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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

Matthew 23

Matthew 23:1

MATTHEW CHAPTER 23 MATTHEW 23:1 Christ exhorteth to observe the doctrine, but not to follow the evil examples, of the scribes and Pharisees; and particularly not to imitate their ambition. MATTHEW 23:13 He pronounces divers woes against them for their blindness and hypocrisy, MATTHEW 23:34 and proph... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:3

Ver. 1-3. Our Lord having now done with the Pharisees, turneth his discourse to the more docible people, who (as we heard before) heard him attentively and gladly, MARK 12:37 LUKE 19:48. Our Saviour foresaw that some unwary hearers might make two ill uses of what he had spoke against the scribes and... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:4

Our Saviour saith the same of the _lawyers,_ LUKE 11:46. The BURDENS here mentioned were not their traditions and ritual things, Christ would never have before commanded his disciples to observe and do them, but the things truly commanded by the law of God, especially the ceremonial law, called _a y... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:5

OLBGrk; Our Saviour had, MATTHEW 23:4 blamed the Pharisees for not living up to what they taught, pressing the law of God on others, but not doing nor endeavouring to observe it themselves. Here he blames them for doing what good things they did for ostentation, _to be seen of men; _ and abounding i... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:7

Ver. 6,7. We have the same applied to the scribes, MARK 12:38,39 LUKE 11:43. Mark addeth, _which love to go in long clothing._ Our Saviour in these words doth not blame a distinction in habits and places, for he himself hath taught us, that those who are in kings palaces wear soft raiment; and, bein... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:10

Ver. 8-10. It is most certain that our Saviour doth not here forbid the giving of the titles of masters and fathers to his ministers, for then Paul would not have given himself the title of father, 1 CORINTHIANS 4:15; nor called the Galatians his little children, GALATIANS 4:19: nor called Timothy h... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:12

Ver. 11,12. We have what is in MATTHEW 23:12 twice in Luke, LUKE 14:11 LUKE 18:14. These verses expound what went before, and let us know; 1. That it was not a title, but the affectation of a title, which he blamed. 2. Not a doctorship, or mastership, but such a doctorship or mastership as made a m... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:13

Our Saviour now cometh to denounce eight woes against the teachers of those times, the scribes and Pharisees. Luke saith, LUKE 11:52, _Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye enter not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered._ It was written of old, t... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:14

Mark hath the same, MARK 12:40 and LUKE 20:47. If any should think that long prayers are here condemned, he will be confuted by LUKE 6:12, where he will find that our Saviour _continued all night in prayer to God._ It is the end of their long prayers which alone our Saviour blames, their making them... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:15

A third woe followeth, expressed in this verse, because they corrupted their proselytes, both as to doctrine and manners, so as they were twice more the children of the devil, and in danger of hell, than before. A proselyte was one who, coming from some pagan nation, relinquished idols, and worshipp... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:22

Ver. 16-22. Our Saviour here showeth the false doctrine which the Pharisees, for their own gain, taught the people concerning oaths. God had commanded that they should fear and serve the Lord their God, and swear by his name, DEUTERONOMY 6:13, DEUTERONOMY 10:20. He that sweareth by any person, or th... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:23

We have much the same LUKE 11:42, only there it is, _Ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God._ It is manifest by our Saviour's words in the latter part of the verse, THESE OUGHT YE TO HAVE DONE, that he doth not blame the Pharisees exactness in tithi... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:24

It is a proverbial expression used amongst them, against such as would pretend a great niceness and scrupulosity about, and zeal for, little things, but in matters of much higher concern and moment were not nice and scrupulous at all: and this indeed is both a certain note and an ordinary practice o... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:26

Luke hath this, LUKE 11:39,40, as occasioned by the Pharisees wondering that he washed not before dinner; instead of _extortion and excess, _ he hath _ravening and wickedness, _ and addeth, _Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?_ But the same thing migh... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:28

Ver. 27,28. The similitude is of the same import with the other, to show that the Pharisees had only a vizard of strictness and holiness, when in the mean time their hearts were full of lusts, hypocrisy, and iniquity. The Jews had two sorts of graves; some for ordinary persons, which appeared not (t... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:30

Ver. 29,30. Luke hath it, LUKE 11:47, _Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres._ It is plain by our Saviour's discourse, that the... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:33

Ver. 31-33. You (saith our Lord) confess that you are lineally descended from those who killed the prophets: you have not only their blood communicated to you, but their spirit; your behaviours and carriages towards me and my disciples have witnessed, and will yet further testify, that you are the c... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:36

Ver. 34-36. Luke saith, LUKE 11:49, _Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood... [ Continue Reading ]

Matthew 23:39

We have the same LUKE 13:34,35. _O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!_ The doubling of the word showeth the vehemency of our Saviour's affection. _Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee; _ that hast killed, and abused, and art yet going on to do the like, not taking notice of t... [ Continue Reading ]

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