Matthew 23:1-6

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

1 Then Jesus ¹said to the crowds and to his disciples,

2 ²“The scribes and the Pharisees ³sit on Moses’ seat,

3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, ⁴but not the works they do. ⁵For they preach, but do not practice.

4 ⁶They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, ^[a] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

5 ⁷They do all their deeds ⁸to be seen by others. For they make ⁹their phylacteries broad and ¹⁰their fringes long,

6 and they ¹¹love the place of honor at feasts and ¹²the best seats in the synagogues

Cross References

• 1. 23:1 For ver. 1, 2, 5-7, see Mark 12:38, 39; Luke 20:45, 46; [Luke 11:43]
• 2. 23:2 [Ezra 7:6, 10, 25; Neh. 8:4]
• 3. 23:2 [Deut. 17:10, 11; John 9:28, 29]
• 4. 23:3 [ch. 5:20; 15:3-13]
• 5. 23:3 Rom. 2:17-23
• 6. 23:4 Luke 11:46; [ch. 11:28-30; Acts 15:10]
• 7. 23:5 [See ver. 1 above]
• 8. 23:5 ch. 6:1, 16; [John 5:44]
• 9. 23:5 Ex. 13:9; Deut. 6:8; 11:18
• 10. 23:5 See ch. 9:20
• 11. 23:6 Luke 14:7, 8
• 12. 23:6 Luke 11:43

Footnotes

• [a] 23:4 Some manuscripts omit 'hard to bear'