1 Then Joshua spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit upon the seat of Moses. i 3 Therefore, all the things which they say to you to keep, keep and do, but do not do according to their works. For they say and do not do. ii 4 For they bind heavy burdens and hard to bear and put them upon men's shoulders, but they are not willing to move these things with their finger.”
5 “And they do all their works to be seen by men. And they broaden their phylacteries iii and enlarge the edge of their garments. 6 And they love the best places at the suppers iv and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'”
8 “But you, do not be called, 'Rabbi.' For one is your teacher, v the Christ, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone upon the earth your father, vi for one is your father who is in the heavens. 10 And do not be called teachers, vii for one is your teacher, the Christ.”
11 “And he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
13 viii “But woe ix to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you devour widows' houses and in pretense make long prayers. Because of this, you shall receive greater condemnation.”
14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up x the kingdom of the heavens from before men. For you do not enter, nor do you allow those entering xi to go in.” xii
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you travel the sea and the dry xiii to make one proselyte, xiv and when he is made, you make him a son of hell xv twice more xvi than you.”
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, xvii who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.' 17 Fools xviii and blind! For what is greater, the gold or the temple which sanctifies the gold? 18 And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift on it, he is obligated.' 19 Fools and blind! For what is greater, the gift or the altar which sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by the one who inhabits it. 22 And whoever swears by the heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it.” xix
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint and the anise xx and the cumin, xxi and leave the weightier things of the law, the justice xxii and the mercy xxiii and the faith. xxiv These things were necessary to do and also not to leave the others. xxv 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!”
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of robbery xxvi and unrighteousness. xxvii 26 Blind Pharisee! Clean first the inside of the cup and the dish, so that also the outside of them may be clean.”
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs, xxviii which outside indeed appear beautiful, but inside are filled with dead bones and all uncleanness. xxix 28 So also you, outside indeed you appear to men righteous, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” xxx
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs xxxi of the prophets and decorate xxxii the tombs xxxiii of the righteous, 30 and say, “If we were in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 And you, fill up the measure of your fathers.” xxxiv
33 “Snakes! xxxv Brood of vipers! How may you escape from the condemnation of hell? xxxvi 34 Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets and wise ones and scribes. And out of them, you shall kill and crucify, and out of them you shall scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, xxxvii 35 so that it may come upon you, all righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, xxxviii who you murdered xxxix between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you that it will come, xl all these things, upon this generation.” xli
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather together your children, xlii as a hen gathers together her brood under the wings, and you were not willing! xliii 38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. xli 39 For I say to you, you shall by no means see me from now until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” xliv
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf. xlv
- In light of Matthew 15:1-9 (Mark 7:1-13) and 16:6-12, Joshua is not blanketly saying do everything the scribes and Pharisees say, but rather, in the context of them sitting in the seat of Moses (i.e. speaking the law, yet e.g. Mark 7:19), do what they say. This is consistent with 1 Corinthians 9:20. ^
- Luke 12:1 ^
- fulakthria (phulaktêria) - “phylacteries” ^
- deipnoiv (deipnois) “suppers” - found also only in Mark 6:21; 12:39; Luke 14:12, 16-17, 24; 20:46; John 12:2; 13:2, 4; 21:20; 1 Corinthians 11:20-21; Revelation 19:9, 17. ^
- kayhghthv (kathêgêtês) - “teacher” - only found here and in verse 10(2x). Evident from the context, this is a translation of “Rabbi,” Rabbi (rabbi), which, according to John 1:38, means “teacher,” there Didaskale (Didaskale). ^
- Yet, 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 John 2:13-14 ^
