Matthew 23:16-28

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:24

Ye blind guides ,.... As in Matthew 23:16 . who strain at a gnat and swallow a camel : the Syriac and Persic versions read the words in the plural number, gnats and camels. The Jews had a law, which forbid them the eating of any creeping thing, Leviticus 11:41 and of this they were strictly observant, and would not be guilty of the breach of it for ever so much, "One that eats a flea, or a gnat; they say F16 T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 26. 2. & Horaiot, fol. 11. 1. is ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:25

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ,.... Our Lord cannot be thought to bear too hard upon these men, nor does he continue this character of them, and denunciations of woe against them, without a reason: for ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess . The allusion is to their traditions about washing their cups and pots, and brazen vessels; see Mark 7:4 which they strictly observed. In their oral law is a whole tract,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:26

Thou blind Pharisee ,.... Well might Christ call such an one a blind Pharisee, who was so scrupulously careful to cleanse his cup and platter; and yet made no conscience of filling them with what was gotten in an unjust way, and so defiled himself and them: cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also : get food and drink in an honest way, remove all extortion and oppression out of thine hands, and luxury and intemperance from thy... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:27

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ,.... It is much these men could bear to hear themselves so often called by this name; and it shows great courage in our Lord, so freely to reprove them, and expose their wickedness, who were men of so much credit and influence with the people: for ye are like unto whited sepulchres ; or "covered with lime", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, render it. For the Jews used to mark their graves with white lime, that they might be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:28

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous ,.... By making broad their phylacteries, enlarging the borders of their garments, praying long prayers, compassing sea and land to make one proselyte, paying tithes of all manner of herbs, and cleansing the outside of the cup and platter, and doing all their works, prayers, fastings, and alms deeds, to be seen of men. This is the accommodation of the above simile; by reason of these things they looked like whited sepulchres, outwardly beautiful: so... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:16

Whosoever shall swear by the gold - The covetous man, says one, still gives preference to the object of his lust; gold has still the first place in his heart. A man is to be suspected when he recommends those good works most from which he receives most advantage. Is bound thereby, i.e. to fulfill his oath. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:20

Whoso - shall swear by the altar - As an oath always supposes a person who witnesses it, and will punish perjury; therefore, whether they swore by the temple or the gold, ( Matthew 23:16 ;), or by the altar or the gift laid on it, ( Matthew 23:18 ;), the oath necessarily supposes the God of the temple, of the altar, and of the gifts, who witnessed the whole, and would, even in their exempt cases, punish the perjury. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:21

Whoso shall swear by the temple - Perhaps it is to this custom of swearing by the temple, that Martial alludes, lib. xi. epist. 95. Ecce negas, jurasque mihi per templa Tonantis; Non credo; jura, Verpe, per Anchialum . "Behold, thou deniest, and swearest to me by the temples of Jupiter; I will not credit thee: swear, O Jew, by the temple of Jehovah." This word probably comes from יה היכל heical Yah , the temple of Jehovah. This seems a better derivation than אלהים חי אם im... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:23

Ye pay tithe of mint, etc. - They were remarkably scrupulous in the performance of all the rites and ceremonies of religion, but totally neglected the soul, spirit, and practice of godliness. Judgment - Acting according to justice and equity towards all mankind. Mercy - to the distressed and miserable. And faith in God as the fountain of all righteousness, mercy, and truth. The scribes and Pharisees neither began nor ended their works in God, nor had they any respect unto his name in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:24

Blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. - This clause should be thus translated: Ye strain out the gnat, but ye swallow down the camel. In the common translation, Ye strain At a gnat, conveys no sense. Indeed, it is likely to have been at first an error of the press, At for Out, which, on examination, I find escaped in the edition of 1611, and has been regularly continued since. There is now before me, "The Newe Testament, (both in Englyshe and in Laten), of Mayster... read more

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