The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
Matthew 23
Chapter XXIII · Vol. IV, pp. 97–98
1 Christ exhorteth the people to follow the good doctrine, not the evil examples, of the scribes and Pharisees. 5 His disciples must beware of their ambition. 13 He denounceth divers woes against their hypocrisy and blindness: 34 and prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem.
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, 1The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:2Cited in WLC 130
1 ch.2.4: ver.13,15,23.27,29. Mal.2.7. Ne.8.4. De.33.5. Perhaps it means, that they were civil governors as Moses was.
2 They were the public and recognized expounders and administrators of the Mosaic law. As such they were to be obeyed—whatever they taught out of the law, whatever they ordered in accordance with the law, was to be strictly attended to. This implies a careful examination of Pharisaic teaching. The people were commanded to obey, but not blindly.—P.
3 Alla therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; bbut do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For4 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.Cited in WLC 130
5 Butc all their works they do for to be seen of men: dthey make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
c ch.6.1-16.
d Nu.15.38,39. De.22.12; 6.8. Pr.3.3.
5 Scraps of parchment, with some sentences of the law written on them, fastened to their forehead or hand.
8 Butg be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.Cited in WCF 20.2, 25.6
g Ja.3.1. 1 Co.3.4, with ch.17.5. 2 Co.1.24. 1 Pe.5.3,4.
9 And call no man your father7 upon the earth: hfor one is your Father, which is in heaven.Cited in WLC 105 · WCF 20.2, 25.6
10 Neither be ye called masters:8 for one is your Master, even Christ.Cited in WCF 20.2, 25.6
8 Masters—rather, 'leaders;' claiming to be guides of the judgments and consciences of men, as the scribes and Pharisees did; telling the people that they must believe all their doctrines, and obey all their injunctions, as the teachings and commandments of God.—C.
11 Buti he that is greatest among you, shall be your servant.
i ch.20.26,27; 18.3,4; 11.29. Jn.13.12-17. Phi.2.4-8. He.5.8.
12 Andj whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself, shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for 9ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.Cited in WLC 109
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses,1 and for a pretence make long prayer:2 therefore ye shall receive the kgreater damnation.Cited in WLC 113
1 Mar.12.40. Lu.20.47. 2 Ti.3.5,6. Tit.1.11. Job 22.9; i.e. rob them of their property.
k ch.11.22,24. Lu.12.47.
2 The prayers of some of the Pharisees are said to have extended to three hours. Yet it is not their length that is condemned; for our Lord continued all night praying (Lu.6.12); the thing condemned is the principle of their length—a pretence of devotion which was not felt.—C.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye lcompass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold3 more the nchild of hell than yourselves.4Cited in WLC 151
A.M. cir. 4037. A.D. cir. 33.
l Gal.4.17. 2 Ti.3.6. Ac.13.45; 14.2,19; 17.5,6,13.
3 More furiously mad against the gospel.
4 Twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. You are guilty of one hell-deserving sin, hypocrisy—he of apostasy from his own religion, to which you have persuaded him, and hypocrisy in yours, in which you have initiated and trained him. Besides, the proselytes became doubly more zealous in opposing the truth and propagating error.—C.
16 Woe unto you, oye blind guides, which say, Whosoever5 shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold6 of the temple, he is a debtor.Cited in HC 102
o Is.56.10,11. ch.15.14.
5 ch.5.33,34. Ja.5.12. Je.5.7. Eze.21.23. They pretended that a man's oath by the temple did not bind him, unless he swore by the consecrated treasures of the temple.
6 Either the golden platings, altar, vessels, or treasures.—He is a debtor, to pay his vow.—C.
17 Yep fools, and blind! for whether is greater, the gold, qor the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.7
7 Or, debtor or bound.
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by thim that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ufor ye pay tithe of mint, and 8anise, 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.Cited in WCF 16.7
u Lu.11.42, with ch.9.13; 12.7. 1 Sa.15.22. Je.22.15,16. Ho.6.6. Pr.21.3. Mi.6.8. Gal.5.22,23.
8 Gr. dill.
24 Yev blind guides! which strain9 at a 1gnat, and swallow a camel.2
v See ver.16,17.
9 ver.23; ch.15.2-6. Jn.18.28,40. They scrupled to commit lesser sins, and indulged themselves in greater.
1 Strain at a gnat. In the English edition of the Bible, 1568, it is 'strain out a gnat'—which is the correct translation. There can scarcely be a doubt that the translators of the authorized version intended to retain this rendering; but the word at having crept in, by a natural typographical error, has ever since continued to be copied.—C.
2 Swallow a camel. A proverbial expression for a great sin sanctioned by a conscience that pretends to great scrupulosity. The Jews would not defile themselves with going into Pilate's judgment-hall (Jn.18.28); but they scrupled not to buy, and shed the blood of the Lord of glory; The Inquisition would not defile themselves with blood, but they condemned the innocent as a heretic, delivered him over to the secular arm, commended him to mercy, and knew he would be burned!—C.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! xfor ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.Cited in WLC 142
26 Thou blind Pharisee! cleanse3 first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are ylike unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because zye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
A.M. cir. 4037. A.D. cir. 33.
z Lu.11.47-51.
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them ain the blood of the prophets.
a ver.34,37. 2 Ch.36.15,16. See ch.21.35,36; 22.6.
31 Wherefore bye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are cthe children of them which killed the prophets.
b Jos.24.22. Lu.19.22. Job 15.5,6. Ps.64.8.
34 Wherefore, behold, gI 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:
g 2 Ch.30.15,16. Ne.9.26. Lu.11.49. ch.10.17. Ac.5.40; 7.51,52,59; 22.19; 8.4; 12.2; xxi.-xxv. 1 Th.2.15,16. 2 Co.11.24,25. Re.18.24. He.11.37.
35 That hupon 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.
36 Verily I say unto you, iAll these things shall come upon this generation.
i Eze.7.2-12; 12.21-28. ch.24.34. 1 Pe.4.17,18.
37 Oj Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, khow often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and lye would not!
j Lu.19.42; 13.34. See ver.30,31,34: ch.21.35,36; 22.6. 2 Ch.30.15,16; 24.21,22. Ne.9.26. Ac.7.52,59.
k De.32.29. Ps.81.10; 50.7. Lu.19.42, with De.32.11,12. Ps.17.8; 91.4.
l Ps.69.26. Is.1.7. Mi.3.12. Ps.81.11,12. Ho.11.2,7. Pr.1.24,25.
38 Behold, your house4 is left unto you desolate.
4 Temple, ch.24.2. Lu.19.44. 2 Ch.7.20-22. Zec.11.6.
39 For I say unto you, nYe shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, oBlessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.5
n Pr.1.26-30. Jn.8.21,24; 7.34. Lu.21.24. Ho.3.4,5.
o ch.21.9. Ps.118.26.
5 These words are rendered more solemn and emphatic by the circumstances under which they were uttered. Our Lord had frequently, especially of late, taught in the temple. He had set forth the truth; he had besought, warned, and threatened. It was all in vain. The infatuated people, assembled in the temple courts professedly to worship God, would not hear God's Son. Now he turns away from the temple for ever. He would enter it no more. In words of deepest tenderness he pronounces judgment on an impenitent and infatuated people.—P.
Notes
Ver. 32-37. Go on then in your fathers' wicked courses, persecuting and murdering me and the apostles and other ministers whom I will send to preach the gospel among you, till, by your malicious wickedness, ye have rendered the approaching ruin of your nation inevitable; and have, by your approbation of it, rendered yourselves chargeable with all the blood of righteous men shed from the foundation of the world to this time. Ye persecuting rulers and inhabitants of Jerusalem, how often have I, by myself and servants, attempted, in the most earnest and gracious manner, to call you to a state of salvation and comfort in fellowship with me; but ye obstinately refused. Behold, therefore, in a little time your city, temple, and nation shall be consigned to utter destruction! And when I am enthroned with my Father, dreadful shall be the state of your nation, cast out from the church of God, and abandoned to miseries unnumbered; till at last they shall be glad to welcome me into their hearts, and be ready to triumph in my praise: and many of you shall never see me, after my death, till I come in the clouds at the last day.
Ver. 4. Heavy burdens. These were the traditions of the elders—in many things making void the law of God, and imposing the intolerable authority of man. C.
Ver. 5. Phylacteries. The Jewish phylacteries (so called from a Greek word signifying to keep or guard: are said to have originated from the literal understanding of Ex. 13. 9. They were little rolls of parchment, on which were written certain portions of the law, and were worn on the forehead or wrist of the left arm. The passages written on them were Ex. 13. 2-10, 11-16; De. 6. 4-9; 11. 13-21.—Borders. The fringes required by the law. See note on Nu. 15. 38. C.
Ver. 7. Rabbi is derived from a word first signifying great, and, by consequence, superior, master. The Jews have its origin as a personal title, no farther back than the time of the famous Hillel, or rather of his son Simeon, supposed to be the same who took the child Jesus in his arms in the temple, Lu. 2. 25-32. There were three gradations of the title—Rab, Rabbi, and Rabban—which latter title was bestowed upon no more than seven, all the descendants of Hillel—among whom were this Simeon, and Gamaliel, the instructor of Paul. C.
Ver. 23. Mint. A well-known plant, both of the field and garden, of various species, generally possessing an agreeable aromatic odour—upon account of which it was strewed on the floors of the synagogues, besides being used for culinary and medicinal purposes.—Anise. This should not have been translated anise, but dill, an umbelliferous plant, the seeds of which are used both for culinary purposes, as are the seeds of the caraway, and also as an agreeable addition to several medicines.—Cummin. Another umbelliferous plant, resembling fennel, but smaller. Its seeds have a bitterish pungent taste, accompanied with an aromatic flavour. The tithe of these plants was not mentioned by Moses; but the Pharisees, in proof of their righteousness by the law (see ver. 28; Ro. 10. 3, 5), insisted much upon these trifles, while the weightier matters of justice, humanity, and fidelity they frequently overlooked or violated. C.
Ver. 35. Zechariah, the minor prophet, is called the son of Barachiah, Zec. 1. 1; and the Zechariah mentioned 2 Ch. 24. 20, 21, is called the son of Jehoiada. But as there is no record of any violence having been offered to Zechariah the prophet, it seems more natural to understand the reference of Zechariah the priest, whose violent death was inflicted by a wicked king and idolatrous people, on account of his faithfulness to the worship of Jehovah. His being called the son of Barachias, instead of Jehoiada, is easily accounted for, as Barachias may have been a second name of Jehoiada. C.
Ver. 38. Your house. Your temple, in which you trusted as the residence of God, and earnest of your protection. C.
Ver. 39. Ye shall not see me again, till, being converted, as a nation, to the faith of my gospel, 'ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh (to save us, in the name of the Lord.' C.
Reflections.—The highest offices, in both church and state, are often filled up with the worst of men, who are apt to make others stumble at the ordinances or truths of God for their sake. Yea, they who make the greatest noise about morality and virtue, and its influence, to recommend us to God, are in general extremely destitute of it. Rigid imposers of human invention are rarely strict in their own lives. Let then the servants of Jesus Christ always endeavour to manifest their utmost humility, uprightness, and contempt of this world. Let them practise the doctrines they preach, and never attempt to lord it over their hearers or brethren in office. With what pitiful pretences do men varnish over their neglect of real godliness, their dishonesty, persecution, and murder! And fearful are the discoveries which shall be made in the last judgment! Aggravated will be their damnation who oppose the gospel and hinder others from believing it; and who pervert the oracles of God, seduce their neighbours into wickedness, neglect their hearts, varnish over their wickedness with pretences of devotion and zeal, profane the most solemn worship of God, and conduct all their religion by selfish and secular designs! Infinite is the patience of our Redeemer in long bearing with such; and great his mercy in giving them plain, timely, and frequently repeated warnings of their danger. But dreadful is the case when whole nations are at last punished for their unbelief and persecution: when Jesus' kind offers and entreaties issue in his depriving them of his ordinances, abandoning them to their own lusts, and casting them into the depths of hell! Yet such must be the end of all despisers of his grace. Let Britain hear and tremble!