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William Burkitt's Expository Notes

Matthew 23:25

Our Saviour doth not here condemn their legal, or traditional washing of pots of cups, or any external decency and cleanliness in conversation; but his design is to shew them the vanity of outward purity, without inward sancity, and to convince them of the necessity of cleansing the heart, in order to the purifying and reforming the life: plainly intimating,

1. That men's lives could no be so bad, if their hearts were not worse, all the obliquity fo their lives proceeding from the impurity of their hearts and natures.

2. That an holy heart will be accompanied with an holy life.. man may be outwardly pure, and yet inwardly filthy; but he that has. pure heart will live. pure and holy life. Cleanse that which is within the cup, that the outside may be clean also.

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See also Matthew 23:25 in other biblical comments:

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

    MATTHEW 23:25 avkrasi,aj {A} Since avkrasi,aj, which is strongly supported by early and good witnesses, seemed to be inappropriate with a`rpagh/j (yet, as Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich-Danker point out, “inte...

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Matthew 23:25. _YE MAKE CLEAN THE OUTSIDE_] The Pharisees were exceedingly exact in observing all the washings and purifications prescribed by the law; but paid no attention to that inward purit...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE CUP AND THE PLATTER - The drinking-cup and the dish containing food. The Pharisees were diligent in observing all the washings and obligations required by their traditions. See the notes at Mark 7...

  • 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)

    "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of rapacity and lust. Blind Pharisee! cleanse the inside of the cup and...

  • 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, &C. Compare Matthew 5:8, and see App-126. MAKE CLEAN. cleanse ceremonially. PLATTER. dish: i.e.. side dish. Greek. _paropsis._ Occurs only in these verses. EXTORTION. plunder. EXCESS. inconti...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _are full_ Observe how swiftly and naturally Eastern speech passes from the figurative to the literal. The outside of the cup and platter is the external behaviour and conduct of the Pharisee, the ins...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΠΑΡΟΨΊΣ, ‘a side dish on which viands are served.’ The classical meaning is ‘a side dish’ in the sense of the viands themselves. See Lob. _Phryn._ 176. The word was introduced into Latin: ‘quam multa...

  • 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....

  • Catena Aurea Commentary

    VER 25. "WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YE MAKE CLEAN THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND OF THE PLATTER, BUT WITHIN THEY ARE FULL OF EXTORTION AND EXCESS. 26. THOU BLIND PHARISEE, CLEANS...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _MORE WOES FOR THE SCRIBES, PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES MATTHEW 23:25-33:_ The scribes and Pharisees were not clean on the inside, in their heart, where it mattered. They were religiously beautiful on the o...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΈΞΩΘΕΝ (G1855) снаружи, ΠΟΤΗΡΊΟΝ (G4221) чаша, ΠΑΡΟΨΊΔΟΣ _gen. sing. от_ ΠΑΡΟΨΊΣ (G3953) тарелка. Об очищении посуды _см._ М, Kleim; Jacob Neusner, "First Cleanse the Inside" NTS 22 (1976): 486-95;...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    YE MAKE CLEAN THE OUTSIDE, &C.— 6. The _sixth_ woe is denounced for their hypocrisy: they were at great pains to appear virtuous, and to have a decent external conduct, while they neglected to beautif...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT: 23:25-28 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    16 The Pharisees had practically annulled the Scriptures by false interpretations and especially by human additions. Their commentaries were full of distinctions which destroyed the spiritual force of...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    23:25 intemperance. (a-29) Or 'self-indulgence,' want of self-restraint in feeding one's lust....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Luke 11:39. YE MAKE CLEAN] see Mark 7:4; BUT WITHIN THEY] (i.e. the cups and dishes) are full of food and drink which has been obtained by extortion and excess....

  • 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...

  • 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),...

  • 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

    THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND OF THE PLATTER. — The latter word in the Greek indicates what we should call a “side-dish,” as distinct from the “charger” of Matthew 14:11. The “outside” includes the inner...

