What Does Matthew 23:37 Mean in the King James?
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The same Greek verb sets the speaker’s desire to gather against Jerusalem’s refusal, so the grief turns on opposed wills while the hen’s wings remain open.
THE MEANING
The speaker desires to draw Jerusalem’s children close, as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings. The verse holds the violence plainly: Jerusalem kills prophets and stones the ones sent to it. Its grief lies in the collision between this open shelter and the refusal to be gathered.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The refusal does not make the offered care unreal; the verse holds genuine desire and rejection together.
THE ROOT
ἠθέλησα
ēthelēsa
GROWS FROM
θέλω
to wish, want, or be willing
“would / would not” in this verse is ēthelēsa. Matthew places ἠθέλησα (“I wanted”) against οὐκ ἠθελήσατε (“you did not want”), using the same verb for both. The wound is a clash of willingness: gathering is desired and pictured in tender detail, yet refused.
ALSO GROWS
thelēma: will, desire
θέλημα
This related noun names what is willed, keeping the focus on desire itself.
ēthelēsate: you wanted, were willing
ἠθελήσατε
This plural form repeats the verb from the speaker’s “I wanted,” marking the addressees’ refusal.
ἐπισυναγαγεῖν
episynagagein
GROWS FROM
συνάγω
to gather or bring together
“gathered” in this verse is episynagagein. Matthew uses the same compound verb for the desired gathering of Jerusalem’s children and the hen’s gathering of her chicks. The image joins communal shelter and maternal shelter in one repeated action.
ALSO GROWS
synagōgē: assembly, gathering
συναγωγή
This related noun shows the same gather-family forming a group gathered together.
episynagōgē: gathering together, assembly
ἐπισυναγωγή
This compound noun shares the gather-family and echoes the verse’s action of drawing people together.
THE PATTERN
Protection takes the shape of drawing the vulnerable close beneath sheltering wings.
As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!THE THREAD
And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.John’s “gather together in one” shares the Greek gather-family with Matthew’s repeated verb. Matthew’s hen gives gathering a sheltering shape; John’s image draws scattered children into one.
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