That the blood - That the particle ινα may be translated so that, pointing out the event only, not the design or intention, Bishop Pearce has well shown in his note on this place, where he refers to a like use of the word in Luke 9:45; Luke 14:10; John 10:17; Romans 5:20; Romans 11:11; 1 Corinthians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 1:31, etc.

That the blood of all the prophets,.... The same with "all the righteous blood", or the blood of all the righteous men, in Matthew 23:35,

which was shed from the foundation of the world: for there were prophets from the beginning, which prophesied of Christ, Luke 1:70 and whose blood was shed very early; for Abel, the son of the first man, and who was the first whose blood was shed, was not only a righteous man, but a prophet; for by the sacrifice which he offered up, he gave a prophetical hint of the sacrifice of Christ, in that he spoke beforehand of it, as being dead he yet speaks: and now the Lord was about to send apostolical prophets, whom the Jews would slay, and he would suffer them to slay, that so the blood of all the former ones,

may be required of this generation; and they be punished for it: just as in Babylon will be found, when God makes inquisition for blood, as he sooner or later always does, the blood of the prophets and saints, and of all that are slain upon earth, ever since Rome papal has been in power, Revelation 18:24.

That the blood of all the prophets, which was {m} shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

(m) That you may be called to give an account for it, yea, and be punished for the shedding of that blood of the prophets.

11:50 The blood of all shall be required of this generation - That is, shall be visibly and terribly punished upon it.

50. all . required of this generation-As it was only in the last generation of them that "the iniquity of the Amorites was full" (Ge 15:16), and then the abominations of ages were at once completely and awfully avenged, so the iniquity of Israel was allowed to accumulate from age to age till in that generation it came to the full, and the whole collected vengeance of Heaven broke at once over its devoted head. In the first French Revolution the same awful principle was exemplified, and Christendom has not done with it yet.

prophets-in the New Testament sense (Mt 23:34; see 1Co 12:28).

11:37-54 We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we may glory in reproaches, for Christ's sake, and that thy Holy Spirit may rest upon us.