Matthew 23:13-36

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. ¹⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. ¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁹ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. ²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ²⁴ Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! ²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. ²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. ³³ Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? ³⁴ Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Commentary 

Vs. 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

Having exposed the Pharisees and warned us not to be like them, here the Lord Jesus Christ pronounces a series of woes on them. Woe for all the evil which they do in all their religious garb and ceremony by which they exalt themselves above others while preying on the same. All which makes their judgment and condemnation even more severe and deserving, because through them the way of life is not only concealed, but also blasphemed. Therefore, the Lord Jesus begins with their gravest sin and error and that is their shutting up the Kingdom of heaven from men. For they themselves do not go in, nor do they allow those who are entering to enter in, which is clearly seen in their first rejecting the Baptism of John, and then their opposing the Lord Jesus Christ at every turn. And so, though they are always there on the periphery, watching, observing, and listening, they themselves do not receive, nor believe the truth. Instead they oppose everyone and everything that brings the Gospel, and thus all that brings the grace and love of God to light, to the hearts and lives of men and women everywhere. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ says rather then bringing men in, as God desires all men to be saved, they only shut up the Kingdom of heaven from men, by concealing the way of salvation which is by God’s grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and instead making it into observing their vain and empty religious practices and services which do not profit them or anyone else nothing. Now if that were not enough for them to shut themselves out of the Kingdom of heaven, but not content with that, they also forbid those who are actually entering in, which is clearly seen in their attitudes and actions towards the Lord Jesus Christ and all His disciples both then and now. For sadly the Gospel has no greater enemies than the “religious” stalwarts of their day, (and thus its not sinners who generally oppose the Gospel and the grace of God) rather it’s the self righteous, the proud religious men and woman of their day who cling to their religious practices and such by which they think they have salvation with God through observing the same. And so often they are the ones who most strongly oppose anyone or anything that brings the salvation of God to light, because in it they themselves only see their own persons influence and religious standing “threatened.”

Vs. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 

In pronouncing His second woe on the scribes and Pharisees the Lord Jesus Christ again calls them hypocrites! Something He will continue to do throughout His condemnation of them. Now Jesus’ wrath at them here is for their devouring widows’ houses, that is they make themselves appear as ministers of the Word of God to them but they only “minister” God’s Word to them so that they themselves can lay hold of whatever wealth and treasures that these poor widows have. And so, though they appear outwardly righteous to men, and know how to speak as those who are truly righteous do, they are only preying on the weak and vulnerable, for that is what they and wolves do. For theirs is the nature of the wolf (consider Matt. 7:15-20 also 2 Tim 3:6; Titus 1:10-11). Now the Lord Jesus also says that for a pretense they make long prayers; long winded and empty prayers only meant to impress people and give the impression that they themselves are people of faith, yet their prayers are utterly devoid of any real faith in and love for God, therefore Jesus says these will receive greater condemnation. 

Vs. 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 

Here in His third woe the Lord Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their making disciples after themselves and not disciples of God and His Kingdom. For in traveling land and sea to win one convert (i.e. proselyte) they were not making disciples of God, but only disciples who by following their erroneous doctrines and decrees will only look and act just like themselves. Therefore, Jesus says when they win one proselyte they only make him twice as much a son of hell as themselves. 

Vs. 16-22 ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁹ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

Here in His fourth woe the Lord Jesus Christ condemns the scribes and Pharisees exalting the gold and gifts in the Temple and on the Altar above the very things which sanctified them. For it was the Temple and the Altar which sanctified a man’s gifts and gold before God. Therefore, if a man swore an oath by either the Temple or the Altar he was obliged by God to perform his vows to Him (consider Deut. 21:21-23; Ecc. 5:4-5; Psalm 66:13-14 etc.). However, the scribes and Pharisees in their greed and covetousness for the gifts and gold on the Altar and in the Temple had only reversed this so as to make swearing by the gifts and gold more important than swearing by the Temple and the Altar which sanctified the gifts and the gold. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly calls them fools and blind! Because by doing so they were only undermining the Supreme importance of the Temple and the Altar which alone sanctifies the offerings of the people. Therefore, in downplaying these two sacred things they were allowing people to break their vows to God if they had sworn by these, and only compelling them to perform their vows if they swore by the gifts or the gold, thus they were making men and woman no longer hold both the Temple and the Altar in supreme reverence. For it was through these that God sanctified and received their gifts and their gold offerings. Therefore, in rebuking and correcting them the Lord Jesus Christ first restores the proper importance of both by saying to us all: “Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.” ^{Vs. 20-22} There is then no grounds for breaking a vow made to God whether sworn by the Temple or the Altar or by the gift or the gold (or especially by heaven as Jesus also notes here) if a person swears a vow to God they are to keep it. 

Vs. 23-24 ²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ²⁴ Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 

In His fifth woe the Lord Jesus Christ now denounces the scribes and Pharisees overt emphasis on tithing the smallest and most insignificant herbs of the field, while neglecting the weightier matters of the Law; “justice and mercy and faith.” These the Lord Jesus says they ought to have done; that is placed the highest priority on these; while not neglecting the lessor matters of the Law, like tithing of their herbs and such (see Lev.27:30). Therefore, Lord Jesus condemns their overt emphasis on what amounts too only fanatically observing the most insignificant matters in the Law, while altogether ignoring the far greater and weightier matters of the Law: “justice and mercy and faith.” Which is all of mankind’s first and foremost duty and obligation in the sight of God, that we do and show these (consider Jer.9:23-24; Micah 6:8). Therefore, in rebuking them the Lord Jesus uses some very strong and graphic language to denounce their error, calling them: “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” Now a gnat was a tiny little bug that would often find its way into the people’s wine and such, (likely a by product of the fermentation process), and thus they would be strained out by them before drinking it. And so, to go through that process to remove a small insignificant bug which was effectively harmless, and yet swallow a camel (an unclean animal to the Jews under the Law) was to utterly hold one in a complete disproportionate importance to other, which was Jesus’ point in saying as much to them. 

Vs. 25-26 ²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 

Now in His sixth woe the Lord Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees overt emphasis on the externals, on looking the part of being a “religious man”, really cleaning up the outside of the “cup and dish” which makes one appear outwardly righteous to men, but only leaving the inside of the cup or dish still corrupted and full of evil. And so, if the heart is not transformed and cleaned up then all you have is a hog in a tuxedo! Therefore, the Lord Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for placing such an overt emphasis on outward appearances, when as Jesus notes of them they are only full of extortion (that is taking what they want by threat or by force) and self-indulgence. (In this consider 1 Samuel 2 :12-17; Matt. 11:12). Therefore, Jesus tells them to first clean up the inside (that is their persons and lives) then their outward appearances will naturally reflect what one really is. 

Vs. 27-28 ²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 

In His seventh woe the Lord Jesus continues on with His strong rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees utterly corrupted and evil character, here calling them “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” And so, though they outwardly appear like one of God’s religious leaders inside they are only full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. A graphic picture of their Spiritually dead and defiled state, a state they are in because they themselves do not believe what they profess, therefore Word of God is not working effectively in them, therefore God’s Holy Spirit is not regenerating their persons or their lives, because though they profess, they do not believe nor obey Him (antithesis 1 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:22-25). And so, though they go to great lengths to appear outwardly righteous to men, Jesus fully condemns them for only being full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Discernment then is what is needed when anyone has dealings with any religious leader, or anyone else who holds a position of public authority or trust, because holding a position of trust or authority does not make someone inherently righteous or trustworthy. Something the Lord Jesus makes readily clear here.

Vs. 29-33 ²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. ³³ Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

The Lord Jesus Christ in His finial and strongest denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees now charges them and their fathers with the guilt of bloodshed; of having murdered God’s prophets down through the ages (in this consider Acts 7:51-31 and Stephens later denunciation of them there). Therefore, the Lord Jesus declares to them that so deep is their self-deception and hypocrisy that though they are sons (i.e. spiritual descendants) of those who actually killed the prophets, yet now they are the ones who actually build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the righteous. And so, they say that if they had lived in the days of their fathers they would not have been partakers with their fathers in shedding the blood of the prophets. Yet as we have already seen they are the ones who have been the most zealous enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Prophet, God’s Prophet sent to His people! Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ leaves no doubt as to what He knows them to be, and what they’re finial end will be (vs. 31-33). Calling them serpents, a brood of vipers! Thus, a direct reference to their belonging to and coming from Satan. For they are the ones who from the beginning of Christ’s Ministry did not repent and believe and receive Him, but only sought to turn people away from Him and when that failed they would orchestrate His crucifixion death.

Vs. 34-36 ³⁴ Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 

Having condemned the scribes and Pharisees to hell for what they and their fathers have done. The Lord Jesus Christ now tells that He will send them prophets, wise men, and scribes; righteous and Godly men; some of whom they will kill, scourge, (horribly whip and beat in their synagogues) and or persecute from city to city. (Something that will be clearly seen in the life of the Apostle Paul as they will seek to kill him, and persecute him from city to city). Now this will happen so that they will bear the collective guilt of all the righteous blood shed on the earth (vs. 35). From the blood of Abel (the first man murdered on earth, see Genesis 4:8) to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, “…whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” Because He spoke out against their fathers forsaking the Lord (see 2 Chron. 24:21-22). Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ says, “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” That is on the generation who rejected His Person and instead orchestrated His Crucifixion death.

Scripture Quotations: 

The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.