Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:1-39

Words in the Temple: Exhortation to His Disciples And Indictment of The Scribes and Pharisees (23:1-39). It is an open question as to whether chapter 23 should be seen as part of the ‘fifth dissertation’ made up of chapters 23-25 (see introduction), or whether it should be seen as a connecting passage between 19-22 and 24-25 made up of secondary dissertations on their own (compare chapter 11; Matthew 16:17-28 for similar dissertations). The fact that it forms a separate chiasmus on its own... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:5-7

a “But all their works they do to be seen of men, b For they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders (or tassels) of their garments, b And love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, a And the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.” Note that in ‘a’ they want to be seen of men and in the parallel they want men to admire them and salute them and call them ‘Rabbi’ (my great one). In ‘b’ and its parallel we have a description of... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:1-2 Kings : . Warnings to the People and the Disciples. Matthew 23:2 f. Loisy regards this as an interpolation (by a Judaising redactor) out of harmony with the attack that follows. Holtzmann thinks it is Mt.’ s, breathing special respect for the Law, like Matthew 5:17 ff., but irreconcilable with Matthew 15:3-2 Chronicles :. But, as Pfleiderer puts it, we must “ admit that in the attitude of Jesus towards the Mosaic Law different expressions which cannot be reconciled stand side... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Matthew 23:5

Our Saviour had, Matthew 23:4 blamed the Pharisees for not living up to what they taught, pressing the law of God on others, but not doing nor endeavouring to observe it themselves. Here he blames them for doing what good things they did for ostentation, to be seen of men; and abounding in their ritual performances of more minute concernment, in the mean time neglecting their moral duties. All their works they do for to be seen of men; this is their main end, to be seen of men; for this he had... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Matthew 23:6-7

We have the same applied to the scribes, Mark 12:38,Mark 12:39; Luke 11:43. Mark addeth, which love to go in long clothing. Our Saviour in these words doth not blame a distinction in habits and places, for he himself hath taught us, that those who are in kings’ palaces wear soft raiment; and, being often called Master and Lord, never reflected on them who called him so, as having done amiss: he only blames the Pharisees’ ambition, and silly affectation of these little things, seeking their own... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - Matthew 23:1-12

CRITICAL NOTESMatthew 23:1. Then spake Jesus.—The day of grace is over for the leaders of the people; but for the people themselves there may still be hope; so the Lord of the temple turns to the multitude, the general throng of worshippers, mingled with whom were several of His own disciples, and solemnly warns them against their spiritual guides. There is every reason to suppose that many of the scribes and Pharisees were within hearing; for when He has finished what He has to say to the... read more

C.I. Scofield

Scofield's Reference Notes - Matthew 23:5

phylacteries Passages of Scripture enclosed in a small case, bound upon arm or forehead, Deuteronomy 6:8. read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:1-39

Matthew's gospel twenty-three. Jesus has been at the temple and He was challenged as to His authority by these priests, and then He was asked questions by the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees. And then Jesus finally asked them a question. "What do you think of Christ, whose son is He?" And when they said, "the son of David." He said, "How can He be the son of David, when David by the spirit called Him Lord?" And no father would ever call his son "lord". That's just so totally against the... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 23:1-39

Matthew 23:2 . Sit in Moses’ seat. The sanhedrim had seventy one chairs of gold, or rather gilt with gold. The council which sat at Alexandria had also chairs of gold. The highpriest was the president: he sat in the middle, with thirty five chairs on his right hand, and thirty five on his left. The number had its origin from the seventy elders consecrated by Moses. Whether our Lord meant to say that the scribes and pharisees were fairly put into power, or that they had usurped authority, is... read more

Joseph Exell

The Biblical Illustrator - Matthew 23:1-7

Matthew 23:1-7The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Christ’s reproaches of PhariseesThere must be some just, reasonable, and great cause of our Lord’s indignation, and this we find was an accumulation of great wickedness in these men, which received aggravations(1) from their pretences to greater sanctity than others;(2) from their having greater opportunities of being better than others;(3) because they, being many of them in public places, their practice must have a bad influence... read more

Group of Brands