Matthew 23 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Matthew 23

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,¹ and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi² by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.³ 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.⁴ 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell⁵ as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah,⁶ whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Footnotes

[1] 23:4 Some manuscripts omit hard to bear
[2] 23:7 Rabbi means my teacher, or my master; also verse 8
[3] 23:8 Or brothers and sisters
[4] 23:13 Some manuscripts add here (or after verse 12) verse 14: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation
[5] 23:15 Greek Gehenna; also verse 33
[6] 23:35 Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah

Commentary

v1-2: The Lord's criticism of hypocritical leaders, both before the multitudes and His disciples. We see relevant teaching brought in, as the Lord points out serious errors in the scribes' (teachers of the law) and Pharisees' doctrine and practice. They sit in Moses' seat, having authority; they therefore have greater accountability and responsibility.

v3: They say and do not do; the heart of hypocrisy. Words without actions are empty and meaningless, 7.21-23.

v4: They lay heavy burdens, man-made regulations. Their motive is to gain God's approval, but they don't encourage others to be obedient, and certainly don't free them to enjoy God. See also Acts 15.10, where Peter speaks of a burden too great to bear.

v5-7: By their words they claim to obey God, but by their actions they seek the praise of man. Greetings in the market-places refers to this sort of public recognition. They steal the honour due to God, and to His Son.

The "phylacteries" (or TEPHILLIN) contained the following sections of the OT: Ex 13.1-16; Deut 6.4-9; 11.13-21. They were a literal application of the teaching that the law of God should be on the forehead.

These verses were famously quoted by Giralamo Savonarola to describe the ‘priests’ of his day; ‘In the early church there were chalices of wood and leaders of gold; in these days the church has golden chalices and wooden leaders!’

Originally, synagogue attendees sat on the floor. Later there were chairs, as services became longer. The Rabbis and Pharisees would sit facing the congregation on the 'most important seats.' Jesus criticised the practice of those who sought such honour. They were literally sitting between the people and God!

v8-12: The opportunity for positive teaching. Jesus' attack on religious hypocrisy is not just a negative tirade, but rather a measured, although severe, criticism. Here He brings relevant teaching for all.

The leaders seek respect from men, having titles, Rabbi, Teacher, Father; the teaching and the example of Jesus is that we be servants, that we humble ourselves, and that we not seek praise from men. John Newton says; '.... so as to yield an implicit and unqualified submission to human teachers, while he borrows every help he can from others, he ventures likewise to think for himself.'

v13-33: The eight woes, stinging denunciations of hypocrisy.

v13: The true teacher opens the door of heaven. The false teacher offers much, but delivers little. He is a deceiver, leading disciples away from the truth.

v14: Inconsistency; long prayers to impress others, but at the same time "devout widows' houses," impoverishing others for personal gain.

v15: They make others their followers, rather than followers of God.

v16-22: The folly of making oaths; the "blind guides" insist that some oaths are binding and others are not. In truth, a person who makes an oath is bound by it; yet the spiritual man does not make oaths, see 5.33-37, for his word is enough.

Our words are uttered before God, and we must therefore be careful what we say, see 12.36-37.

v23-24: The scribes and Pharisees emphasise small things, but neglect the more important (weightier - RAV) matters. We are taught to get the important things right first, and then the other things will fit into place; we are not to neglect any area of obedience.

v25-28: Hypocrisy; outwardly righteous, but rotten at heart; the appearance is different from the reality. The Lord's accusation is severe;

They are full of greed and self-indulgence;
They are full of hypocrisy and wickedness;
Their lives contrast sharply with their claim to uphold the law.

These tombs were graves of persons whose bodies were discovered by accident; so were buried where they were found. To avoid ritual uncleanness they were painted white. (Jews held that uncleanness pased from underground to a person standing above the body.)

v29-32: Their forefathers rejected the prophets and righteous men; but now they claim to honour their memory, but reject the Son of God Himself. The parable of the tenants addresses this attitude also, see 21.33-45.

v33: See John 3.7; for Jesus uses John's words. The hypocrites are assured of judgment. There is "wrath to come," as John warned, which will fall on this generation.

v34: The testimony of prophets, wise men, and teachers, all sent by God, but mistreated by the people, especially the religious leaders; see 21.35-36; 22.6.

v35: The blood of all the prophets falls on this generation, compare 27.25.

This verse is also significant, since Abel is the first righteous man killed in the Jewish OT, and Zechariah the last (2 Chr 24.20), indicating his acceptance of the whole OT. (Chronicles is the last book in the Jewish OT.) It was said that Zechariah's blood did not dry for 250 years, until the final defeat of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.

v36: Immediate and inevitable judgment.

v37-39: Christ's grace and concern, His willingness to receive. He has a genuine sorrow over people's folly and rebellion, "You were not willing." In fulfilling the parable of the tenants, God has sent many prophets, and now sends His only Son.

There are clear consequences of their rebellion;

Being condemned to hell (v33);
The righteous blood falls on this generation (v35);
Their house is left desolate.