Matthew 23:14

 Matthew 23:14

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

a. NASB 1995: [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]  [Note in the NASB 1995 This v not found in early mss.] [NASB95 New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved] 

b. NKJV:  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Classic Amplified: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you swallow up widows’ houses and for a pretense to cover it up make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation and the heavier sentence.] [This verse is in italics in the Classic Amplified. The note in the Classic Amplified says: Italics point out certain quarterly supported by the original manuscripts] [Don Costello: That's nice but we do not have the original manuscripts ]. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you have shut off the kingdom of heaven against men; for you do not enter into it yourselves, and do not permit those who would enter. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. ESV:  [Footnote: Some Greek manuscripts exclude this verse. The ESV related footnote for 23:13 states: Some manuscripts add here (or after verse 12) verse 14: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses

a. Woe [Strong: 3759 ouaí, oo-ah'-ee; a primary exclamation of grief; "woe":—alas, woe.]

b. [unto] you [Strong: 5213 humin, hoo-min'; irregular dative case of G5210; to (with or by) you:—ye, you, your(-selves).]

c. scribes [Strong: 1122 grammateús, gram-mat-yooce'; from G1121. a writer, i.e. (professionally) scribe or secretary:—scribe, town-clerk.

d. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

e. Pharisees [Strong: 5330 Pharisaîos, far-is-ah'-yos; of Hebrew origin (compare H6567); a separatist, i.e. exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary:—Pharisee.]

1). The Outline of Biblical Usage was created by Larry Pierce, creator of the Online Bible, and is used with permission: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to OT books the Pharisees recognised in oral tradition a standard of belief and life. They sought for distinction and praise by outward observance of external rites and by outward forms of piety, and such as ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, and alms giving; and, comparatively negligent of genuine piety, they prided themselves on their fancied good works. They held strenuously to a belief in the existence of good and evil angels, and to the expectation of a Messiah; and they cherished the hope that the dead, after a preliminary experience either of reward or of penalty in Hades, would be recalled to life by him, and be requited each according to his individual deeds. In opposition to the usurped dominion of the Herods and the rule of the Romans, they stoutly upheld the theocracy and their country's cause, and possessed great influence with the common people. According to Josephus they numbered more than 6000. They were bitter enemies of Jesus and his cause; and were in turn severely rebuked by him for their avarice, ambition, hollow reliance on outward works, and affection of piety in order to gain popularity.

f. hypocrites [Strong: 5271 hupŏkritēs, hoop-ok-ree-tace'; from G5271; an actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e. (figuratively) a dissembler ("hypocrite":—hypocrite.]

g. for [Strong: 3754 hóti, hot'-ee; neuter of G3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:—as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

h. [ye] devour [Strong: 2719 katesthíō, kat-es-thee'-o; from G2596 and G2068 (including its alternate); to eat down, i.e. devour (literally or figuratively):—devour.]

i. [Strong: 3588. [tōn] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tōn] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

j. widows [Strong: 5503 chḗra, khay'-rah; feminine of a presumed derivative apparently from the base of G5490 through the idea of deficiency; a widow (as lacking a husband), literally or figuratively:—widow.]

k. [Strong: 3588. [tas] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tas] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

l. houses [Strong: [Strong: 3614 oikía, oy-kee'-ah; from G3624; properly, residence (abstractly), but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively); by implication, a family (especially domestics):—home, house(-hold).]

2. “...and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. [for a] pretense [Strong: 4392 próphasis, prof'-as-is; from a compound of G4253 and G5316; an outward showing, i.e. pretext:—cloke, colour, pretence, show.]

c. [make] long] [Strong: 3117 makrós, mak-ros'; from G3372; long (in place (distant) or time (neuter plural)):—far, long.]

d. prayer [Strong: 4336 proseúchomai, pros-yoo'-khom-ahee; from G4314 and G2172; to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship:—pray (X earnestly, for), make prayer.]

e. therefore [Strong: 1223 diá, dee-ah'; a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):—after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) … fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, × though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in).]

f. [Strong: 5124 toûto, too'-to; neuter singular nominative or accusative case of G3778; that thing:—here (-unto), it, partly, self(-same), so, that (intent), the same, there(-fore, -unto), this, thus, where(-fore).]

g. [ye] shall] receive [Strong: 2983 lambánō, lam-ban'-o; a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas G1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while G138 is more violent, to seize or remove)):—accept, + be amazed, assay, attain, bring, × when I call, catch, come on (X unto), + forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up).]

h. [the] greater [Strong: 4054 perissóteron, per-is-sot'-er-on; neuter of G4055 (as adverb); in a more superabundant way:—more abundantly, a great deal, far more.]

i. damnation [Strong: 2917 kríma, kree'-mah; from G2919; a decision (the function or the effect, for or against ("crime")):—avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.]

1). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 7/23/14 Among the eight “woes” in Matthew 23 is this awful condemnation on religious leaders for misusing their office and misleading their followers. What they did was pretty serious, but the emphasis in the passage is on the “greater” result of their impact on many lives. James certainly had this incident in mind when he said, “My brethren, be not many masters [teachers], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). Paul’s second letter to Timothy listed a series of wicked attitudes that would characterize religious leaders in the last days, warning us about the prevalent conditions. They would have a “form of godliness” but would deny “the power thereof.” Those of us who love the Lord are told to “turn away” from them, “for of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:5-7). The overriding principle is this: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day knew the Scriptures. Therefore, their hypocritical and destructive behavior received His harsh judgment. Just so, all those who use their platform of leadership to distort truth and seek the praise of men (John 12:43)—whether in religious environs, in positions of political authority (as were the Pharisees and Sadducees), or merely the “masters” of academia—will reap “the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5). May the Lord give us the discernment to avoid “them which cause divisions and offences” (Romans 16:17). HMM III