Mat 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of them you shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them you shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.

Alternative: For this, you see I will send you oracles, wise men, and authors and from them you will kill and crucify and scourge in synagogues, and drive from city to city: That on you will fall all the virtuous blood poured out on the ground, from the blood of virtuous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

The first verse here again uses the pattern of the four realms to describe persecution of good men (reminding me of an earlier post on Matt 21:35 using the pattern of three), the physical (simple death), mental (the death of someone judged guilty, crucification), spiritual (scourged in synagogues) and finally emotional (hounded from city to city). Christ never repeats an idea without making it clear what realms he is covering. This is why he specifically mentions these various forms of persecution.

More interesting is the second verse, which has a lot going on it it going on it it. First, we have the symbol for life, blood. This blood of physical life is connected with justice and virtue, spiritual qualities. It is "poured out on the ground, which is Christ's metaphor for physical wealth, which falls into the mental realm. Then we have the emotional realm of relationships with the famous brother, Abel and the son Zacharias. These names also represent from A to Z, the beginning and end of the Roman alphabet, another nod at the mental realm.

Finally, why the mention of the temple and the altar? To tie this verse back to Mat 23:16 and Mat 23:18, at the very beginning of this tirade against religious leaders, which are also connected to the physical and social aspect of spiritual worship.


"Send" is the Greek, apostello, which is our source of the word "apostle." It means "to send off," "to send away," or "to dispatch."

"Killed" is from apokteinô, which is a stronger form of the verb "to kill" and "to slay."

"Persecute" is dioko, which means "to pursue," "to chase," or "to drive."

"Shed" is from ekcheô, which means "to pour out."