JESUS CONDEMNS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

1 THEN spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For 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.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And 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 ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or 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.
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise 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.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse 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 like 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 ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I 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:
35 That upon 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, All these things shall come upon this generation.

CHRIST WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord

1Then spake Iesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2Saying, The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moses seate:

3All therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that obserue and doe, but doe not ye after their workes: for they say, and doe not.

4For they binde heauie burdens, and grieuous to be borne, and lay them on mens shoulders, but they themselues will not mooue them with one of their fingers.

5But all their workes they doe, for to be seene of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6And loue the vppermost roomes at feasts, and the chiefe seats in the Synagogues,

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

8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, euen Christ, and all ye are brethren.

9And call no man your father vpon the earth: for one is your father which is in heauen.

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

11But hee that is greatest among you, shall be your seruant.

12And whosoeuer shall exalt himselfe, shall be abased: and he that shall humble himselfe, shall be exalted.

13 But woe vnto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for yee shut vp the kingdom of heauen against men: For yee neither goe in your selues, neither suffer ye them that are entring, to goe in.

14Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for yee deuoure widowes houses, and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore ye shall receiue the greater damnation.

15Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites; for yee compasse Sea and land to make one Proselyte, and when hee is made, yee make him two fold more the childe of hell then your selues.

16Woe vnto you, yee blind guides, which say, Whosoeuer shall sweare by the Temple, it is nothing: but whosoeuer shal sweare by the gold of the Temple, he is a debter.

17Ye fooles and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18And whosoeuer shall sweare by the Altar, it is nothing: but whosoeuer sweareth by the gift that is vpon it, he is guiltie.

19Ye fooles and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the Altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20Who so therefore shall sweare by the Altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21And who so shall sweare by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

22And he that shall sweare by heauen, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for yee pay tithe of mint, and annise, and cummine, and haue omitted the weightier matters of the Law, iudgement, mercie and faith: these ought ye to haue done, and not to leaue the other vndone.

24Ye blind guides, which straine at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for yee make cleane the outside of the cup, and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excesse.

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

27Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for yee are like vnto whited sepulchres, which indeed appeare beautifull outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all vncleannesse.

28Euen so, yee also outwardly appeare righteous vnto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie.

29Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye build the tombes of the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30And say, If wee had beene in the dayes of our fathers, wee would not haue bene partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets.

31Wherefore ye bee witnesses vnto your selues, that yee are the children of them which killed the Prophets.

32Fil ye vp then the measure of your fathers.

33Yee serpents, yee generation of vipers, How can yee escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore behold, I send vnto you Prophets, and wisemen, and Scribes, and some of them yee shall kill and crucifie, and some of them shall yee scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from citie to citie:

35That vpon you may come all the righteous blood shed vpon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, vnto the blood of Zacharias, sonne of Barachias, whom yee slew betweene the temple and the altar.

36Uerily I say vnto you, All these things shal come vpon this generation.

37O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent vnto thee, how often would I haue gathered thy children together, euen as a hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings, and yee would not?

38Behold, your house is left vnto you desolate.

39For I say vnto you, yee shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord.

II == Neh 8:4 , 8 ; Mal 2:7 ; Mark 12:38 ; Luke 20:45

III == Rom 2:17-24

IV == Luke 11:46 ; Acts 15:10 ; Gal 6:13

V == Deut 6:8 ; Ex 13:9 ; Num 15:38 ; Matt 6:1-2 , 5 , 16 ; 9:20

VI == Mark 12:38-39 ; Luke 11:43 ; 20:46

VIII == 2nd Cor 1:24 ; James 3:1 ; 1st Peter 5:3

IX == Mal 1:6

XI == Matt 20:26-27 ; Mark 9:35 ; 10:43 ; Luke 9:48 ; 22:26

XII == Job 22:29 ; Prov 15:33 ; 29:23 ; Luke 14:11; 18:14 ; 1st Peter 5:6

XIII ==Luke 11:52

XV == Acts 2:10 ; 6:5 ; 13:43

XVI == Matt 5:33-34 ; 15:14 ; 23:24

XVII == Ex 30:29

XIX == Ex 29:37

XXI == 1st Kings 8:13 ; 2nd Chro 6:2 ; Ps 26:8 ; 132:14

XXII == Ps 11:4 ; Matt 5:34 ; Acts 7:49

XXIII == 1st Sam 15:22 ; Hos 6:6 ; Mic 6:8; Matt ; 3:7 ; 9:13 ; 12:7 ; Luke 3:7 ; 11:42

XXV == Mark 7:4 ; Luke 11:39

XXVII == Luke 11:44 ; Acts 23:3

XXIX == Luke 11:47

XXXI == Acts 7:51-52 ; 1st Thess 2:15

XXXII == Gen 15:16 ; 1st Thess 2:16

XXXIII == Matt 3:7 ; 12:34

XXXIV == Matt 10:17 , 23 ; 21:34-35 ; Luke 11:49 ; Acts 5:40 ; 7:58 -59 ; 22:19 ; 2nd Cor 11:24-25

XXXV ==Gen 4:8 ; Zehc 1:1 ; 2nd Chr 24:20-21 ; Heb 11:4 ; 1st John 3:12 ; Rev 18:24

XXXVI == Matt 10:23 ; 16:28 ; 24:34

XXXVII == Deut 32:11-12 ; 2nd Chr 24:21 ; Ps 17:8 ; 91:4 ; Luke 13:34

XXXVIII == 1st Kings 9:7 ; Jer 22:5

XXXIX == Ps 118:26 ; Matt 21:9

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. 5 All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7 greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' 8 As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10 Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.

