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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Matthew 23:13-14

Matthew 23:13. Woe unto you. This repeated formula is followed in each case by a reason, derived from evil character and conduct. Sin results in ‘woe.'

Because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven, here represented as a wedding hall, or palace, with open doors.

Against men; in their face. This was especially done by so perverting the Scriptures as to prevent others from recognizing Christ, the ‘Way,' the ‘Door.' Their sin was two-fold: not entering themselves; and by both example and false teaching, keeping back the people who even now were disposed to enter. This is the chief sin of Pharisaism: by outward ceremonies and false self-righteous teaching, obscuring the simple gospel of Christ, thus shutting the door of the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. The other verses set forth various manifestations of their wicked example and precept.

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See also Matthew 23:13-14 in other biblical comments:

  • A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger

    MATTHEW 23:13 Ouvai. de. u`mi/n … eivselqei/n. {A} That ver. Matthew 23:14 is an interpolation derived from the parallel in...

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Matthew 23:13. _WO UNTO YOU, SCRIBES_] I think the _fourteenth_ and _thirteenth_ verses should be _transposed_. This transposition is authorized by some of the best MSS., versions, and fathers....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    WOE UNTO YOU - You are guilty, and punishment will come upon you. Jesus proceeds to state wherein they were guilty. This most eloquent, most appalling, and most terrible of all discourses ever deliver...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    11. THE WOES OF THE KING AND HIS LAMENTATION OVER JERUSALEM. CHAPTER 23 1. The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees.(Matthew 23:1 .) 2. The Woes of the King upon Them.(Matthew 23:13 .) 3. The Lamentation over...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SEVEN WOES. Seven is a sacred number and often used in Mt., as in OT (_cf._ especially Isaiah 5) and _Rev._ The first three treat of Pharisaic teaching, the last three of Pharisaic character, the four...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    SCRIBES AND PHARISEES (Matthew 23:1-39) If a man is characteristically and temperamentally an irritable, ill-tempered and irascible creature, notoriously given to uncontrolled outbursts of passionate...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WOE. The first of eight woes in (verses: Matthew 23:13). Compare Matthew 5:3. and see App-126. All the texts (with Syriac) transpose Matthew 23:13 and...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men_ In allusion to the symbolic "key of knowledge" given to the Scribe on admission to the order. They use their keys to shut rather than to open the doors o...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    Matthew 23:1-36. A PROPHETIC ODE, DENOUNCING THE PHARISEES AND THE RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY OF THE AGE Each division is marked by its special beauty of poetical form....

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    The _textus receptus_ here inserts the words which stand for certain in Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47. Rejected on decisive evidence here....

  • Catena Aurea Commentary

    VER 13. "BUT WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YE SHUT UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AGAINST MEN: FOR YE NEITHER GO IN YOURSELVES, NEITHER SUFFER YE THEM THAT ARE ENTERING TO GO IN." Ori...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _WOE TO YOU SCRIBES, PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES MATTHEW 23:13-24:_ Woes were pronounced because the Pharisees would not enter the kingdom themselves and hindered those that would enter. (Matthew 23:13) The...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΟΎΑΊ (G3758) горе, ужас. Межд. выражает боль, расстройство и предупреждение: "как сильно будет он страдать" "какую ужасную боль он испытает" (EDNT; LN, 1:243); в сопровождении ΌΤ (G3754) объясняет при...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BUT WO UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES— The above discourse against the Scribes and Pharisees was pronounced in the hearing of many of the order; they were therefore greatly incensed, and...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT: 23:13-15 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. BUT WOE UN...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DENUNCIATION OF THE PHARISEES 1-36. Final denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees. The other synoptists insert in this place a brief utterance directed against the scribes (Mark 12:38; Luke 20:45),...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Luke 11:52. SHUT UP, etc.] i.e. prevent the nation from being converted. The Kingdom of Heaven is here the Church....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SEVEN WOES ON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. Jesus, knowing that His death was at hand, and that the conversion of His enemies was hopeless, poured upon them a torrent of righteous indignation, in the...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    MATTHEW’S GOOD NEWS MATTHEW’S *GOSPEL _HILDA BRIGHT_ CHAPTER 23 JESUS ACCUSES THE *PHARISEES 23:1-12 V1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his *disciples. V2 ‘The men who teach the *Law and...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WOE UNTO YOU. — We enter in these verses on the sternest words of condemnation that ever came from our Lord’s lips; but it may be questioned whether our English “Woe unto you” does not exclude too ent...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    6; Matthew 22:1; Matthew 23:1 CHAPTER 17 Conflict in the Temple - Matthew 21:18 - Matthew 22:1 -...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    _The seven woes_. There are eight, if we count that in Matthew 23:13 of T. R., but as this ver. is omitted in the best MSS. and appears to be a gloss from Mk. and Lk. I do not count it. _Vide_ notes o...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WOES FOR THE FALSE-HEARTED Matthew 23:13-26 These repeated woes may be translated, _Alas for you!_ Our Lord with unfailing accuracy indicates the inevitable doom which such conduct as that of the Pha...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This chapter is one of the most sublime and awful in the whole inspired volume. It records the last words of Jesus to the crowds. He summed up, He reached His verdict, He pronounced sentence. It is a...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (5) But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, (m) hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are (n) entering to go in....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    You shut the kingdom of heaven. This is here taken for eternal happiness, which can be obtained only by faith in Christ, since he calls himself the gate. (St. John chap. x) --- Now the Pharisees, by r...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    WOES AGAINST THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES Luke 20:47; Mark 12:40; Matthew 23:13-39. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you devour the houses of widows, and through pretense make lo...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (14) Woe unt...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We now enter on the Lord's final presentation of Himself to Jerusalem, traced, however, from Jericho; that is, from the city which had once been the stronghold of the power of the Canaanite. The Lord...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    Matthew 23:13._You shut up the kingdom of heaven. _Christ pronounces a curse on them, because they pervert their office to the general destruction of the whole people; for since the government of the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Chapter 23 clearly shews how far the disciples are viewed in connection with the nation, inasmuch as they were Jews, although the Lord judges the leaders, who beguiled the people and dishonoured God b...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BUT WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... It seems from hence, that the Scribes and Pharisees had not left him, at least not all of them, notwithstanding the confusion they were thrown i...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in _yourselves_, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Ver. 13. _...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _But wo to you, scribes_, &c. Our Lord pronounced eight blessings upon the mount, he pronounces eight woes here, not as imprecations, but solemn, compassionate declarations of the misery which these s...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    SHUT UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; by your false interpretations of the law, and your opposition to me, its true expounder. NEITHER GO IN; they would not embrace Christ themselves, nor, if they could pre...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE WOES UPON THE HYPOCRISY OF THE PHARISEES. The first woe: BUT WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YE SHUT UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AGAINST MEN; FOR YE NEITHER GO IN YOURSELVES, NE...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    The Lord now turns to speak to the entire crowd, His disciples being mentioned as included. He warns them against the hypocrisy of scribes and Pharisees, for they sat in Moses' seat as enforcers of th...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    13-33 The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others f...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    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 knowledg...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Origen Commentary on Matthew Book X exposition of the Scriptures, but believe the bare letter, and, vindicate it, that they call themselves scribes. And so one will interpret the words, "Woe unto you...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Matthew 23:13 But G1161 woe G3759 you G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees G5330 hypocrites G5273 For G3754 up

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JESUS FACES THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES UP TO THEIR HYPOCRISY (23:13-33). It will be quite clear that the words which Jesus has spoken to His disciples and the crowds could hardly have failed to rile th...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THEIR FAILURE TO BRING MEN UNDER THE KINGLY RULE OF HEAVEN (23:13-15). The first two woes attack the Scribes and Pharisees for actually preventing people from coming under the Kingly Rule of Heaven....

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    “But woe/alas to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingly rule of heaven against men, for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering in to enter...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    WORDS IN THE TEMPLE (23:1-39). a Exhortation to His disciples and the crowds not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees, but to be doers and not hearers only. In contrast to the Scribes and Pharisees t...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JESUS PASSES JUDGMENT ON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AND DESCRIBES THE DEVASTATIONS COMING ON THE WORLD PRIOR TO HIS COMING AGAIN AND THE JUDGMENT THAT WILL FOLLOW (23:1-25). Having made clear that He h...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    HYPOCRITES (υποκριτα). This terrible word of Jesus appears first from him in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:2; Matthew 6:5; Matthew 6:16; Matthew 7:5...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jesus denounces woes upon the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. His lament over Jerusalem. CHARACTERS: Jesus. CONCLUSION: Nothing is more displeasing to our Lord Jesus Christ than hyprocrisy,...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Matthew 23:2. _Sit in Moses' seat._ The sanhedrim had seventy one chairs of gold, or rather gilt with gold. The council which sat at Alexandria had also chairs of gold. The highpriest was the presiden...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    HOW TERRIBLE FOR YOU! He makes eight statements of impeachment against the Jewish leaders. YOU LOCK THE DOOR. They did this by teaching lies which prevent people from believing in Christ. See Luke 11:...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites._ THE SINS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES I. That they shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. “Neither suffer ye them that are entering in.” 1....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 23:13 Jesus now speaks directly to the scribes and Pharisees. He declares seven “woes” (or laments) upon them that echo the criticisms he has repeated throughout his ministry....

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    CHAPTER 23 _Then Jesus spake_, &c. _Then_, that is to say, when, by His most wise answers and reasonings, He had confounded the errors of the Scribes and Pharisees, and had proved that He was the Mes...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ Matthew 23:13. WOE.—There is indignation in the word, and just denunciation; but, as Vatable long ago remarked, there is “deploration” too. There is wailing in it. It is rendered “ala...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION MATTHEW 23:1 _Denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, and lamentation over Jerusalem which followed their guidance to her own destruction. _(Peculiar to St. Matthew.) MATTHEW 23:1 TH...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Matthew's gospel twenty-three. Jesus has been at the temple and He was challenged as to His authority by these priests, and then He was asked questions by the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees. An...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; 2 Timothy 3:8; 2 Timothy 4:15;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Hypocrites [υ π ο κ ρ ι τ α ι]. From uJpokrinw, to separate gradually; so of separating the truth from a mass of falsehood, and thence to subject to inquiry, and, as a result of this, to expound or in...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Wo to you — Our Lord pronounced eight blessings upon the mount: he pronounces eight woes here; not as imprecations, but solemn, compassionate declarations of the misery, which these stubborn sinners w...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    From the thirteenth verse to the thirtieth, the Pharisees have eight several woes denounced against them by our Saviour; the first is, for perverting the scriptures, and keeping the true sense and kno...

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Old Testament