Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Matthew 23

Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

sit in Moses' seat

Cf. Ezr 7:6, 25-26. Jesus' disciples were to honour the law, but not the hypocritical teachers of it.

Mat 23:4 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.

they bind heavy burdens

Cf. Mat 11:29-30; Act 15:10; Gal 5:1; Col 2:16.

Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

to be seen of men

Mat 6:1-2, 5, 16.

phylacteries

Passages of Scripture enclosed in a small case, bound upon arm or forehead, Deu 6:8.

Mat 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

Master

Greek teacher.

Mat 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

father

i.e. authoritative teacher.

Mat 23:10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Literally Neither may ye be called leaders, because your leader is Christ.

Mat 23:14 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.

The best MSS. omit this verse.

damnation [See also Mat 23:33.]

condemnation.

Mat 23:15 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.

compass sea and land to make one proselyte

Act 2:10.

hell [See also Mat 23:33.]

Gehenna. Scofield Matthew 5:22, note.

Mat 23:16 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!

blind guides

Mat 15:14; Mal 2:8.

debtor

Or, bound; also Mat 23:18, "guilty."

Mat 23:17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

sanctifieth

Sanctify, holy (things). Mat 23:17-19; Mat 27:53. (Mat 4:5; Rev 22:11.)

Mat 23:23 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.

pay tithe

Luk 11:42; 18:12.

omitted the weightier matters

1Sa 15:22; Isa 1:11-17.

Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

strain at

strain out.

Mat 23:25 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.

ye make clean the outside of the cup

Mar 7:4, 8-9; Luk 11:39-40.

Mat 23:27 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.

whited sepulchres

Luk 11:44; Act 23:3; Phl 3:4-6.

Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

iniquity

Literally Lawlessness. Scofield Romans 3:23, note.

Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

ye build the tombs of the prophets

Dan 9:5-8; Luk 11:47-48.

Mat 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

ye are the children of them

Act 7:51-52.

Mat 23:34 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:

I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes

The Jews' treatment of the apostles is proved, Mat 23:31-33.

ye shall kill and crucify

Jhn 16:2; Act 5:40; 7:54-60.

Mat 23:35 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.

all the righteous blood shed

Rev 18:24.

the blood of righteous Abel

Jesus' confirmation of Gen 4:8-10. Cf. Heb 12:24.

the blood of Zacharias

2Ch 24:20-22.

Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

shall come upon this generation

Rev 18:21-24. It is the way also of history; judgment falls upon one generation for the sins of centuries. The pediction was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets

Luk 13:34-35; 19:41-42.

I have gathered thy children together

Mat 11:28-30; Jhn 10:30.

Mat 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

till

The three "untils" of Israel's blessing:

1. Israel must say, "Blessed is He" (Mat 23:39; Cf. Rom 10:3-4).
2. Gentile world-power must run its course (Luk 21:24; Dan 2:34-35).
3. The elect number of Gentiles must be brought in. Then "the Deliverer shall come out of Zion," etc. (Rom 11:25-27).

Kingdom (N.T.). Mat 23:37-39; Mat 24:27-30. (Luk 1:31-33; 1Co 15:28).

Blessed is he that cometh

Christ (Second Advent). Mat 24:27-30. (Deu 30:3; Acts 1:9-11.)