- We should not be called Teacher, yet there are teachers (James 3:1; Hebrews 5:12). ^
- In the Critical Text, this verse does not exist, and what is called verse 13 in the Critical Text, is verse 14 in the Majority Text and verse 13 in the Received Text. The Majority Text and Received Text have these two verses in reverse order of each other. The Critical Text has no verse 14 in it. NAS has verse 14 in brackets, which is a translation of this verse, verse 13, according to the MT, verse 14 according to the RT. ^
- ouai (ouai) - woe ^
- kleiete (kleiete) - “shut up” - found also only in Matthew 6:6; 25:10; Luke 4:25; 11:7; John 20:19, 26; Acts 5:23; 21:30; 1 John 3:17; Revelation 3:7-8; 11:6; 20:3; 21:25. ^
- “those entering” - this is the horrific work of false spiritual leaders. They even prevent “those entering” from going in, as in 2 Peter 2:18. Similar statement made in Luke 11:52. “those entering” depends the truth often reveal in the Word, people can be temporarily saved, yet never make it to heaven (e.g. Luke 8:13/Romans 11:22; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Matthew 18:21-35; John 15:1-6; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-29; Revelation 22:18-19; etc.). Also, how does one enter? See Psalm 118:19-20. ^
- Jeremiah 23:22 ^
- xhran (xêran) - “dry” - found also only in Matthew 12:10 (“withered” NKJV); Mark 3:3 (“withered” NKJV); Luke 6:6, 8 (“withered” NKJV); 23:31; John 5:3 (“paralyzed” NKJV); Hebrews 11:29. ^
- proshluton (prosêluton) - “proselyte” - found also only in Acts 2:10 (CT 11); 6:5; 13:43. ^
- “son of hell” - Ephesians 2:3 “children of wrath” ^
- “twice more” - Luke 6:30, yet here Christ reveals it can be even worse. ^
- “blind guides” - Luke 6:39 ^
- Mwroi (Môroi) - “Fools” ^
- Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12; yet, Psalm 15:4; 63:11; Isaiah 65:16 ^
- anhyon (anêthon) - “anise” - KJV, NKJV “anise,” NAS “dill,” BGAD “dill” ^
- kuminon (kuminon) - “cumin” ^
- Justice in the law they put aside, e.g. Numbers 32:2/Matthew 23:16 (“it is nothing”). ^
- Mercy in the law they put aside, e.g. Exodus 20:12/Matthew 15:4-6. ^
- Faith in the law they put aside, e.g. Exodus 19:9/John 5:46-47 (see also Numbers 14:11; 20:12; Hebrews 4:2). ^
- Luke 11:42 ^
- arpaghv (harpagês) – "robbery" NAS – KJV, NKJV “extortion” - found also in Luke 11:39 ("greed" NKJV); Hebrews 10:34 (plundering). Found also in LXX in Leviticus 6:2 (robbery or plunder) and Nahum 2:12 (spoil). ^
- adikiav (adikias) - “unrighteousness” - Critical and Received Texts have akrasiav (akrasias), “self-indulgence.” ^
- tafoiv (taphois) - “tombs” - found only also in Matthew 23:29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1; Romans 3:13. ^
- “all uncleanness” - being covetous (2 Peter 2:3, 14) works all uncleanness (1 Timothy 6:11). ^
- anomiav (anomias) - “lawlessness” - See footnote for Matthew 7:23. ^
- tafouv (taphous) - “tombs” ^
- kosmeite (kasmeite) - “decorate” ^
- mnhmeia (mnêmeia) - “tombs” - this word literally has the idea of a memorial, being it is akin to the noun for remembrance, mnhmhn (mnêmên), only found in 1 Peter 1:15 (“reminder” NKJV) and the verb mnhmoneuete (mnêmoneuete), e.g. Matthew 16:9; Luke 17:32. Here and in Luke 11:47 it is used in the sense of a grave memorial, but in the rest of the NT it is used simply in the sense of a grave/tomb. See Matthew 8:28; 27:52-53, 60(2x); 28:8; Mark 5:2; 6:29; 15:46; 16:2-3, 5, 8; Luke 11:44; 23:55; 24:2, 9, 12, 22, 24; John 5:28; 11:17, 31, 38; 12:17; 19:41-42; 20:1-4, 6, 8, 11; Acts 13:29. ^
- Similar theme, Amos 4:4-5. See also Numbers 22:12, 20, 22. ^
- See also Amos 4:1; Luke 13:32; Matthew 7:6; Philippians 3:2. ^
- Paul escaped, by a miracle (Acts 9). See also Acts 15:5. ^
- Acts 26:11 ^
- “Zechariah, son of Berechiah” - Zechariah 1:1, 7 ^
- “you murdered” - 1 John 3:15 ^
- hxei (hêxei) - “it will come” - future active indicative third singular – NKJV “all these things will come” ^
- Luke 21:20-24 ^ ^
- “How often I wanted to gather together your children” - See e.g. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Isaiah 65:2 ^
- “I wanted . . . you were not willing” - see also Mark 6:5; Isaiah 5:1-4; 48:17-19 (45:7; 63:17). ^
- They already said this (Matthew 21:9). He said this also in Luke 13:35, but it was fulfilled in Matthew 21:9. This is same wording as in Psalm 118:26. ^
- Mirrored here. ^
The righteousness in this case would be disgusting to God. I would be encouraging people to do something that is disgusting to God. That is, if I said "although you don't have faith, still do good things." Without faith, those good things are an abomination to God; even their prayers. God says "fill up the measure of your fathers'," meaning go ahead and sin all you can. Vessels of wrath are made for destruction. These vessels will be on display for all eternity, and they won't be remembered for having done good things -- that is, their good deeds will be held against them as evil. Scripture says that I put coals on the head of my enemy by doing good to him.
