rd

Matthew 23

3 Christ condemneth the ambition, covetousness, & hypocrisy of the Scribes & Pharises. 31 Their persecutions against the servants of God. 37 He prophecieth the destruction of Jerusalem.
1.Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2.Saying, The *Scribes and the Pharises asit in Moses seat.
3.All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that bobserve and do: but after their works do not: for they say, and do not.
4.*For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they them selves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5.All their works they do for to be seen of men: for they make their cphylacteries broad, and make long the *fringes of their garments,
6.*And love the chief place at feasts, and to have the chief seats in the assemblies,
7.And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, ^Rabbi, Rabbi.
8.*But be not ye called, dRabbi: for one is your ^doctor, to wit, Christ, and all ye are brethren.
9.And *call no man your father upon the earth: for there is but one, your Father which is in heaven.
10.Be not called edoctors: for one is your doctor, even Christ.
11.But he that is fgreatest among you, let him be your servant.
12.*For whosoever will exalt him self, shall be brought low: and whosoever will humble him self, shalbe exalted.
13.¶ Wo therefore be unto you Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites, because ye gshut up the kingdom of heaven before men: for ye your selves go not in, neither suffer ye them hthat would enter, to come in.
14.*Wo be unto you Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye devour widows’ houses, even under a colour of long prayers: wherefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15.Wo be unto you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye compass isea and land to make one of your profession: and when he is made, ye make him two fold more the child of hell, then you your selves.
16.Wo be unto you blind guides, which say, Whosoever sweareth by the Temple, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the gold of the Temple, he ^offendeth.
17.Ye fools and blind, whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that ksanctifieth the gold?
18.And whosoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that is upon it, offendeth.
19.Ye fools and blind, whether is greater, the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering?
20.Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21.*And whosoever sweareth by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22.*And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23.*Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the Law, as judgment, and mercy, and fidelity. These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other.
24.Ye blind guides, which lstrain out a gnat, & swallow a camel.
25.¶ Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: mfor ye make clean the utter side of the cup, and of the platter: but within they are full of bribery and ^excess.
26.Thou blind Pharise, cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27.Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye are like unto ^whited tombs, which appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness.
28.So are ye also: for outward ye appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29.¶ Wo be unto you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye build the tombs of the nProphets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30.And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the Prophets.
31.So then ye be witnesses unto your selves, that ye oare the children of them that murdered the Prophets.
32.Fulfill ye also the measure of your fathers.
33.O serpents, the generation of vipers, how should ye escape the damnation of hell!
34.Wherefore behold, I send unto you p Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes, & of them ye shall kill and crucify: and of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
35.That upon qyou may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, *from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood rof Zacharias the son of Barachias, *whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar.
36.Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
37.*Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, *as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38.Behold, your habitation shalbe left unto you desolate.
39.For I say unto you, ye shall not see me shence forth till that ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.

Notes

2-*.
Neh. 8.4.
2-a.
And teach that which Moses said.
3-b.
According, to Moses whom they read, but not that which they teach of themselves.
4-*.
Luk. 11.46, Acts 15.10.
5-*.
Num. 15.38, Deu. 22.12.
5-c.
They were scrolls of parchment wherein the commandments were written: and to this day the Jews use the same and close them in a piece of leather, and so bind them to their brow and left arm, to the intent they might have continual remembrance of the Law.
6-*.
Mar. 12.38, Luk. 11.43 and 20.46.
7-^.
Or master.
8-*.
Jam. 3.1.
8-^.
Or, teacher.
8-d.
Christ forbids not to give just honour to Magistrates and Masters, but condemns ambition and superiority over our brother’s faith, which office appertains to Christ alone.
9-*.
Mal. 1.6.
10-e.
The Pharisees were called Masters or Fathers, and the Scribes Doctors.
11-f.
The highest dignity in the Church is not lordship, or dominion, but ministry and service.
12-*.
Luk. 14.11 and 18.14.
13-g.
You keep back the pure religion and knowledge of God when men are ready to embrace it.
13-h.
Which have now their foot within the doors.
14-*.
Mar. 12.40, Luk. 20.47.
15-i.
They sought all means, that they could invent, to make of a Gentile a Jew.
16-^.
Or, is a debtor.
17-k.
And makes it to be taken as an holy thing, because of the use: and hereby Christ shows that man’s doctrine does not only obscure the word of God, but is contrary to it.
21-*.
1 King. 8.13, 2 Chron. 6.1.
22-*.
Chap. 5.34.
23-*.
Luk. 11.42.
24-l.
You stay at that which is nothing, and let pass that which is of greater importance.
25-^.
Or, intemperancy.
25-m.
You seek how to get estimation with men and pass not whether you have a good conscience or no.
27-^.
Or, painted.
29-n.
For a remembrance of them, and in the mean season they passed not for their doctrine.
31-o.
It is not now only that your nation has begun to be cruel against the servants of God, and therefore it is no marvel though the children of such murderers handle roughly the Prophets.
34-p.
To convince you of great ingratitude.
35-*.
Gen. 4.8, Ebr. 11.4.
35-*-1.
Luk. 11.51.
35-q.
Christ means that all their race shall be punished, so that the iniquity of the fathers shall be poured into the bosom of the children, which resemble their fathers.
35-r.
Read 2 Chr. 24.22.
37-*.
Luk. 13.34.
37-*-1.
2 Esdr. 1.30.
39-s.
He will return no more to them, as a teacher, but as a judge, when as they shall be compelled to confess (although too late) that he is the very Son of God.