Woe, Everyone, Woe

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces.” Matthew 23:13

Jesus says the word “woe” more than any other person in the Bible. “Whoa” is a homophone of woe. Jesus was not telling a horse to stop when He uttered the word “woe” but perhaps His intent was for everyone to stop and think why he was using the word “woe”.

The word “woe” is a word used in an expression of grief, a word of judgment, it is a word meaning indignation, destruction, sadness, disappointment but its most common meaning is a tragedy.

It is used throughout the Bible including 13 times in the Gospel of Luke and 12 times in the Gospel of Matthew as well as in Revelation 8:13.

God uses this warning word in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament for example in Isaiah 33:1, Zephaniah 3:1, Jeremiah 23:1, and in the Book of Ezekiel 6 times.

As we read his blessings and think of the joy God wants in our lives we must stop and think of his warnings, curses, or woes He tells us about to prevent tragedy in our own lives instead of the intended joy God offers. Today a person might call out, “Woe to me!” Meaning they are in trouble just like The prophet Isaiah did who called out “Woe to me…I am ruined”.(Isaiah 6:5) person in danger could cry out “Woe” for the word still means tragedy. A person…