Luke 11:47

Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

BSB

Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them.

KJV

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

ASV

Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

BBE

A curse is on you! for you make resting-places for the bodies of the prophets, but your fathers put them to death.

Original Greek

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The early church

This is a good answer to the foolish superstition of the Jews, who in building the tombs of the prophets condemned the deeds of their fathers, but by rivalling their fathers' wickedness, throw back the sentence upon themselves. For not the building but the imitation of their deeds is looked upon as a crime. Therefore He adds, Truly ye bear witness that ye allow, &c.
Ambrose of Milan · d. 397Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(con. Julian. lib. 10.) Now here the apostate Julian says, that we must avoid graves which Christ says are unclean; but he knew not the force of our Saviour's words, for He did not command us to depart from the graves, but likened to them the hypocritical people of the Pharisees. Having then condemned the burdensome dealing of the Lawyer, He brings a general charge against all the chief men of the Jews, saying, Woe to you who build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Although then He says pointedly of this generation, He expresses not merely those who were then standing by Him and listening, but every manslayer. For like is attributed to like.
Cyril of Alexandria · d. 444Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 37–54

We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we may glory in reproaches, for Christ's sake, and that thy Holy Spirit may rest upon us.

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 11 →

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Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.