SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:33
¡Serpientes, generacin de víboras! ¿Cmo evitaris el juicio del quemadero?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:33
Verse 33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers] What a terrible stroke!-Ye are serpents, and the offspring of serpents. This refers to ver. x21: they confessed that they were the children of those who murdered the prophets; and they are now going to murder Christ and his followers, to show that they have not degenerated-an accursed seed, of an accursed breed. My old MS. translates this passage oddly-Gee serpentis, fruytis of burrownyngis of eddris that sleen her modris. There seems to be here an allusion to a common opinion, that the young of the adder or viper which are brought forth alive eat their way through the womb of their mothers. Hence that ancient enigma attributed to LACTANTIUS:- Non possum nasci, si non occidero matrem Occidi matrem: sed me manet exitus idem Id mea mors faciet, quod jam mea fecit origo Cael. Firm. Symposium, N. xv I never can be born, nor see the day, Till through my parent's womb I eat my way Her I have slain; like her must yield my breath; For that which gave me life, shall cause my death Every person must see with what propriety this was applied to the Jews, who were about to murder the very person who gave them their being and all their blessings.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 33. Ye servants, ye generation of vipers , etc.] The latter of these names, John the Baptist calls the Sadducees and Pharisees by, in ( Matthew 3:7) and Christ, in ( Matthew 12:34) both express their craft and subtlety, their inward poison, and venomous nature; their fair outside, and specious pretences; their hypocrisy, malice, and wickedness; in which they were like to the old serpent, their father the devil, and to their ancestors, that murdered the prophets; nor could any good thing be expected, from such a viperous generation: how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? signifying, that it was impossible that they should; nor could they surely expect it themselves, who must be conscious to themselves of their wickedness, malice, and deceit. The Persic version reads it, where can ye escape? etc. and so Beza says it was read, in one ancient copy of his; and the sense is, whither can ye flee? to whom, or what can you have recourse to, to screen you from the wrath to come?
Rocks and mountains, caves and dens, will be of no service. The phrase, nhyg l hnyd , the judgment, or damnation of hell, is a phrase often used in the Talmud f1321 , and Midrashes of the Jews; and intends future torment, and the everlasting vengeance and wrath of God, the unquenchable fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and which impenitent unbelieving sinners cannot escape.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-33 - The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, an therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep awa from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and form of godliness to be made a cloa to the greatest enormities. But dissembled piety will be reckone double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party. Not for the glory of God and the good of souls, but that the might have the credit and advantage of making converts. Gain being their godliness, by a thousand devices they made religion give way to their worldly interests. They were very strict and precise in smalle matters of the law, but careless and loose in weightier matters. It is not the scrupling a little sin that Christ here reproves; if it be sin, though but a gnat, it must be strained out; but the doing that and then swallowing a camel, or, committing a greater sin. While the would seem to be godly, they were neither sober nor righteous. We ar really, what we are inwardly. Outward motives may keep the outsid clean, while the inside is filthy; but if the heart and spirit be mad new, there will be newness of life; here we must begin with ourselves The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was like the ornament of a grave, or dressing up a dead body, only for show. The deceitfulness of sinners' hearts appears in that they go down the streams of the sins of their own day, while they fancy that they shoul have opposed the sins of former days. We sometimes think, if we ha lived when Christ was upon earth, that we should not have despised an rejected him, as men then did; yet Christ in his Spirit, in his word in his ministers, is still no better treated. And it is just with God to give those up to their hearts' lusts, who obstinately persist i gratifying them. Christ gives men their true characters.
Greek Textus Receptus
οφεις 3789 N-VPM γεννηματα 1081 N-VPN εχιδνων 2191 N-GPF πως 4459 ADV-I φυγητε 5343 5632 V-2AAS-2P απο 575 PREP της 3588 T-GSF κρισεως 2920 N-GSF της 3588 T-GSF γεεννης 1067 N-GSF
Robertson's NT Word Studies
23:33 {Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers} (opheis gennemata echidn"n). These blistering words come as a climax and remind one of the Baptist (#3:17) and of the time when the Pharisees accused Jesus of being in league with Beelzebub (#12:34). They cut to the bone like whip-cords. {How shall ye escape} (pws fugete). Deliberate subjunctive. There is a curse in the Talmud somewhat like this : "Woe to the house of Annas! Woe to their serpent-like hissings."