14 DUE TO NEW MANASTRIPS THERE IS NO 14

15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. 16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.' 17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.' 19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; 21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; 22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it. 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! 25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean. 27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. 28 Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. 29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 30 and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' 31 Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; 32 now fill up what your ancestors measured out! 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna? 34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35 so that there may come upon you all the righteous blood shed upon earth, from the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38 Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate. 39 I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

v 1-12. Jesus described the actions of the scribes and Pharisees and gave the multitude gathered warning about them. They taught the law of Moses hypocritically, not following it correctly themselves. They made the rules a burden and made their phylacteries larger than normal and put long tassels on their prayer shawls to attract attention (See comments on borders, v 5 in Mal. 4:2., where they are expressed as wings.). They sought prominent seats in the synagogues, titles and positions. Jesus warned against calling religious leaders Father and Rabbi, because only Christ was their master. One who humiliates himself to serve is the greatest. Mk. 12:38-40 and Lk. 20:45-47 add that they exploit generous, but poor, widows and make long prayers.

PHYLACTERIES: They wrote the ten commandments on parchments and carried them on their foreheads before their eyes: The Pharisees affected to wear broader than other men, so to seem more zealous for the law.

CALL NONE YOUR FATHER UPON EARTH: Neither be ye called masters. The meaning is that our Father in heaven is incomparably more to be regarded than any father upon earth, and no master to be followed, who would lead us away from Crist. But this does not hinder but that we are by the law of God to have a due respect both for our parents and spiritual father, (1st Cor 4. 156) and for our master and teachers.

v 13. Jesus pronounced eight woes upon the scribes and Pharisees: Woe 1 by rejecting Christ themselves they prevented others from entering the kingdom. v 14. Woe 2 Exploiting widows and making long prayers by pretense.v 15. Woe 3 They vigorously made proselytes who trusted in pharisaic acts. v 16-22. Woe 4 Making vows by the temple or gold but not intending to keep it unless they vowed by the offering on it. But God is over the temple so vow was to Him. v 23,24. Woe 5 Tithing meticulously but failing to show justice, faithfulness and mercy. They should have done both instead of majoring on minors.v 25,26. Woe 6 Extreme ceremonial cleansing of vessels but corrupt at heart.v 27,28. Woe 7 Any contact with the dead in the open, even a bone or a grave makes one unclean seven days. This is why all graves near the road were marked with white paint in the week before the passover. Hence Jesus term, whited sepulchers. As whitewashed tombs held dead men’s bones, so the Pharisees appeared good outside but inside held hypocrisy and wickedness.

BUILD THE SEPULCHRES: It were in itself evil to build or adorn the monuments of the prophets and it was not blamed. The hypocrisy of the Pharisee is taxed, who whilst they pretend to honour the memory of the prophets, while even persecuting even unto death the Lord of the prophets.

v 29-32. Woe 8 They decorated tombs and claimed they would never have killed the prophets as their fathers did, but they were already plotting to kill Christ.

33-36 A Solemn Warning

v 33-36. Jesus called them snakes and vipers whose destiny was hell. Apostles and other believers would be killed by them, so they shared in the bloodshed of Abel to this Zechariah, grandson of the priest, Jehoiada, 2 Chron. 24:20. This was the last book in the Hebrew Bible, so Jesus accepted the Old Testament as being authentic. The judgments were fulfilled by Rome, AD 70, but compare 24:36 and see note there. This Zacharias is much disputed and some think the father of John the Baptist. However, since Abel was the first martyr of the Jewish Old Testament and Zacharias was the last, it would seem Jesus had him in mind. About this point, after rebuking Pharisees for their treatment of widows, Lk. 21:1-4 and Mk. 12:41-44 insert the account of the widow casting in her two mites. a greater percentage of her means than the others.

THAT UPON YOU MAY COME: Not that they should suffer greater than their sins justly deserved; but that God's justice should fall upon them with such a final vengeance, once for all, as might comprise all the different kinds of punishments and judgments, that had at any time before been inflicted for the shedding of just blood.

V. 37-39 V 37 AS A HEN: (31:5) Many OT texts portray God as a bird or chicken protecting Israel. (Dev 32:10-12 PS 91:4) Look at the church as the Hen protecting her young onces under her wings. If one leaves her protection she calls out to it until it returnes. The church as the Hen regeneratis the ffaithful in Baptism, feeds them with her preaching, and Loves them The Lament Over Jerusalem: ` In His final lament over Jerusalem, Jesus grieved that it’s people killed prophets, and his compassion is expressed as a hen gathering chicks under her wing. Since they are rejecting Christ, their city is desolate, and when He soon departs, they will not see Him until He comes in glory, before He sets up His millennial kingdom. Then they will be repentant and call Him Blessed.