Matthew 23:25-28 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 23:13-33

In these verses we have eight woes levelled directly against the scribes and Pharisees by our Lord Jesus Christ, like so many claps of thunder, or flashes of lightning, from mount Sinai. Three woes are made to look very dreadful (Rev. 8:13; 9:12); but here are eight woes, in opposition to the eight beatitudes, Matt. 5:3. The gospel has its woes as well as the law, and gospel curses are of all curses the heaviest. These woes are the more remarkable, not only because of the authority, but... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 23:1-39

If a man is characteristically and temperamentally an irritable, ill-tempered and irascible creature, notoriously given to uncontrolled outbursts of passionate anger, his anger is neither effective nor impressive. Nobody pays any attention to the anger of a bad-tempered man. But when a person who is characteristically meek and lowly, gentle and loving, suddenly erupts into blazing wrath, even the most thoughtless person is shocked into taking thought. That is why the anger of Jesus is so... 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 23:25

Ye make clean the outside - The Pharisees were exceedingly exact in observing all the washings and purifications prescribed by the law; but paid no attention to that inward purity which was typified by them. A man may appear clean without, who is unclean within; but outward purity will not avail in the sight of God, where inward holiness is wanting. Extortion and excess - ' Αρπαγης και ακρασιας , rapine and intemperance; but instead of ακρασιας , intemperance, many of the very best... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:27

For ye are like - Παρομοιαζετε , ye exactly resemble - the parallel is complete. Whited sepulchres - White-washed tombs. As the law considered those unclean who had touched any thing belonging to the dead, the Jews took care to have their tombs white-washed each year, that, being easily discovered, they might be consequently avoided. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:28

Even so ye also - appear righteous unto men - But what will this appearance avail a man, when God sits in judgment upon his soul? Will the fair reputation which he had acquired among men, while his heart was the seat of unrighteousness, screen him from the stroke of that justice which impartially sends all impurity and unholiness into the pit of destruction? No. In the sin that he hath sinned, and in which he hath died, and according to that, shall he be judged and punished; and his... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

Verse 25 25.For you cleanse the outer part. Our Lord follows out the same statement, and employs a figure for reproaching the scribes with being eagerly bent on this single object of making a brilliant appearance before men. For by the outer part of the dish he metaphorically expresses the outward appearance; as if he had said, “You give yourselves no concern about any cleanness but what appears outwardly, which is quite as if one were carefully to wash off the filth of the dish without, but to... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 23:13-33

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 23:1-39

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

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:27

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:28

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 23:25

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