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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

Matthew 23:2

The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Example;   Hypocrisy;   Oppression;   Pharisees;   Satire;   Scribe (S);   Teachers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Imitation;   Pharisees;   Scribes;   Sects, Jewish;   Sinful;   Worldliness;   Worldliness-Unworldliness;   The Topic Concordance - Hypocrisy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Law of Moses, the;   Magistrates;   Scribes;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Education;   Law;   Matthew, gospel of;   Pharisees;   Ruler;   Scribes;   Synagogue;   Teacher;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Supralapsarians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Matthew, the Gospel of;   Salutation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hypocrite;   Judas Iscariot;   Pharisees;   Scribes;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boyhood of Jesus;   Courage;   Discourse;   Elect, Election ;   Error;   Ethics (2);   Example;   Foot;   Humility;   Individualism;   Law of God;   Mental Characteristics;   Moses ;   Nation (2);   Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   Paradox;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Synagogue;   Temple (2);   Unity (2);   Winter ;   Woe;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Scribes;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pharisee;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Scribe;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Philosophy;   Scribes;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Authority in Religion;   Keys, Power of;   Law in the New Testament;   Seat;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Almemar;   Binding and Loosing;   China;   Law, Reading from the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.
King James Version (1611)
Saying, The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moses seate:
King James Version
Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
English Standard Version
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
New American Standard Bible
saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses.
New Century Version
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell you what the law of Moses says.
Amplified Bible
saying: "The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses' chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];
New American Standard Bible (1995)
saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
Legacy Standard Bible
saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
Berean Standard Bible
"The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
Contemporary English Version
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses.
Complete Jewish Bible
"The Torah-teachers and the P'rushim," he said, "sit in the seat of Moshe.
Darby Translation
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
Easy-to-Read Version
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell you what the Law of Moses says.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Saying, The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moses seate.
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to them, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the chair of Moses.
Good News Translation
"The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses' Law.
Lexham English Bible
saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses.
Literal Translation
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down on Moses' seat.
American Standard Version
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat:
Hebrew Names Version
saying, "The Sofrim and the Perushim sat on Moshe' seat.
International Standard Version
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.[fn]Nehemiah 8:4,8; Malachi 2:7; Mark 12:38; Luke 20:45;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
and said to them, Upon the chair of Musha sit the scribes and the Pharishee.
Murdock Translation
and said to them: The Scribes and Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Saying: The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moyses seate.
English Revised Version
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat:
World English Bible
saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses' seat.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
All things therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, observe and do;
Weymouth's New Testament
"The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, On the chayere of Moises, scribis and Farisees han sete.
Update Bible Version
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat:
Webster's Bible Translation
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat.
New English Translation
"The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.
New King James Version
saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
New Living Translation
"The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.
New Life Bible
He said, "The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers have put themselves in Moses' place as teachers.
New Revised Standard
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
saying - Upon Moses' seat, have sat down, the Scribes and the Pharisees:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.
Revised Standard Version
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
sayinge. The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moses seate.
Young's Literal Translation
saying, `On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sayde: The scrybes & Pharises are set downe vpon Moses seate.
Mace New Testament (1729)
said, the Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's chair.
Simplified Cowboy Version
"The hypocritical preachers and the lawyers of the Code are experts in the law of Moses.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples: 2 The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses; 3 All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not. 4 They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them. 5 But all their works they do so as to be seen by men: for they make wide their phylacteries, and the edges of their robes, 6 And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues, 7 And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher. 8 But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Nehemiah 8:4-8, Malachi 2:7, Mark 12:38, Luke 20:46

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:13 - General Deuteronomy 19:17 - General Deuteronomy 33:10 - They shall teach 1 Chronicles 24:6 - the scribe Ezra 7:11 - a scribe Ezra 7:25 - teach ye Nehemiah 8:1 - Ezra Song of Solomon 5:7 - the keepers Zechariah 11:16 - which Matthew 5:20 - exceed Matthew 7:29 - and not Matthew 15:1 - scribes Matthew 16:1 - Pharisees Matthew 21:33 - husbandmen Mark 1:44 - show Luke 11:46 - Woe John 7:19 - yet Titus 3:1 - to be subject

Cross-References

Genesis 13:18
And Abram, moving his tent, came and made his living-place by the holy tree of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and made an altar there to the Lord.
Genesis 23:14
So Ephron said to Abraham,
Genesis 23:15
My lord, give ear to me: the value of the land is four hundred shekels; what is that between me and you? so put your dead to rest there.
Genesis 23:16
And Abraham took note of the price fixed by Ephron in the hearing of the children of Heth, and gave him four hundred shekels in current money.
Genesis 23:18
Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.
Genesis 23:19
Then Abraham put Sarah his wife to rest in the hollow rock in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, that is, Hebron in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 27:41
So Esau was full of hate for Jacob because of his father's blessing; and he said in his heart, The days of weeping for my father are near; then I will put my brother Jacob to death.
Genesis 50:10
And they came to the grain-floor of Atad on the other side of Jordan, and there they gave the last honours to Jacob, with great and bitter sorrow, weeping for their father for seven days.
Numbers 13:22
They went up into the South and came to Hebron; and Ahiman and Sheshai and Talmai, the children of Anak, were living there. (Now the building of Hebron took place seven years before that of Zoan in Egypt.)
Numbers 20:29
And when the people saw that Aaron was dead, all the children of Israel gave themselves up to weeping for him for thirty days.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Saying, the Scribes and Pharisees,.... The Persic version adds, the priests: but Christ does not here speak of the sanhedrim, or grand council of the nation, and of their legislative power; but of those that were the teachers of the people, and the interpreters of the law; and of those, who, though they corrupted the word with their glosses and traditions, yet retained some truth, and at least came nearer truth, than the Sadducees; who therefore are omitted, and only Scribes and Pharisees mentioned, who gave the literal and traditional sense of the Scriptures; of whom he says, they

sit in Moses's seat: not that they were his successors in his office as a legislator and mediator; though the Persic version reads it, "sit in the place and chair of Moses"; but they read his law, and explained it to the people: this post and place, as yet, they kept in the office they were, and were to continue; and the people were to regard them so far as they spoke consistent with the law, until it had its full accomplishment in Christ. The allusion is not to the chairs in which the sanhedrim sat in trying and determining causes, but to those in which the doctors sat when they expounded the law; for though they stood up when they read the law, or the prophets, they sat down when they preached out of them: this custom of the synagogue was observed by our Lord; see Luke 4:16.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Scribes and Pharisees - See the notes at Matthew 3:7.

Moses’ seat - Moses was the great legislator of the Jews. By him the Law was given. The office of explaining that Law among the Jews devolved on the scribes and Pharisees. In the synagogues they sat while expounding the Law, and rose when they read it. By “sitting in the seat of Moses” we are to understand authority to teach the Law; or, as he taught the nation by giving the Law, so they taught it by explaining it.


 
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