Matthew 23
23
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples: 2“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,#23:2. Literally, “sit in Moses' seat.” 3so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them. 5Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes#23:5. Or “phylacteries.” These were leather boxes tied to the forehead and arms containing written texts: Exodus 13:1-6 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21. to wear and long tassels on their clothes.#23:5. These tassels were to show their devotion to God. See Numbers 15:37-41. 6They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues. 7They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’#23:7 This is a Hebrew word meaning “my great one,” and was used as a term of respect for religious teachers.
8Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13But what a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves don't go in, yet you don't let anyone in who is trying to enter. 14#23:14. Verse 14 is not in the most reliable early manuscripts. 15What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when you do, you make him twice a son of Gehenna#23:15. “Gehenna” (see under 5:22). The emphasis here is on the destiny of the wicked. as you are yourselves. 16What a disaster is coming on those of you who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple that doesn't count, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you have to keep your oath.’ What blind guides you are! 17What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy? 18You say, ‘If you swear on the altar that doesn't count, but if you swear on the sacrifice that's on the altar, then you have to keep your oath.’ 19How foolish and blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy? 20If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it. 21If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there. 22If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, aniseed, and cumin, but you neglect the vital aspects of the law—doing good, showing mercy, exercising trust. Yes, you should pay your tithe, but don't forget these other things. 24You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you're full of greed and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, looking good on the outside, but on the inside full of skeletons and all kinds of rottenness.#23:27. Literally, “uncleanness.” 28You're just the same. On the outside you look like good people to others, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29What a disaster is coming on you religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs as memorials to the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the good, 30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the times of our ancestors we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets! 32So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods! 33You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?#23:33. “Gehenna” (see under 5:22). Referring to the end-time judgment.
34That's why I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, hunting them from town to town. 35As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of all the good people that has been poured out on the land—from the blood of Abel, who did what was right, to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the Temple and the altar.
36I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation. 37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you wouldn't let me. 38Now look—your house#23:38. The word house may refer to the Temple. is left abandoned, totally empty. 39I tell you this: you won't see me from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”#23:39. Quoting Psalms 118:26.
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Matthew 23: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 23
23
Seven Woes Pronounced on the Scribes and Pharisees
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. 3Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as they do,#Literally “their deeds” for they tell others to do something#*The words “others to do something” are not in the Greek text but are implied and do not do it themselves.#*The words “it themselves” are not in the Greek text but are implied 4And they tie up heavy burdens#Some manuscripts have “burdens that are heavy and hard to bear” and put them#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing with their finger to move them. 5And they do all their deeds in order to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries broad and make their#Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun tassels long. 6And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues 7and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people. 8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because one is your teacher, and you are all brothers, 9And do not call anyone#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation your father on earth, for one is your heavenly Father. 10And do not be called teachers, because one is your teacher, the Christ. 11And the greatest among you will be your servant. 12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in#*Here the present tense has been translated as voluntative (“wanting to go in”) to enter.#The most important Greek manuscripts omit v. 14, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you devour widows’ houses and for show you pray long prayers! Therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.”
15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are!
16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’#The phrase “by his oath” is not in the Greek text but is implied 17Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? 18And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’#The phrase “by his oath” is not in the Greek text but is implied 19Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? 20Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. 21And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it.
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary#Some manuscripts have “But it was necessary” to do these things while not neglecting those.#Literally “and those not to neglect” 24Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a 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 of greed and self-indulgence! 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish,#Some manuscripts omit “and the dish” so that the outside of it may become clean also.
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean! 28In the same way, on the outside you also 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 tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets!’ 31Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets! 32And you—fill up the measure of your fathers! 33Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation to hell? 34For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, 35so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation!
The Lament over Jerusalem
37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together the way#Literally “in the manner in which” a hen gathers her young together under her#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun wings, and you were not willing! 38Behold, your house has been left to you desolate! 39For I tell you, you will never see me from now on until you say,
‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”#A quotation from Ps 118:26
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