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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Matthew 23:2

“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair 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

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:
Bible in Basic English
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;
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

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.3Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach. 4They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry 5They do everything 6They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, 7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people. 8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, 9Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

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
So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.
Genesis 23:14
Ephron answered Abraham and said to him,
Genesis 23:15
“My lord, listen to me. Land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
Genesis 23:16
Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the hearing of the Hethites: four hundred standard shekels of silver.
Genesis 23:18
Abraham’s possession in the sight of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city.
Genesis 23:19
After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 27:41
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau determined in his heart: “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Genesis 50:10
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father.
Numbers 13:22
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were living. Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
Numbers 20:29
When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him 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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