“You blind guides!

You strain out a gnat!

But you swallow a camel!”

 

ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί, οἱ διϋλίζοντες τὸν κώνωπα, τὴν δὲ κάμηλον καταπίνοντες.

 

This unique diatribe of Matthew against the Scribes and Pharisees continued.  Here Jesus called them blind guides, as Matthew had earlier mentioned in chapter 15:14 and earlier in this chapter 23, verses 16, 17 and 19.  Jesus said that they were like blind guides (ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοὶ) because they were straining out the little gnats (οἱ διϋλίζοντες τὸν κώνωπα) that was in their wine cups, but they were swallowing a big camel (τὴν δὲ κάμηλον καταπίνοντες).  They were misguided in their perspectives.