Matthew 23:33
New International Version
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

New Living Translation
Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

English Standard Version
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Berean Standard Bible
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

Berean Literal Bible
Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How shall you escape from the sentence of Gehenna?

King James Bible
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

New King James Version
Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

New American Standard Bible
You snakes, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

NASB 1995
“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

NASB 1977
“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?

Legacy Standard Bible
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Amplified Bible
You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?

Christian Standard Bible
“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

American Standard Version
Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?

Contemporary English Version
You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?

English Revised Version
Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"You snakes! You poisonous snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

Good News Translation
You snakes and children of snakes! How do you expect to escape from being condemned to hell?

International Standard Version
You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

Majority Standard Bible
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

NET Bible
You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

New Heart English Bible
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of hell?

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Weymouth New Testament
O serpents, O vipers' brood, how are you to escape condemnation to Gehenna?

World English Bible
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Serpents! Brood of vipers! How may you escape from the judgment of Gehenna?

Berean Literal Bible
Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How shall you escape from the sentence of Gehenna?

Young's Literal Translation
'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?

Smith's Literal Translation
Serpents, generations of vipers, how would ye flee from the judgment of hell?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?

Catholic Public Domain Version
You serpents, you brood of vipers! How will you escape from the judgment of Hell?

New American Bible
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?

New Revised Standard Version
You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
O you serpents, and seed of scorpions! how can you flee from the judgment of hell?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Snakes! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the judgment of Gehenna?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Serpents, generation of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell?

Godbey New Testament
Ye serpents, generations of vipers, how can you escape from the judgment of hell?

Haweis New Testament
Ye serpents, ye broods of vipers! how can ye escape from the damnation of hell?

Mace New Testament
ye serpents, ye brood of vipers, how can ye escape the punishment of Gehenna?

Weymouth New Testament
O serpents, O vipers' brood, how are you to escape condemnation to Gehenna?

Worrell New Testament
Serpents! broods of vipers! How can ye escape the judgment of Hell?

Worsley New Testament
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers. 33You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? 34Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.…

Cross References
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Matthew 3:7
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Luke 3:7
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Luke 11:39-52
Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. / You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well? / But give as alms the things that are within you, and behold, everything will be clean for you. ...

John 8:37-47
I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. / I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” / “Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham. ...

Romans 2:5
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 20:2
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Isaiah 59:5
They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

Isaiah 14:29
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg.

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Psalm 58:3-5
The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth. / Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears, / refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.

Jeremiah 8:17
“For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 2:6
But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns surround you, and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their presence, though they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 3:18-19
If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. / But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.


Treasury of Scripture

You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?

serpents.

Matthew 3:7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matthew 12:34
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 21:34,35
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it…

how.

Matthew 23:14
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Hebrews 10:29
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

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Brood Condemnation Condemned Damnation Escape Gehenna Generation Hell Judgment Kept Offspring Punishment Sentence Sentenced Serpents Snakes Vipers
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Brood Condemnation Condemned Damnation Escape Gehenna Generation Hell Judgment Kept Offspring Punishment Sentence Sentenced Serpents Snakes Vipers
Matthew 23
1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5. His disciples must beware of their ambition.
13. He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness,
34. and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem.














You snakes!
In this phrase, Jesus uses the metaphor of "snakes" to describe the Pharisees and teachers of the law. The Greek word used here is "ὄφεις" (opheis), which directly translates to "serpents." This term is deeply symbolic, harkening back to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, representing deceit and cunning. In a historical context, snakes were often seen as symbols of treachery and danger. Jesus' use of this term underscores the deceptive and harmful nature of the religious leaders' actions, as they led people away from the true teachings of God.

You brood of vipers!
The phrase "brood of vipers" intensifies the accusation. The Greek word "γεννήματα" (gennēmata) means "offspring" or "generation," and "ἐχιδνῶν" (echidnōn) refers to "vipers," a type of venomous snake. This imagery suggests not only the leaders' own deceitful nature but also their role in perpetuating a legacy of hypocrisy and spiritual danger. Historically, vipers were known for their sudden and deadly strikes, symbolizing the unexpected and harmful influence of the Pharisees' teachings on the people.

How will you escape
This rhetorical question challenges the Pharisees' self-assuredness. The Greek word "πῶς" (pōs) means "how," indicating the improbability or impossibility of their escape. Jesus is emphasizing the dire consequences of their actions and the futility of their attempts to avoid divine judgment. This phrase serves as a call to self-reflection and repentance, urging the leaders to recognize the severity of their spiritual condition.

the sentence of hell?
The term "sentence" comes from the Greek "κρίσεως" (kriseōs), meaning "judgment" or "condemnation." It implies a legal decision or verdict, highlighting the certainty and authority of God's judgment. "Hell" is translated from the Greek "γεέννης" (geennēs), referring to Gehenna, a place outside Jerusalem associated with fire and destruction. In a scriptural context, Gehenna symbolizes eternal separation from God and the ultimate consequence of unrepentant sin. Jesus' use of this term underscores the seriousness of the Pharisees' spiritual state and the urgent need for repentance to avoid such a fate.

(33) Ye generation of vipers.--Better, as in Matthew 3:7, brood, or progeny of vipers. The word of rebuke which had come before from the lips of the Baptist, comes now, with even more intense keenness, from those of the Christ.

How can ye escape?--Better--to maintain the parallelism with the Baptist's words, which was, we can hardly doubt, designed--How should ye flee from?

Verses 33-39. - Declaration of the sentence on these Pharisees and their generation. Verse 33. - Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers; γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν: offspring of vipers. Our Lord repeats the Baptist's denunciation (Matthew 3:7). They were of devilish nature, inherited from their very birth the disposition and character of Satan. So Christ said on another occasion, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth" (John 8:44). How can ye escape? Πῶς φύγητε; the deliberative conjunctive, How shall ye escape? Quo mode fugietis? (Vulgate). There is no emphasis on "can" in the Authorized Version. What hope is there now of your repentance? Can anything soften the hardness of your hearts? The Baptist had spoken more hopefully, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" But now the day of grace is past; the sin against the Holy Ghost is committed; there remaineth only the fearful looking for of judgment. The damnation of hell; literally, the judgment of Gehenna; judicio Gehennae (Vulgate); i.e. the sentence that condemns to eternal death (Matthew 5:22). The phrase is common in the rabbinical writings (see Lightfoot). "Before sinning, we ought to fear lest it be the filling up; after sinning, we should trust in a truly Christian hope that it is not, and repent. This is the only means to escape the damnation of hell; but how rare is this grace after a pharisaical life!" (Quesnel). Hypocrisy is a bar to repentance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
You snakes!
ὄφεις (opheis)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3789: Probably from optanomai; a snake, figuratively, an artful malicious person, especially Satan.

You brood
γεννήματα (gennēmata)
Noun - Vocative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1081: Offspring, child, fruit. From gennao; offspring; by analogy, produce.

of vipers!
ἐχιδνῶν (echidnōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 2191: A serpent, snake, viper. Of uncertain origin; an adder or other poisonous snake.

How
πῶς (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

will you escape
φύγητε (phygēte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5343: To flee, escape, shun. Apparently a primary verb; to run away; by implication, to shun; by analogy, to vanish.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sentence
κρίσεως (kriseōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2920: Decision; by extension, a tribunal; by implication, justice.

of hell?
γεέννης (geennēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1067: Of Hebrew origin; valley of Hinnom; ge-henna, a valley of Jerusalem, used as a name for the place of everlasting punishment.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 23:33 You serpents you offspring of vipers how (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 23:32
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