Matthew 23:14

¹Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,²Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:³All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.⁴For 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.⁵But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,⁶And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,⁷And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.⁸But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.⁹And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.¹⁰Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.¹¹But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.¹²And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.¹³But 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.¹⁴Woe 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.¹⁵Woe 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.¹⁶Woe 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!¹⁷Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?¹⁸And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.¹⁹Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?²⁰Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.²¹And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.²²And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.²³Woe 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.²⁴Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.²⁵Woe 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.²⁶Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.²⁷Woe 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.²⁸Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.²⁹Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,³⁰And 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.³¹Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.³²Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.³³Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?³⁴Wherefore, 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:³⁵That 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.³⁶Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.³⁷O 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!³⁸Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.³⁹For 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.

King James Version (1769)

In contextComing soon
Original language
Compare versionsBSB · ASV

Other translations

Verse	KJV	BSB	ASV
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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original language

Original Greek words

English	Greek	Say it	Strong's	Meaning
woe	Οὐαὶ	Ouai	G3759	woe! οὐαί (ouai) οὐαί interj. of grief or denunciation, [in LXX for הוֹי, etc. ;] alas! woe! most frequently with dative of person(s) Mat.11:21 23:14, Mrk.13:17 14:21, Luk.6:24-26 Ju 11, al.; with vocat. (nom.), Rev.18:10, 16 18:19 (cf. Isa.1:24, al.); with accusative, Rev.12:12, before ἐκ, Rev.8:13; with dative before ἀπό (see M, Pr., 246), Mat.18:7. As subst., 1Co.9:16 (cf. Jer.6:4); ἡ οὐ., Rev.9:12 11:14; pl., Rev.9:12; οὐ., οὐ., οὐ., Rev.8:13 (AS)
to you	ὑμῖν,	humin	G4771	you σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …
scribes	γραμματεῖς	grammateis	G1122	scribe γραμματεύς (grammateus) γραμματεύς, -έως (accusative pl., -εῖς, see Bl., §8, 2), ὁ (γράμμα), [in LXX always for שׁטר in Hex., elsewhere chiefly for ספר ;] 1. a secretary; γ. τ. πόλεως, a state-clerk: Act.19:35. 2. In π., of a military officer (Deiss., BS, 110f.). So Jdg.5:14, 4Ki.25:19 (ספר), al. …
and	καὶ	kai	G2532	and καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …
Pharisees	Φαρισαῖοι,	Pharisaioi	G5330	Pharisee Φαρισαῖος (Pharisaios) Φαρισαῖος, -ου, ὁ (Aram. פְּרִישָׁא; see Dalman, Gr., 157.n, Words, 2.n), a Pharisee: Mat.23:26, Php.3:5; usually in pl., Mat.9:11, Mrk.2:18, al.; Φ. κ. γραμματεῖς, Mat.5:20, Mrk.2:16, Luk.5:21, al.; Φ. κ. Σαδδυκαῖοι, Mat.16:1, Act.23:6, 7 al.; ἀρχιερεῖς, Mat.21:45, Jhn.7:32, al. (see DB, iii, 826b). (AS)
hypocrites	ὑποκριταί,	hupokritai	G5273	hypocrite ὑποκριτής (hupokritēs) ὑπο-κριτής, -οῦ, ὁ (ὑποκρίνομαι, which see) [in LXX Job.34:30 36:13 (חָנֵף) * ;] 1. one who answers, an interpreter (Plat.). 2. a stage player, actor (Plut., Xen., al.). Metaphorical (in LXX and NT), a pretender, dissembler, hypocrite: Mat.6:2, 5 6:16 7:5 15:7 22:18 23:13-15 24:51, Mrk.7:6 Luk.6:42 12:56 13:15.† (AS)
for	ὅτι	hoti	G3754H	that/since: that ὅτι (hoti) ὅτι, conjc. (prop. neut. of ὅστις). I. As conjc, introducing an objective clause, that; 1. after verbs of seeing, knowing, thinking, saying, feeling: Mat.3:9 6:32 11:25, Mrk.3:28, Luk.2:49, Jhn.2:22, Act.4:13, Rom.1:13 8:38 10:9, Php.4:15, Jas.2:24, al.; elliptically, Jhn.6:46, Php.3:12, al. 2. After εἶναι (γίνεσθαι): defining a demonstr. or of person(s) pron., Jhn.3:19 16:19, Rom.9:6, 1Jn.3:16 al.; with pron. interrog., Mat.8:27, Mrk.4:41, Luk.4:36, Jhn.4:22 al.; id. elliptically, Luk.2:49, Act.5:4, 9, al.; …
you devour	κατεσθίετε	katesthiete	G2719	to devour κατεσθίω (katesthiō) κατ-εσθίω ("perfective" comp. of ἐσθίω, which see, and cf. M, Pr., 111) [in LXX chiefly for אָכַל ;] to eat up, devour: with accusative, of seed, Mat.13:4, Mrk.4:4, Luk.8:5; τέκνον, Rev.12:4; βιβλαρίδιον, Rev.10:9-10; metaphorically, οἰκίας, Mat.23:13, Mrk.12:40, Luk.20:47; τ. βίον, Luk.15:30; with accusative of person(s), Jhn.2:17 (LXX), 2Co.11:20, Gal.5:15, Rev.11:5 20:9.† (AS)
houses	οἰκίας	oikias	G3614G	home οἰκία (oikia) οἰκία, -ας, ἡ (οἶκος), [in LXX chiefly (very freq.) for בַּיִת ;] a house, dwelling: Mat.2:11 7:24-27, Mrk.1:29, al.; ἐν οἰκίᾳ (= cl. κατ ̓ οἰκίαν), at home, Luk.8:27; εἰς οἰ., II Jn 10; οἰ, with genitive of person(s), usually has the art. (Mat.8:14, al., but cf. οἶκος and see Bl., § 46, 9); ἡ οἰ. τ. πατρός μου, Jhn.14:2. Metaphorical, (a) of the body as the dwelling of the soul: 2Co.5:1; (b) of property (as בַּיִת, Gen.45:18, LXX, τ. υπάρχοντα; 3Ki.13:8, LXX, οἶκος) = οἶκος (which see): Mrk.12:40, Luk.20:47; …
widows	χηρῶν,	chērōn	G5503	widow χήρα (chēra) χήρα, -ας, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for אַלְמָנָה ;] a widow: Mat.23:13 (Rec., R, mg.), Mrk.12:40-43, Luk.2:37 4:25 7:12 18:3, 5 20:47 21:2-3, Act.6:1 9:39, 41, 1Co.7:8, 1Ti.5:3-5 5:11 5:16, Jas.1:27; γυνὴ χ., Luk.4:26; of one of an ordo viduarum (see CGT, in l), 1Ti.5:9; metaphorically, of a city forsaken, Rev.18:7.† (AS)
and	καὶ	kai	G2532	and καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …
as a pretext	προφάσει	prophasei	G4392	pretense πρόφασις (prophasis) πρό-φασις, -εως, ἡ (φήμι), [in LXX: Psa.141:4 (עֲלִילָה), ??עֲלִילָה), ??Dan.6:4-5(5-6) (עִלָּה) Pro.18:1, Hos.10:4 * ;] a pretence, pretext: Mat.23:1 (WM, R, txt., om.), Mrk.12:40, Luk.20:47 Jhn.15:22, Act.27:30, Php.1:18, 1Th.2:5.† (AS)
long	μακρὰν	makran	G3112	far μακράν (makran) μακράν (prop. fem. accusative of μακρός, Sc. ὁδόν), adv. , [in LXX for רָחוֹק hi., רָחַק, etc. ;] a long way, far: Luk.15:20, Act.22:21; before ἀπό, Mat.8:30, Luk.7:6, Jhn.21:8, Act.17:27; id. metaphorically, Mrk.12:34; οἱ εἰς μ., Act.2:39 (cf. Isa.2:2); metaphorically, οἱ ποτὲ ὄντες μ. (opposite to ἐγγύς), Eph.2:13; οἱ μ., Eph.2:17.† (AS)
