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Matthew 23
New International Version

A Warning Against Hypocrisy(A)(B)

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law(C) and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.(D)

5 “Everything they do is done for people to see:(E) They make their phylacteries[a](F) wide and the tassels on their garments(G) long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;(H) 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.(I)

8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,(J) and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(K) 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.(L)

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!(M) You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.(N) [14] [b]

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,(O) and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell(P) as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides!(Q) You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’(R) 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?(S) 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?(T) 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells(U) in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.(V)

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth(W) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.(X) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides!(Y) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,(Z) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.(AA) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(AB) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets(AC) and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.(AD) 32 Go ahead, then, and complete(AE) what your ancestors started!(AF)

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!(AG) How will you escape being condemned to hell?(AH) 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;(AI) others you will flog in your synagogues(AJ) and pursue from town to town.(AK) 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel(AL) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,(AM) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.(AN) 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.(AO)

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,(AP) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(AQ) and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.(AR) 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.’[c]”(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:5 That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm
  2. Matthew 23:14 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
  3. Matthew 23:39 Psalm 118:26
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Matthew 23
New English Translation

Seven Woes

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The[a] experts in the law[b] and the Pharisees[c] sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.[d] 4 They[e] tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 5 They[f] do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries[g] wide and their tassels[h] long. 6 They[i] love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues[j] 7 and elaborate greetings[k] in the marketplaces,[l] and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.[m] 11 The[n] greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, experts in the law[o] and you Pharisees, hypocrites![p] You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven![q] For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.[r]

15 “Woe to you, experts in the law[s] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,[t] and when you get one,[u] you make him twice as much a child of hell[v] as yourselves!

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.[w] But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.[x] But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 19 You are blind! 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 the one who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, experts in the law[y] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth[z] of mint, dill, and cumin,[aa] yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You[ab] should have done these things without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel![ac]

25 “Woe to you, experts in the law[ad] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[ae] so that the outside may become clean too!

27 “Woe to you, experts in the law[af] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs[ag] that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, experts in the law[ah] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You[ai] build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves[aj] of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,[ak] we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?[al]

34 “For this reason I[am] am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,[an] some of whom you will kill and crucify,[ao] and some you will flog[ap] in your synagogues[aq] and pursue from town to town, 35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,[ar] whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth,[as] this generation will be held responsible for all these things![at]

Judgment on Israel

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,[au] you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you![av] How often I have longed[aw] to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but[ax] you would have none of it![ay] 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! 39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[az]

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:2 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  2. Matthew 23:2 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  3. Matthew 23:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  4. Matthew 23:3 tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”
  5. Matthew 23:4 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  6. Matthew 23:5 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  7. Matthew 23:5 sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.
  8. Matthew 23:5 tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).
  9. Matthew 23:6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  10. Matthew 23:6 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
  11. Matthew 23:7 sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
  12. Matthew 23:7 sn See the note on marketplaces in Matt 11:16.
  13. Matthew 23:10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
  14. Matthew 23:11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  15. Matthew 23:13 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  16. Matthew 23:13 tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (hoti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).
  17. Matthew 23:13 tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”
  18. Matthew 23:13 tc Many of the most significant mss (א B D L Z Θ ƒ1 33 892* and several versional witnesses) lack 23:14 “Woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ property, and as a show you pray long prayers! Therefore you will receive a more severe punishment.” Part or all of the verse is contained (either after v. 12 or after v. 13) in W Γ Δ 0102 0107 ƒ13 565 579 700 1241 1424 M and several versions. Note also that Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 are very similar in wording and are not disputed textually. It is difficult to see this verse as authentic in Matthew in light of the two locations, variants withing this addition, and the key witnesses, early and diverse, that lack the verse itself. It almost certainly is not original. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
  19. Matthew 23:15 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  20. Matthew 23:15 tn Or “one proselyte.”
  21. Matthew 23:15 tn Grk “when he becomes [one].”
  22. Matthew 23:15 tn Grk “a son of Gehenna.” Expressions constructed with υἱός (huios) followed by a genitive of class or kind denote a person belonging to the class or kind specified by the following genitive (L&N 9.4). Thus the phrase here means “a person who belongs to hell.”sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
  23. Matthew 23:16 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”
  24. Matthew 23:18 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”
  25. Matthew 23:23 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  26. Matthew 23:23 tn Or “you tithe mint.”
  27. Matthew 23:23 sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
  28. Matthew 23:23 tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ ƒ1, 13 579 700 1241 1424 pm lat mae bo; SBL). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional scribal alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA28 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
  29. Matthew 23:24 tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”
  30. Matthew 23:25 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  31. Matthew 23:26 tc A very difficult textual problem is found here. The most significant Alexandrian and Byzantine, as well as key Western, witnesses (א B C L W Γ Δ 0102 0281 ƒ13 33 565 579 1241 1424 M lat co; SBL) have “and the dish” (καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, kai tēs paropsidos) after “cup,” while a few major witnesses (D Θ ƒ1 700 and some versional and patristic authorities) omit the phrase. On the one hand, scribes sometimes tended to eliminate redundancy; since “and the dish” is already present in v. 25, it may have been deleted in v. 26 by well-meaning copyists. On the other hand, as Metzger notes, the singular pronoun αὐτοῦ (autou, “its”) with τὸ ἐκτός (to ektos, “the outside”) in some of the same witnesses that have the longer reading (viz., B* ƒ13 al) hints that their archetype lacked the words (TCGNT 50). Further, scribes would be motivated both to add the phrase from v. 25 and to change αὐτοῦ to the plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autōn, “their”). Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is not compelling in itself, combined with these two prongs of internal evidence, it is to be slightly preferred.
  32. Matthew 23:27 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  33. Matthew 23:27 sn This was an idiom for hypocrisy—just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (for discussion of a similar metaphor, see L&N 88.234; BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). See Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:3.
  34. Matthew 23:29 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  35. Matthew 23:29 tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὅτι (hoti) has not been translated.
  36. Matthew 23:29 tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75-76).
  37. Matthew 23:30 tn Grk “fathers” (so also in v. 32).
  38. Matthew 23:33 tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.”sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
  39. Matthew 23:34 tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  40. Matthew 23:34 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  41. Matthew 23:34 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
  42. Matthew 23:34 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
  43. Matthew 23:34 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
  44. Matthew 23:35 sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Barachiou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
  45. Matthew 23:36 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  46. Matthew 23:36 tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”
  47. Matthew 23:37 sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
  48. Matthew 23:37 tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your…you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill…sent to you”).
  49. Matthew 23:37 sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
  50. Matthew 23:37 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  51. Matthew 23:37 tn Grk “you were not willing.”
  52. Matthew 23:39 sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
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Matthew 23
Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Jesus Tells The Crowds: Do Not Act Like The Scribes And Pharisees

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying— “The scribes and the Pharisees sat-down[a] on the seat of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and be keeping all that they tell you. But do not be acting[b] in accordance with their works. For they say things and do not do them. 4 And they bind-up heavy and hard-to-bear burdens[c] and lay them on the shoulders of people. But they are not willing to move[d] them with their finger. 5 And they do all their works so-as to be seen by people. For they widen their phylacteries[e] and lengthen their tassels[f]. 6 And they love the place-of-honor[g] at the banquets, and the seats-of-honor[h] in the synagogues, 7 and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’[i] by people. 8 But you— do not be called[j] ‘Rabbi’. For One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call[k] one on earth your father. For One is your Father— the heavenly One. 10 Nor be called master-teachers[l], because your master-teacher is One— the Christ. 11 But the greater[m] of you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.

Woe To You, Scribes And Pharisees. You Are Blind Guides. How Will You Escape Hell?

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are shutting the kingdom of the heavens in-front-of [n] people. For you are not entering, nor are you permitting the ones entering to enter. 14 [o] 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go-around the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte. And when he becomes one, you make him a son of Gehenna[p] double-more than you. 16 Woe to you, blind guides— the ones saying, ‘Whoever swears-an-oath by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears-an-oath by the gold of the temple, he is obligated’. 17 Foolish and blind ones! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple having sanctified[q] the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears-an-oath by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever swears-an-oath by the gift[r] on it, he is obligated’. 19 Blind ones! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar sanctifying the gift? 20 Therefore, the one having sworn by the altar is swearing by it and by all the things on it. 21 And the one having sworn by the temple is swearing by it and by the One dwelling-in[s] it. 22 And the one having sworn by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One sitting on it. 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are giving-a-tenth-of the mint and the dill and the cummin, and you neglected[t] the weightier things of the Law— the justice, and the mercy, and the faithfulness[u]. But you ought-to-have done these things, and not be neglecting those things. 24 Blind guides— the ones straining-out[v] the gnat, but swallowing[w] the camel! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full from[x] [your] plundering and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee— first cleanse the inside of the cup, in order that the outside of it may also become clean! 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are similar to burial-places having been whitewashed[y], which outside appear beautiful, but inside are full of bones of dead ones and all impurity! 28 So also you outside appear righteous to people— but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness! 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build the burial-places of the prophets and adorn[z] the tombs of the righteous ones, 30 and say, ‘If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets’. 31 So then, you are testifying concerning yourselves that you are sons[aa] of the ones having murdered the prophets. 32 And you— fill-up[ab] the measure of your fathers! 33 Snakes, brood of vipers, how may you escape from the condemnation of [ac] Gehenna?

God Will Avenge The Blood of All The Righteous On You. Your House Is Left Desolate

34 “For this reason behold, I am sending-forth prophets and wise ones and scribes[ad] to you— some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city— 35 so that all the righteous blood being shed on the earth[ae] may come upon you[af]: from the blood of Abel[ag] the righteous one, up to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning the ones having been sent-forth to her. How often I wanted to gather together your children the way a hen gathers together her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it. 38 Behold— your house is being left to you desolate[ah]. 39 For I say to you, you will by no means see Me[ai] from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord’”.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:2 That is, they took their seat as teachers of the Law.
  2. Matthew 23:3 Lit, doing. That is, Do what they teach you from the Law, but do not be doing what they do.
  3. Matthew 23:4 Jesus is referring to their traditions, their man-made rules of conduct.
  4. Matthew 23:4 That is, to help those carrying them; or, to carry them themselves.
  5. Matthew 23:5 That is, the small leather boxes worn on the forehead and arm, containing Ex 13:1-10, 11-16; Deut 6:4-9; 11:13-21. This symbolized guarding oneself to keep the commandments, in literal obedience to Ex 13:9, 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18. But the Pharisees made them bigger for show.
  6. Matthew 23:5 That is, the tassels the Jews wore on the four corners of their garments in obedience to Num 15:38-41. Jesus Himself wore them, Mt 9:20; 14:36. But they lengthened them for show.
  7. Matthew 23:6 Lit, the first reclining place (they reclined to eat); the foremost place to eat.
  8. Matthew 23:6 Lit, first seats, foremost seats.
  9. Matthew 23:7 Or, Teacher.
  10. Matthew 23:8 Do not accept the title of ‘teacher’, elevating you above your brothers and sisters. God is your teacher.
  11. Matthew 23:9 Do not give out such honor to others by calling them ‘father’.
  12. Matthew 23:10 That is, the honored teaching expert who leads the way in a thing.
  13. Matthew 23:11 Or, greatest.
  14. Matthew 23:13 You pull the door shut from the outside before they can enter.
  15. Matthew 23:14 Some manuscripts have here, ‘And woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of the widows, and are praying long for a pretense. Because of this, you will receive a greater condemnation’.
  16. Matthew 23:15 That is, hell. You make converts to Phariseeism, not to God.
  17. Matthew 23:17 Or, consecrated, made holy.
  18. Matthew 23:18 That is, the sacrificial offering.
  19. Matthew 23:21 Or, inhabiting. God dwelled in this temple in the same way as in all the earth, not in a local sense, as said in Act 7:48; 17:24. Yet He also dwelled in it as the place where He chose to be worshiped by His people Israel in accordance with the Law He gave them.
  20. Matthew 23:23 Or, let go, left behind.
  21. Matthew 23:23 That is, fidelity, being trustworthy. Or, faith.
  22. Matthew 23:24 Or, filtering.
  23. Matthew 23:24 Gnats and camels were both unclean under the Law of Moses. Jesus does not fault the Pharisees for their over-attention to micro-matters (they actually filtered the gnats out of their drinks), but for their under-attention to the big issues (they figuratively swallowed camels).
  24. Matthew 23:25 Or, of. The cup is full with the things resulting from your greedy and self-indulgent actions.
  25. Matthew 23:27 A month before Passover, burial places were whitewashed to prevent pilgrims from accidentally coming in contact with them and becoming ceremonially unclean.
  26. Matthew 23:29 Or, decorate, put in order.
  27. Matthew 23:31 That is, you share the traits of your fathers who murdered the prophets. Compare Lk 11:48.
  28. Matthew 23:32 This is a command. Do what is in your hearts! Do what your fathers did!
  29. Matthew 23:33 That is, consisting of. The sentence consisting of hell.
  30. Matthew 23:34 Jesus is referring to the apostles and others whom He will send after His death.
  31. Matthew 23:35 Or, land.
  32. Matthew 23:35 That is, so that the bloodguilt of your fathers may be avenged upon you as you repeat their crimes on those I send.
  33. Matthew 23:35 Abel to Zechariah. That is, from the first recorded murder in the OT to the last (in the Hebrew order of books).
  34. Matthew 23:38 Or, deserted, empty.
  35. Matthew 23:39 That is, as Messiah, son of God. These words represent the end of the public ministry of Jesus to Israel.
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