  • 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...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    _Fifth woe_, directed against externalism (Luke 11:39-41). τῆς παροψίδος, the dish, on which viands were served. In classics it meant the meat, not the dish (τὸ ὄψον οὐχὶ δὲ τὸ ἀγγεῖον, Phryn., p. 176...

  • 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

    (8) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (8) Hypocrites pay too much attenti...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Woe to you. Jesus Christ here condemns, in forcible language, the principal vices of the Pharisees, viz. their hypocrisy, false devotion, boundless ambition, insatiable avarice, false zeal, and ignora...

  • 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

    25._For you cleanse the outer part. _Our Lord follows out the same statement, and employs a figure for reproaching the _scribes _with being eagerly bent on this single object of making a brilliant app...

  • 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

    WOE UNTO YOU SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES,.... Our Lord cannot be thought to bear too hard upon these men, nor does he continue this character of them, and denunciations of woe against them, with...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Ver. 25. _Ye make clean the outside_] T...

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

    _Wo unto you, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup_, &c. This is the sixth wo. They were at great pains to appear virtuous, and to have a decent external conduct, while they neglected...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The sixth woe:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YE MAKE CLEAN THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND OF THE PLATTER, BUT WITHIN THEY ARE FULL OF EXTORTION AND EXCESS....

  • 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

    SEE POOLE ON "MATTHEW 23:26"....

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Clement of Alexandria The Instructor Book III And again He says to the same people, "Woe unto you! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and platter, but within are full of uncleanness. Cleanse first...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Matthew 23:25 Woe G3759 you G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees G5330 hypocrites G5273 For G3754 cleanse G2511

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    TWO EXAMPLES OF THE WAY IN WHICH THEY PUT ON A SHOW BUT DO NOT DEAL WITH WHAT IS UNACCEPTABLE UNDERNEATH (23:25-28). Having demonstrated that justice, mercy and compassion, and faithfulness was to enj...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the bowl, but within they are full from extortion and excess.” Note that this parallels those who lay grea...

  • 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

    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...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    This discourse (peculiar to Matthew) was delivered on Tuesday preceding the crucifixion, although similar sayings (found in Luke 11:13) were uttered on a previous occasion. The intercourse with the Ph...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Matthew 23:25. YE CLEANSE THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND OF THE DISH. The ‘cup' and ‘dish' refer to drink and meat, the enjoyment of life. They would give a formal legal purity to sinful gratification. On...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    FROM EXTORTION AND EXCESS (εξ αρπαγης κα ακρασιας). A much more serious accusation. These punctilious observers of the external ceremonies did not hesitate at robbery (αρπαγες) and graft (ακρασιας),...

  • 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

    YOU CLEAN THE OUTSIDE. They had a ritual for washing the outside of cups and plates, and they would not eat or drink from anything that had not been prepared in this way. CLEAN WHAT IS INSIDE THE CUP...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _For ye make clean the outside of the cup._ MORAL ABLUTION By this allusion to the cup and platter the Saviour taught that it is necessary to cleanse the heart first, that the external conduct might...

  • 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 23:16. GOLD OF THE TEMPLE.—The exact meaning of this expression is uncertain; but the probability is that it refers to money offered as a gift to God, to which the scribes an...

  • 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

    Isaiah 28:7; Isaiah 28:8; Luke 11:39; Luke 11:40; Mark 7:4;...

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

    Platter [π α ρ ο ψ ι δ ο ς]. para, beside, oyon, meat. A side - dish, with the accompanying sense of something dainty; later, as here, the dish itself as distinguished from its contents. Excess [α κ...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN Matthew 23:23 INTRODUCTORY WORDS "A double minded man is unstable in all his days." We have in Matthew 23:1, a striking illustration of these words. 1. WE HAVE PIETY as A PRETEN...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Full of rapine and intemperance — The censure is double (taking intemperance in the vulgar sense.) These miserable men procured unjustly what they used intemperately. No wonder tables so furnished pro...

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Old Testament