And he said to them in his doctrine: Beware of the scribes, who love to walk in long robes and to be saluted in the marketplace,
και ελεγεν αυτοις εν τη διδαχη αυτου βλεπετε απο των γραμματεων των θελοντων εν στολαις περιπατειν και ασπασμους εν ταις αγοραις
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He started addressing the crowd, cautioning them about the scribes who don elaborate attire and seek accolades for themselves. They delight in receiving greetings and admiration in public spaces, along with all other forms of recognition.
The Pharisees meticulously gave a tithe of herbs such as mint, anise, and cumin, yet overlooked the more significant aspects of the law (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42). Their focus was on outward appearances, neglecting that which truly leads to the salvation of the spirit. They sought honor in the synagogues (cf. Matt. 23:7; Luke 20:46) and relished being esteemed at banquets (cf. Matt. 23:6; Luke 20:46). Jesus addressed them, fully aware of their spiritual condition, highlighting that their focus remained solely on external observances while dismissing the internal realities. They failed to recognize that He who fashioned the body also formed the soul.
Following these events, the Lord departed from the temple, delivering a stern rebuke to the Pharisees and the temple priests who were complicit in leading the people astray, along with dire warnings about the impending judgment of God. Concluding His earthly mission, He proclaimed that He would continue to reach out to them through His emissaries; yet, the Pharisees would hunt them down, along with previous heralds of the truth. This persecution would serve to amplify the measure of their ancestors' transgressions, ultimately culminating in God’s judgment being made manifest upon the unrighteousness of Jerusalem.
In the condemnation of the Pharisees rendered by the Evangelist Matthew, which is less extensively covered by Mark and Luke, Jesus begins with a solemn warning and counsel directed toward His disciples. This shift leads to a more severe admonishment aimed at the Pharisees and the scribes. Following this, He addresses the Jewish people with serious implications and, finally, expresses sorrow and remorse concerning Jerusalem. This progression of tone in Matthew 23 underscores significant themes. For in-depth interpretations, one may refer to the entirety of this chapter.
The adversaries of Christ had been utterly vanquished among the people and had subdued their wrath for a time. However, they had yet to confront Jesus's direct rebuke of their profound moral decay, which disqualified them from spiritual leadership, a judgment that was made openly in the temple. The condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees reveals that if they meet any demands of the law and tradition, it is merely for show when in the eyes of the congregation. Even then, their actions aim solely to set themselves apart from the masses superficially. They unnecessarily enlarge the phylacteries they wear, pretending to demonstrate their fervor for the law's observance, while ironically being the first to violate it.
They also extend their tassels, those fringes on their garments that Moses instructed them to don (Num. 15:38-40), meant to remind them to reflect on and uphold all commandments so they may be sanctified before God. They delight in receiving honor wherever they go and in being given the places of highest esteem, not only in the synagogues but also at banquets, so that when they gather and in community meetings, they are acknowledged and referred to as teachers. Do not follow their example!
After all that transpired, it became evident to everyone that there was a complete chasm between the ruling elite of the Jewish nation and Christ. With the Pharisees and scribes now resolutely aiming to eliminate Christ at any cost, it was no longer feasible to engage with them with the leniency that had been shown previously. It was imperative for the Savior to publicly denounce them, and He delivered this final condemnation with great authority. Surrounded by the familiar throngs, including both scribes and Pharisees, He directed His words pointedly towards the latter, unleashing a condemnation that could only stir a callous conscience.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” He initiated His rebuke, then, like thunder echoing in the sky, He unleashed powerful denunciations upon them. They, being custodians of the Mosaic law, showed through their actions the most brazen disregard for its teachings; they placed heavy, unbearable burdens on others while refusing to lift a finger to help; they reveled in external accolades and performed all for appearances, all the while living lives steeped in vice and exploitation; they sought converts to their faith, but ended up making them twice as corrupt as before; they diligently cleaned the exteriors of cups and dishes but were filthy and unrighteous inside; they were blind guides, straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel; their hypocrisy likened them to tombs, adorned beautifully on the outside yet filled with decaying remains within. “Thus you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Woe to them for their false repentance in condemning their ancestors for persecuting the prophets, even as they housed the same bloodthirsty spirit of their forefathers, surpassing their predecessors in their wickedness. This generation would bear the consequences for all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to that of Zachariah, whom they murdered between the temple and the altar. The tempest of divine retribution was already rising above them, poised to unleash its fury upon their guilty heads. Yet, at that moment, the voice that had been laden with righteous wrath shifted to express deep compassion for the unfortunate city: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,’” which indicated they would express this as the crowd did upon His entry into Jerusalem, but it would be too late. This prophecy was precisely fulfilled in the catastrophic siege and fall of Jerusalem, when the legacy of the Jewish state became a wasteland of ruins and decaying bodies.
The Lord's stern condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees is extensively detailed by the Evangelist Matthew (Matt. 12:23), while Mark touches on only a few remarks regarding the ambition, selfishness, and deceit of these misleading leaders of the people. For the Jewish Christians for whom Matthew originally composed this Gospel, the words of Christ were both relevant and impactful, sharply depicting the false leaders who had recently departed from them, serving as constant reminders of their negative examples.
Conversely, for the Roman Gentile Christians, who were the intended audience of Mark's Gospel, this discourse lacked particular significance and was not easily comprehensible; they were unfamiliar with the lives and traits of the Jewish legalists and did not have a need to understand them. Consequently, Mark largely omits this entirety of the discourse and only includes minimal elements that would resonate more clearly with Gentile believers. The reference to ‘long garments’ highlights the vanity of seeking status amongst others (cf. note on Matthew 23:5). Additionally, the mention of ‘greetings in the assemblies of the people’ pertains to the admiration these leaders sought (see Matthew 23:6-7). The phrase ‘devouring widow's houses’ points to the exploitation of the vulnerable (see Matthew 23:14). Likewise, the critique of ‘ostentatious long prayers’ reflects their desire for public recognition (see Matt. 23:5 and Matt. 6:5).
After concluding His discourse with the Pharisees and silencing their objections, He discerned that His adversaries were afflicted by an unhealable ailment. He understood their hidden grievances and motives, revealing the insincerity of the envious hypocrites. As He approached the culmination of His earthly mission, He delivered a powerful address that condemned the moral failings of the scribes and Pharisees, who cloaked their shortcomings with outward religiosity. The dire warnings, which these spiritually blind guides had previously received from Him, He now reiterated with renewed vigor, recognizing their obstinate hearts but desiring to safeguard the people from falling into the same sins they exhibited, as St. John Chrysostom noted.
Conscious of how contagious such hypocrisy could be to the innocent, the Savior utilized vivid imagery familiar to His audience to illuminate the true essence and purpose of those who falsely presented themselves as exemplary stewards and infallible interpreters of the law. With words steeped in righteous anger, the self-existent and hypostatic truth delivered its condemnation on the most audacious and blasphemous acts of falseness and deceit ever displayed among humanity, forever marking with disgrace not only the ancient scribes and Pharisees but all who would follow in their footsteps. While the multitude listened intently, He instructed His disciples, "Take heed unto yourselves of the scribes, who walk in long robes, and love greeting in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation."
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS