Matthew 23 :: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Pharisaism Exposed

(Mar 12:38–40; Luk 20:45–47 )

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

Mat 23:2saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];

Mat 23:3

Mat 23:3so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.

Mat 23:4

Mat 23:4“The scribes and Pharisees tie up [fn]heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].

Mat 23:5

Mat 23:5“They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their [fn]phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their [fn]tassels long.

Mat 23:6

Mat 23:6“They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation],

Mat 23:7

Mat 23:7and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi.

Mat 23:8

Mat 23:8“But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers.

Mat 23:9

Mat 23:9“Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Mat 23:10

Mat 23:10“Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.

Mat 23:11

Mat 23:11“But the greatest among you will be your servant.

Mat 23:12

Mat 23:12“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.

Eight Woes

Mat 23:13

“But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.

Mat 23:14

Mat 23:14“[fn][Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows’ houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]

Mat 23:15

“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Mat 23:16

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’

Mat 23:17

Mat 23:17“You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?

Mat 23:18

Mat 23:18“And [you scribes and Pharisees say], ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swears [an oath] by the offering on it, he is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’

Mat 23:19

Mat 23:19“You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?

Mat 23:20

Mat 23:20“Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it.

Mat 23:21

Mat 23:21“And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.

Mat 23:22

Mat 23:22“And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

Mat 23:23

“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.

Mat 23:24

Mat 23:24“You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!

Mat 23:25

“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed).

Mat 23:26

Mat 23:26“You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.

Mat 23:27

“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.

Mat 23:28

Mat 23:28“So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Mat 23:29

“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

Mat 23:30

Mat 23:30and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

Mat 23:31

Mat 23:31“So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

Mat 23:32

Mat 23:32“Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers’ sins.

Mat 23:33

Mat 23:33“You [fn]serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?

Mat 23:34

“Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city,

Mat 23:35

Mat 23:35so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous [fn]Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Mat 23:36

Mat 23:36“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

(Luk 13:34, 35 )

Mat 23:37

“[fn]O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

Mat 23:38

Mat 23:38“Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!

Mat 23:39

Mat 23:39“For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, ‘BLESSED [to be celebrated with praise] IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”

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AMP Footnotes

(23:4)

I.e. detailed instructions of rabbinic interpretations of the Law.

(23:5)

Small cases containing Scripture passages, worn on the left arm and the forehead.

(23:5)

Tassels (tzitzit) were worn on the garments of all Jewish males, according to the Law.

(23:14)

Early mss do not contain v 14.

(23:33)

The serpent is the creature used by Satan to introduce evil into the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1ff). Here Jesus continues the imagery of Satan as the serpent working through the religious leaders to continue the propagation of evil through deception, false teaching, and man-made laws and traditions which are given priority over God’s law.

(23:35)

I.e. the first and last martyrs recorded in the Hebrew text.

(23:37)

The nation of Israel personified.

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Matthew Chapter 23 — Additional Translations: