Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Matthew 23:2

This verse is not available in the MSG!

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:
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

1Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer. 4"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor' and ‘Reverend.' 8"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ. 11"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

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
Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God .
Genesis 23:14
Then Ephron answered Abraham, "If you insist, master. What's four hundred silver shekels between us? Now go ahead and bury your wife."
Genesis 23:16
Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid out the sum that Ephron had named before the town council of Hittites—four hundred silver shekels at the current exchange rate.
Genesis 27:41
Esau seethed in anger against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him; he brooded, "The time for mourning my father's death is close. And then I'll kill my brother Jacob."
Genesis 50:10
Arriving at the Atad Threshing Floor just across the Jordan River, they stopped for a period of mourning, letting their grief out in loud and lengthy lament. For seven days, Joseph engaged in these funeral rites for his father.
Joshua 20:7
They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hills of Naphtali, Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hills of Judah.
1 Samuel 28:3
Samuel was now dead. All Israel had mourned his death and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. Saul had long since cleaned out all those who held séances with the dead.
2 Samuel 1:17
Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in The Book of Jashar.
2 Samuel 5:3
All the leaders of Israel met with King David at Hebron, and the king made a treaty with them in the presence of God . And so they anointed David king over Israel.
Jeremiah 22:10
Don't weep over dead King Josiah. Don't waste your tears. Weep for his exiled son: He's gone for good. He'll never see home again.

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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