Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who build the sepulchers of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just. (Mt 23:29)
Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι οἰκοδομεῖτε τοὺς τάφους τῶν προφητῶν καὶ κοσμεῖτε τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν δικαίων.
vae vobis scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae quia aedificatis sepulchra prophetarum et ornatis monumenta iustorum.
Jesus’ statement about the graves of the prophets is ambiguous – on the one hand, the scribes may want to honor the prophets, on the other hand, their behavior can be treated symbolically – they want to bury not only the person but also the teaching. That is why Christ addresses them in a confrontational way, saying to finish off the works of their ancestors.
