Matthew 23:35 (KJV)

What does Matthew 23:35 mean?

Matthew 23:35 says that all the guilt for the deaths of righteous people—from Abel to Zechariah—will come upon the people Jesus is addressing. Jesus is warning the religious leaders that they share in the responsibility for the long history of violence against God’s messengers.

Jesus is speaking to the scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem, confronting them for their hypocrisy and rejection of God’s prophets. By mentioning Abel (from Genesis) and Zechariah (a prophet killed in the temple area), Jesus is covering the whole span of Israel’s history, showing that the leaders’ opposition to God’s messengers is nothing new but part of a tragic pattern.

The Greek behind Matthew 23:35

• δίκαιος (dikaios, G1342): This word means "righteous" or "just." Jesus is emphasizing that the people killed were innocent and faithful to God, highlighting the seriousness of the crime.
• ἔκχεον (ekcheō, G1632): Translated as "shed," this word often refers to the violent spilling of blood. It underlines the deliberate and violent nature of these deaths.
• Ἀβὲλ (Abel, G6) and Ζαχαρίας (Zacharias, G2197): By naming Abel and Zechariah, Jesus is referencing the first and one of the last righteous people killed in the Hebrew Scriptures, making his accusation all-encompassing.
• μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου (between the temple and the altar): This phrase points to a specific, sacred location, showing the shocking nature of Zechariah’s murder—right in God’s house.

Why Matthew 23:35 matters

• Matthew 23:35 clarifies that Jesus sees the religious leaders as part of a long-standing pattern of rejecting and even killing those who speak for God, not just as isolated wrongdoers.
• The verse ties the leaders’ current attitudes to the entire history of Israel, making their responsibility for these acts much weightier.
• By referencing both Abel and Zechariah, Jesus shows that God remembers every act of injustice, from the very beginning to the end of the Scriptures known to his audience.