Warnings About the Religious Leaders
Study note
Jesus publicly acknowledges the Pharisees' teaching authority ('they sit in Moses' seat') while exposing the gap between their words and their lives. They pile heavy burdens on others while not lifting a finger themselves, and they perform their religious duties for public admiration. Jesus redefines leadership for his followers: do not seek titles or status, for the greatest among you shall be your servant, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
1 Then Jesus spoke directly to the crowds and to his followers. Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 He said, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken on the role of teaching Moses' law. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 So pay attention to what they teach and follow it. But do not copy their behavior, because they do not live by their own words. 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 They pile impossible burdens on people's backs — heavy loads that are crushing to carry. But they will not lift even one finger to help ease the load. 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 Everything they do is designed to get attention. They wear extra-wide scripture bands on their arms and extra-long tassels on their robes. 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 They love grabbing the best seats at dinner parties and claiming the front-row spots in the synagogues. And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 They love being greeted with respect in the marketplace. They love having people call them 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But don't let anyone call you Rabbi. You have only one Teacher — the Christ — and all of you are equals, like brothers and sisters. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And don't call any human being on earth your spiritual father. You have one Father, and he is in heaven. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Don't let anyone call you master, either. You have one Master — the Christ. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 The one who is truly greatest among you will be the one who serves everyone else. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 People who promote themselves will eventually be knocked down. People who humble themselves will eventually be raised up. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Seven Woes Against the Pharisees
Study note
In seven devastating pronouncements, Jesus exposes the Pharisees' hypocrisy from every angle: they block others from the kingdom, exploit widows, make converts worse than themselves, split hairs over oaths while missing their substance, tithe herbs while neglecting justice and mercy, clean the outside while remaining corrupt inside, and honor dead prophets while persecuting living ones. These woes are not mere insults but prophetic judgments revealing the chasm between religious appearance and genuine righteousness.
13 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You slam the door of heaven's kingdom right in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you block everyone else from going in. 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 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You cheat widows out of their homes and then cover it up by praying long, showy prayers. Your punishment will be even harsher because of this. 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 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You will cross an ocean and trek across a continent to win one person over. But once you convert them, you turn them into someone twice as fit for hell as you are. 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 What a disaster is coming for you, blind guides! You teach that swearing by the temple means nothing, but swearing by the gold in the temple locks you into your oath. 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 How blind and foolish can you be? Which matters more — the gold, or the temple that makes the gold holy? Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 You also say that swearing by the altar means nothing, but swearing by the gift sitting on the altar is binding. And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 How blind you are! Which matters more — the gift, or the altar that makes the gift holy? Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 When someone swears by the altar, they are swearing by everything on it as well. Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 When someone swears by the temple, they are swearing by the temple and by God who lives in it. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 When someone swears by heaven, they are swearing by God's throne and by God who sits on that throne. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You are so careful to give God ten percent of even your tiny garden herbs like mint, anise, and cummin. But you have completely ignored the things that matter most in God's law: treating people fairly, being merciful, and having real faith. You should have done the important things without ignoring the small ones. 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 You blind guides! You strain your drinking water to catch a tiny gnat, but you swallow a whole camel without blinking. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You scrub the outside of your cup and plate until they sparkle, but inside they are filthy with greed and selfishness. 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 Wake up, blind Pharisee! Start by cleaning the inside of the cup first. Then the outside will naturally be clean too. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You are like graves that have been painted white — they look attractive on the outside, but inside they are packed with rotting bones and filth. 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 That is exactly what you are like. On the surface, you look like righteous people. But underneath, you are stuffed full of hypocrisy and sin. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 What a disaster is coming for you, scribes and Pharisees — you frauds! You build fancy monuments for the prophets and decorate the graves of good people from the past. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 Then you say, 'If we had been alive back then, we never would have helped murder the prophets.' 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 By saying that, you are admitting you are the children of the people who killed the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fine then — go ahead and finish what your ancestors started! Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 You snakes! You offspring of poisonous vipers! How do you plan to escape being sentenced to hell? Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 That is exactly why I am sending you prophets, wise teachers, and scholars. You will kill some and nail others to crosses. You will whip some in your synagogues and chase them from one city to the next. 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 Because of this, you will be held guilty for every drop of innocent blood ever spilled. This goes all the way back from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zacharias son of Barachias. You killed him there between the temple and the altar. 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 I am warning you — the consequences of all these things will crash down on this very generation. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.