Origen
c. A.D. 184–253
“As above they are said to be full of extortion and excess, so here they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, and are likened to dead men’s bones, and all uncleanness.”
The interpretation timeline
Matt 23:27
How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.
From the early Church Fathers to now.
Patristic
before A.D. 750
253
A.D.
253
A.D.
Origen
c. A.D. 184–253
“For all feigned righteousness is dead, forasmuch as it is not done for God’s sake; yea, rather it is no righteousness at all, any more than a dead man is a man, or an actor who represents any character is the man whom he represents. There is therefore within them so much of bones and uncleanness as are the good things that they wickedly pretend to. And they seem righteous outwardly, not in the eyes of such as the Scripture calls Gods, (Ps. 82:6.) but of such only as die like men.”
167 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
420
A.D.
Jerome
c. A.D. 347–420
“Sepulchres are whitened with lime without, and decorated with marble painted in gold and various colours, but within are full of dead men’s bones. Thus crooked teachers who teach one thing and do another, affect purity in their dress, and humility in their speech, but within are full of all uncleanness, covetousness, and lust.”
184 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
604
A.D.
Gregory the Great
c. A.D. 540–604
“(Mor. xxvi. 32.) But before their strict Judge they cannot have the plea of ignorance, for by assuming in the eyes of men every form of sanctity, they witness against themselves that they are not ignorant how to live well.”
Undated
date unknown
Pseudo-Chrysostom
“Justly are the bodies of the righteous said to be temples, because in the body of the righteous the soul has dominion, as God in His temple; or because God Himself dwells in righteous bodies. But the bodies of sinners are called sepulchres of the dead, because the sinner’s soul is dead in his body; for that cannot be deemed to be alive, which does no spiritual or living act.”
Pseudo-Chrysostom
“But say, hypocrite, if it be good to be wicked, why do you not desire to seem that which you desire to be? For what it is shameful to seem, that it is more shameful to be; and what to seem is fair, that it is fairer to be. Either therefore be what you seem, or seem what you are.”
Modern · 1953 →
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.