Matthew

Matthew 23

1Christ exhorteth to observe the doctrine, but not to follow the evil examples, of the scribes and Pharisees; and particularly not to imitate their ambition: 13he pronounceth various woes against them for their blindness and hypocrisy: 34and prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem.


1THEN aspake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

a Mar. 12.38-40. Lu. 20.45-47.

2Saying, bThe scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

b ch. 2.4. v.13,15,23,27,29. Mal. 2.7. Ne. 8.4. De. 33.5. Ezr. 7.10.

3cAll therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; dbut do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

c Ro. 13.1. Tit. 3.1. Is. 8.20. Jn. 5.39. d 2Ti. 3.5. Tit. 1.16. Ro. 2.1,2,17-25.

4eFor 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.

e Lu. 11.46. Is. 10.1. Ac. 15.10. Ga. 6.13.

5fBut all their works they do for to be seen of men: gthey make broad htheir *phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

*phylacteries-strips of parchment inscribed with texts in a small leather case bound on the forehead or left arm.

f ch. 6.1-16. g Nu. 15.38,39. De. 22.12; 6.8. Pr. 3.3. h Ex. 13.9.

6iAnd love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

i Mar. 12.38,39. Lu. 11.43; 20.46. 3Jn. 9. Pr. 16.18; 29.23. Hab. 2.4.

7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8jBut be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your kMaster, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

j Ja. 3.1. 1Co. 3.4. ch. 17.5. 2Co. 1.24. 1Pe. 5.3,4. k Jn. 13.13.

9And call no man your father upon the earth: lfor one is your Father, which is in heaven.

l Mal. 1.6. Jn. 6.45. ch. 5.16,48; 6.1,4,6,9,14,18,26,32; 7.11; 13.43; 19.17.

10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11mBut he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

m ch. 20.26,27; 18.3,4; 11.29. Jn. 13.12-17. Phi. 2.4-8. He. 5.8. Mar. 9.35.

12nAnd whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

n Lu. 14.11; 18.14. Da. 4.37. Job 22.29. Pr. 29.23. Lu. 1.51,52. Ja. 4.6. 1Pe. 5.5. Pr. 15.33.

13¶But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for oye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves , neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

o Lu. 11.52. Eze. 22.25. 2Ti. 3.6. Tit. 1.11.

14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for pye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the qgreater damnation.

p Mar. 12.40. Lu. 20.47. 2Ti. 3.5,6. Tit. 1.11. Job 22.9. q ch. 11.22,24. Lu. 12.47.

15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye rcompass sea and land to make one s*proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the tchild of hell than yourselves.

*proselyte-a convert to Judaism.

r Ga. 4.17. 2Ti. 3.6. Ac. 13.45; 14.2,19; 17.5,6,13. s Ac. 2.10; 6.5. t Jn. 8.44. Ac. 13.10. Ep. 2.3.

16Woe unto you, ye ublind guides, which say, vWhosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

u Is. 56.10,11. ch. 15.14. v ch. 5.33-35. Ja. 5.12. Je. 5.7. Eze. 21.23.

17Ye wfools and blind: for *whether is greater, the gold, xor the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

*whether-which (of two).

w ch. 3.7; 12.34. Ps. 94.8. Jn. 8.44. Ac. 13.10; 23.3. ch. 5.22. x Ex. 30.29; 29.37. v.19.

18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is 1guilty.

1Or, debtor, or, bound.

19Ye fools and blind: for *whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that ysanctifieth the gift?

*whether-which (of two).

y v.17. Ex. 29.37; 30.29.

20Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by zhim that dwelleth therein.

z 1Ki. 8.13. 2Ch. 7.2; 6.2. Ps. 26.8; 132.13,14.

22And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by ahim that sitteth thereon.

a ch. 5.34. Ps. 11.4. Is. 57.15; 66.1. Re. 4.2,3. Da. 7.9. Ac. 7.49.

23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! bfor ye *pay tithe of mint and 2anise 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.

*pay tithe-give a tenth.

2Gr. dill.

*cummin-a plant like fennel with hot seeds, used as a spice.

b Lu. 11.42. ch. 9.13; 12.7. 1Sa. 15.22. Je. 22.15,16. Ho. 6.6. Pr. 21.3. Mi. 6.8. Ga. 5.22,23.

24Ye cblind guides, which dstrain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

c v.16,17. d v.23. ch. 15.2-6. Jn. 18.28,40.

25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! efor ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the *platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

*platter-dish.

e Lu. 11.39. Mar. 7.4. ch. 15.19,20.

26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and *platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

*platter-dish.

27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are flike unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men 's bones, and of gall uncleanness.

f Lu. 11.44. Ac. 23.3. ch. 7.15,21. Is. 58.2. Eze. 33.31. 2Ti. 3.5. Tit. 1.16. g Nu. 19.16.

28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because hye build the tombs of the prophets, and igarnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

h Lu. 11.47-51. i Lu. 11.25.

30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them jin the blood of the prophets.

j v.34,37. 2Ch. 36.15,16. ch. 21.35,36; 22.6.

31Wherefore kye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are lthe children of them which killed the prophets.

k Jos. 24.22. Lu. 19.22. Job 15.5,6. Ps. 64.8. l Ac. 7.51,52. 1Th. 2.15. 2Ch. 36.16.

32mFill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

m Je. 15.16. 1Th. 2.16. Ge. 15.16. Nu. 32.14. Ps. 69.27.

33Ye nserpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

n ch. 3.7; 12.34. Jn. 8.44. Is. 1.15. He. 2.3; 10.29; 12.25,26.

34¶Wherefore, behold, oI send unto you prophets, and wise men, and pscribes: 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:

*scourge-whip.

o 2Ch. 36.15,16. Ne. 9.26. Lu. 11.49-51. ch. 10.17. Ac. 5.40; 7.51,52,59; 22.19; 8.4; 12.2; 21-25. 1Th. 2.15,16. 2Co. 11.24,25. Re. 18.24. He. 11.37. p ch. 13.52.

35That qupon 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.

q Ex. 20.5. Mi. 6.16. Ge. 9.5,6. Ps. 9.12. Ge. 4.8. 2Ch. 24.20-22. Zec. 1.1. Re. 18.24.

36*Verily I say unto you, rAll these things shall come upon this generation.

*Verily-surely, truly.

r Eze. 7.2-12; 12.21-28. ch. 24.34. 1Pe. 4.17,18.

37sO Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, thow often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and uye would not!

s Lu. 19.42; 13.34,35. v.30,31,34. ch. 21.35,36; 22.6. 2Ch. 36.15,16; 24.21,22. Ne. 9.26. Ac. 7.52,59. t De. 32.29. Ps. 81.10; 50.7. Lu. 19.42. De. 32.11,12. Ps. 17.8; 91.4. u Ps. 69.26. Is. 1.7. Mi. 3.12. Ps. 81.11,12. Ho. 11.2,7. Pr. 1.24,25.

38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39For I say unto you, vYe shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, wBlessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

v Pr. 1.26-30. Jn. 8.21,24; 7.34. Lu. 21.24. Ho. 3.4,5. w ch. 21.9. Ps. 118.26.