He wants them to see how far off track they've gone.
Jesus repeats the rhetorical question: which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies (hagiazon) it? The verb hagiazō ('to make holy') establishes a clear hierarchy: sanctifying power flows from altar to gift, not the reverse.
This argument mirrors Exodus 29:37, where the altar is said to consecrate whatever touches it, establishing clear Old Testament precedent for Jesus' reasoning.
Jesus addresses them as 'blind men' (typhloi), pressing the logical point home.
Jesus hammers the point once more: the altar gives the gift its sacred value. Getting this backwards reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of holiness itself.
17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
18And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
20So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
Read all of Matthew 23 — Seven devastating woes crash down on the religious establishment. Jesus doesn't whisper his critique — he thunders it.
This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.
Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad