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Mat_23:29 ff. Comp. Luk_11:47 ff.
The οἰκοδομεῖν of the tombs of the prophets and the κοσμεῖν of the sepulchres of the righteous (the Old Testament saints, comp. Mat_23:35; Mat_13:17; Heb_11:23); this preserving and ornamenting of the sacred tombs by those who pretended to be holy was accompanied with the self-righteous declaration of Mat_23:30. On the ancient tombs of a more notable character, see, in general, Robinson, Pal. II. p. 175 ff., and on the so-called “tombs of the prophets” still existing, p. 194. Tobler, Topogr. v. Jerus. II. p. 227 ff.
εἰ ἤμεθα , κ . τ . λ .] not: if we had been, but: if we were (comp. on Joh_11:21), if we were living in the time of our fathers, certainly we would not be, etc.
ὥστε μαρτυρεῖτε ἑαυτοῖς , κ . τ . λ .] Thus (inasmuch as you say τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ) you witness against yourselves (dative of reference, Jam_5:3), that you are the sons, etc. υἱοί contains a twofold meaning. From τῶν πατέρ . ἡμ ., in which the Pharisees point to their bodily descent, Jesus likewise infers their kinship with their fathers in respect of character and disposition. There is a touch of sharpness in this pregnant force of υἱοί , the discourse becoming more and more impassioned. “When you thus speak of your fathers, you yourselves thereby testify to your own kinship with the murderers of the prophets.” De Wette’s objection, that this interpretation of υἱοί would be incompatible with what is said by way of vindicating themselves at Mat_23:30, does not apply, because Jesus feels convinced that their character entirely belies this self-righteous utterance, and because He wishes to make them sensible of this conviction through the sting of a penetration that fearlessly searches their hearts and reads their thoughts.
ἐν τῷ αἵ αἵματι ] i.e. the crime of shedding their blood. On αἷμα in the sense of caedes, see Dorvill. ad Charit. p. 427. For ἐν , see on Gal_6:6.