Matthew 23 (KJV)

Matthew 23:1–12

Warnings about the scribes and Pharisees

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Jesus tells the crowds and his disciples to do what the scribes and Pharisees teach but not to follow their example, since they do not practise what they preach. They load burdens on others, act for show and love honours and titles. Jesus' followers should not seek titles such as 'Rabbi', 'father' or 'master'; the greatest among them must be a servant.

What does this mean?

'Moses' seat' means the position of authority to teach the Law. 'Phylacteries' are small leather boxes containing verses of scripture, worn on the arm and forehead at prayer (from Deuteronomy 6:8); 'borders' or 'fringes' are the tassels on garments. 'Rabbi' means 'my master' or 'my teacher'.

Historical context

Stone seats found in ancient synagogues, such as one at Chorazin, have been suggested as examples of a 'seat of Moses'.

Why does it matter?

Chapter 23 contains Jesus' harshest words in the Gospels. Many scholars think it also reflects bitter disputes between Matthew's community and synagogue leaders after AD 70, and historians caution that it is not a balanced portrait of the Pharisees, many of whom were devout and respected. These words have been misused to fuel prejudice against Jews.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 23:13–22

Woes: closed doors and empty oaths

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Jesus pronounces a series of 'woes' on the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites: they shut people out of the kingdom, exploit widows while making long prayers, travel far to win a single convert only to make him worse, and use hair-splitting rules about which oaths are binding.

What does this mean?

A 'proselyte' was a Gentile convert to Judaism. 'Child of hell' (KJV) or 'son of Gehenna' (WEB) means someone destined for judgment. 'He is a debtor' (KJV) means he is bound by the oath.

Historical context

The woe about widows' houses (KJV 23:14, WEB 23:13) is missing from the earliest manuscripts and is thought to have come from Mark 12:40; the two translations also number these verses differently. How actively Jews sought converts in this period is debated, but there were certainly Gentile converts.

Why does it matter?

The woes form a counterpart to the Beatitudes that opened Jesus' first discourse. The teaching on oaths repeats 5:33–37: everything people swear by belongs to God.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 23:23–28

Woes: outward show

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Jesus continues: they tithe even garden herbs but neglect justice, mercy and faithfulness; they strain out a gnat but swallow a camel; they clean the outside of cup and dish while the inside is full of greed; they are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful outside but full of bones.

What does this mean?

To 'tithe' was to give a tenth of produce for the temple and priests. 'Anise' (KJV) or 'dill' (WEB), mint and cummin were small kitchen herbs. 'Strain at a gnat' (KJV) means strain out a gnat, as the WEB has: wine was strained to remove insects, which were unclean.

Historical context

According to later Jewish sources, tombs were marked with whitewash, especially before festivals, so that pilgrims would not touch them by accident and become ritually unclean.

Why does it matter?

Jesus does not dismiss the small duties ('these ye ought to have done'), but criticises losing sight of the weightier ones. The gnat and camel may involve a pun in Aramaic, where the two words sound alike.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 23:29–36

Woe to those who build the prophets' tombs

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

In the last woe, Jesus says that those who build monuments to the prophets, claiming they would not have killed them, show themselves heirs of those who did. He calls them snakes, says they will persecute the messengers he sends, and declares that the guilt for all righteous blood, from Abel to Zechariah, will fall on this generation.

What does this mean?

'Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers' (KJV) means complete what your ancestors began. 'Generation of vipers' (KJV) echoes John the Baptist (3:7).

Historical context

Monumental tombs attributed to prophets and other ancient figures stood around Jerusalem in this period. Abel is the first murder victim in the Bible (Genesis 4); Zechariah son of Jehoiada was stoned in the temple court (2 Chronicles 24:20–22), the last murder in the traditional order of the Hebrew Bible. Matthew calls him 'son of Barachiah', the name of the prophet Zechariah's father (Zechariah 1:1); explanations for this differ.

Why does it matter?

Many scholars connect the judgment on 'this generation' with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Matthew 23:37–39

Lament over Jerusalem

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! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Jesus laments over Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets: he has longed to gather its people as a hen gathers her chicks, but they would not. Their 'house' will be left desolate, and they will not see him again until they say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'

What does this mean?

'House' may mean the temple, the city or the nation; many interpreters think the temple is chiefly in view, since Jesus next predicts its destruction (24:2). The closing words are from Psalm 118:26, shouted by the crowds at his entry (21:9).

Why does it matter?

A mother bird sheltering her young is an image used of God in the Jewish scriptures (Deuteronomy 32:11; Psalm 91:4), and the lament reads as grief rather than mere condemnation. Interpreters differ on whether the final line holds out hope for Jerusalem's future welcome or announces judgment.

Editorial notes, not scripture.