praying;	προσευχόμενοι·	proseuchomenoi	G4336	to pray προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) προσ-εύχομαι [in LXX chiefly for פָּלַל hith. ;] to pray (always of prayer to God, or in cl., to gods): absol., Mat.6:5-7, 9 14:23 19:13 26:36, 39 26:41, 44, Mrk.1:35 6:46 11:24-25 13:33 (WH, E, txt., om.) Mrk.14:32, 38-39 Luk.1:10 3:21 5:16 6:12 9:18, 28-29 11:1-2 18:1, 10 22:44 (WH, E, mg., om.), Act.1:24 6:6 9:11 10:9, 30 11:5 12:12 13:3 14:23 16:25 20:36 21:5 22:17 28:8, 1Co.11:4-5 14:14, 1Th.5:17, 1Ti.2:8, Jas.5:13, 18; before λέγων, Mat.26:39, 42, Luk.22:41; with dative instr., 1Co.11:5 14:14-15; μακρά, Mat.23:14 (WH, R, txt., om.), Mrk.12:40, Luk.20:47; ἐν πνεύματι (ἁγίῳ), Eph.6:18, J …
through	διὰ	dia	G1223	through/because of διά (dia) διά (before a vowel δ᾽, exc. Rom.8:10, 2Co.5:7, and in (Proper name)s; Tdf., Pr., 94), prep. with genitive, accusative, as in cl.; 1. with genitive, through; (i) of Place, after verbs of motion or action: Mat.2:12 12:43, Mrk.2:23, Luk.4:30, Jhn.4:4, 2Co.11:33, al.; σώζεσθαι (διας-) δ. πυρός, ὕδατος, 1Co.3:15, 1Pe.3:20; βλέπειν δ. ἐσόπτρου, 1Co.13:12; metaphorically, of a state or condition: Rom.14:20, 2Co.2:4 5:7, 10; δ. γράμματος, ἀκροβυστίας (Lft., Notes, 263, 279), Rom.2:27 4:11; δι ̓ὑπομενῆς, Rom.8:25. (ii) Of Time; …
this	τοῦτο	touto	G3778	this/he/she/it οὗτος (ohutos) οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο, genitive, τούτου, ταύτης, τούτου, [in LXX chiefly for זֹאת ,זֶה ;] demonstr. pron. (related to ἐκεῖνος as hic to ille), this; 1. as subst., this one, he; (a) absol.: Mat.3:17, Mrk.9:7, Luk.7:44, 45, Jhn.1:15, Act.2:15, al.; expressing contempt (cl.), Mat.13:55, 56, Mrk.6:2, 3, Jhn.6:42, al.; εἰς τοῦτο, Mrk.1:38, Rom.14:9; μετὰ τοῦτο (ταῦτα; V. Westc. on Jhn.5:1), Jhn.2:12 11:7, al.; (b) epanaleptic (referring to what precedes): Mat.5:19, Mrk.3:35, Luk.9:48, Jhn.6:46, Rom.7:10, al.; …
you will receive	λήψεσθε	lēpsesthe	G2983	to take λαμβάνω (lambanō) λαμβάνω, [in LXX chiefly for לקח, also for אחז ,לכד ,נשׂא, etc. ;] 1. to take, lay hold of: absol., Mat.26:26, Mrk.14:22; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.5:40 26:52, al. mult.; with accusative of person(s), Mat.21:35, Mrk.12:3, al.; pleonastic λαβών (M, Pr., 230; Bl., §74, 2), Mat.13:31 14:19, al.; so also indic., Mrk.7:27, Jhn.19:1, 40 Rev.8:5, al.; metaphorically, with accusative of thing(s), ἀφορμήν, Rom.7:8, 11; ὑδόδειγμα, Jas.5:10; id. with accusative of person(s), φόβος, Luk.7:16; πνεῦμα, Luk.9:39; πειρασμός, 1Co.10:13; aoristic pf. (M, Pr., 145, 238; BL, §59, 4), Rev.5:7 8:5, al. …
more excessive	περισσότερον	perissoteron	G4055	more excessive περισσότερον (perissoteron) περισσότερον, -ως, see: περισσῶς. περισσῶς adv. (περισσός) [in LXX: Psa.31:23 (יֶתֶר -עַל), Da TH Dan.7:7, 19 8:9 (יַתִּיר, יֶתֶר) 2Ma.8:27 2Mac 12:44 A * ;] beyond measure, exceedingly, abundantly: Mat.27:23, Mrk.10:26 15:14, Act.26:11. Compar. (a) περισσότερον (see: περισσός); (b) περισσοτέρως: 2Co.1:12 2:4 7:15 11:23, Gal.1:14, Php.1:14, 1Th.2:17, Heb.2:1 13:19; π. μᾶλλον, 2Co.7:13; opposite to ἧττον, 2Co.12:15.† (AS)
judgment.	κρίμα.	krima	G2917	judgment κρίμα (krima) κρίμα (B1., § 27, 2), -τος, τό (κρίνω), [in LXX chiefly for מִשְׁפָּט ;] the issue of a judicial process, hence, 1. judgment, the decision passed on the faults of others: Mat.7:2; in forensic sense, with genitive pun., Luk.24:20; esp. of the judgment of God, Rom.2:2 5:16 11:33 (ICC, in l), 2Pe.2:3, Ju 4; κ. λαμβάνεσθαι, Mat.23:13 (Rec., R, mg.), Mrk.12:40, Luk.20:47, Rom.13:2, Jas.3:1; ἔχειν, 1Ti.5:12; βαστάζειν, Gal.5:10; ἐσθίειν ἑαυτῷ, 1Co.11:29; εἰς κ. συνέρχεσθαι, 1Co.11:34; εἶναι ἐν τ αὐτῷ κ., Luk.23:40; with genitive obj., Rom.3:8, 1Ti.3:6, Rev.17:1; of God's judgment through Christ, …

Show all 19 wordsShow fewer

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.