New Testament
Luke 11:47
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How terrible it will be for you! You build the tombs for the prophets, but it was your own ancestors who killed them.
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Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
What Luke 11:47 means
Plain-English insight for readers
In this verse, Jesus is addressing the religious leaders of His time, condemning them for their hypocrisy. They honor the prophets by building tombs for them, yet their ancestors are the ones who killed these same prophets. This highlights a disconnect between their outward actions and their true beliefs. By honoring the prophets posthumously, they are ignoring the fact that they share in the guilt of their ancestors who rejected and murdered these messengers of God. Jesus is warning them that their actions do not align with their claims of righteousness. Instead of truly valuing the prophets' messages, they are merely paying lip service to their legacy while perpetuating the same cycle of rejection and violence against God's messengers. This serves as a reminder that true honor for God's messengers involves listening to and acting upon their messages, rather than just commemorating them after their deaths.
How to apply Luke 11:47 to your life
We should examine our own lives for hypocrisy. It's easy to honor those who speak truth but fail to live by their teachings. Instead of just remembering past leaders, we must actively apply their messages in our lives today.
Curated for this public verse page. Luke Summary
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Photo: Photochrom print, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (LCCN 2002725045). License: Public domain in the United States; Library of Congress states no known restrictions on publication. Source. Location: Nazareth, Israel; print preserved by the Library of Congress. Resized for the web.
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Plain Meaning
Jesus pronounces judgment on the lawyers. He points out that they build tombs to honor the prophets. But their own ancestors killed those same prophets. Building a tomb looks like respect. Jesus says it is not enough. The next verse makes his point clear: honoring the burial sites of men their fathers murdered does not put them on the right side.
Read It in Context
A lawyer had complained that Jesus was insulting them too (verse 45). Jesus turns to the lawyers and levels several charges. This verse is the first one aimed at them after verse 46.
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At a Glance — the Book of Luke
- Author
- Luke the physician
- Written
- Around AD 60-62
- Genre
- Gospel and history
- Original Audience
- Gentile Christians (addressed to Theophilus)
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick, clear answers about this verse
What does Luke 11:47 mean about building tombs for prophets?
In Luke 11:47, Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for building tombs for the prophets, which symbolizes their outward show of respect. However, He points out the hypocrisy in their actions since their ancestors were responsible for killing those same prophets. This verse emphasizes that honoring the prophets posthumously while ignoring their messages and the truth they preached is a form of hypocrisy.
How does Luke 11:47 relate to hypocrisy in religious practices?
Luke 11:47 highlights the disconnect between outward religious practices and true faith. The religious leaders honored the prophets by building tombs, yet they shared in the guilt of their ancestors who rejected and killed these messengers. This serves as a warning against merely performing religious acts without genuine belief or adherence to the teachings of those we honor.
What lesson can we learn from Luke 11:47 about honoring leaders?
The lesson from Luke 11:47 is that true honor for leaders and prophets involves more than just commemorating them; it requires actively living out their teachings. We should reflect on how we can apply the messages of past leaders in our lives today, rather than simply paying lip service to their legacy.
Why did Jesus call out the religious leaders in Luke 11:47?
Jesus called out the religious leaders in Luke 11:47 to expose their hypocrisy. They were building tombs for prophets, showing a facade of respect, while failing to recognize that their ancestors had killed these prophets. Jesus wanted them to understand that their actions did not align with their claims of righteousness and that they were perpetuating a cycle of rejection.
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