But he who endures unto the end, he shall be saved. -- upomeinav (upomeinas) - “endures” - more literally, “remains under” - upo (upo) “under” (e.g. Matthew 23:37) and meinav (meinas) “remain” (e.g. John 15:11, meinh).
Then all those virgins arose and put their lamps in order. -- ekosmhsan (ekosmêsan) - “put . . . in order” - used for “put in order” also in Matthew 12:44; Luke 11:25. Used elsewhere for “adorn” (Matthew 23:29; Luke 21:5; 1 Timothy 2:9; Titus 2:10; 1 Peter 3:5; Revelation 21:2, 19). All passages cited.
"Do not give the holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the pigs, lest they trample them with their feet and turning tear you." -- kusi (kusi) - "dogs" - see also Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Judges 7:5-6; 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 9:8; 16:9; 2 Kings 8:11-13; Psalm 22:16, 20; 59:6, 14; Proverbs 26:11, 17; Isaiah 56:10-11; Matthew 15:26-27 (Mark 7:27-28); Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15. Amazing, God calls people dogs, swine, serpents (e.g. Matthew 23:33), even cows (Amos 4:1).
"And beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves. -- sheep's clothing = wool. In other words, they come looking like sheep, believers (true prophets), like Matthew 23:27-28; Luke 11:39, 44; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Revelation 2:9.
And I say to you that I will by no means drink from now out of this the product of the vine until that day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my father.” -- γεννήματος (gennêmatos) - “product” - more literally, “offspring.” For example, this same root word is also only found in Matthew 3:7 (“brood”); 12:34 (“brood”); 23:33 (“brood”); Mark 14:25 (“fruit”); Luke 3:7 (“brood”); 12:18 (“crops” see also footnote); 22:18 (“fruit”); 2 Corinthians 9:10 (“fruits”). See also footnote for Luke 12:
And immediately going to Joshua he said, “Rejoice rabbi!” and kissed him. -- caire (chaire) singular imperative - “rejoice” - KJV, NAS “Hail;” NKJV “Greetings.” This same exact word, caire (chaire), is found in Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:18; John 19:3 (“Hail”); Luke 1:28 (“Rejoice”). Same imperative verb but plural form (cairete [chairete]) is found in Matthew 5:12; 28:9; Philippians 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 1 Peter 4:13 (“rejoice”). The noun for “greeting” is aspasmov (aspasmos, e.g. Matthew 23:7; Luke 1:29, 41, 44; Colossians 4:18). The verb “greet” is aspasomai (aspasomai, e.g. Matthew 5:47; 10:12; Mark 9:15; Romans 16:3, 5-16, 21-23).
"He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me. -- filwn (philôn) - "loves" - have affection for, like - found also in Matthew 6:5; 23:6; 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 20:46; 22:47; John 5:20; 11:3, 36; 12:25; 15:19; 16:27; 20:2; 21:15-17 [see footnote for these verses]; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Titus 3:15; Revelation 3:19; 22:15.
And she added to bearing, his brother, Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain was a worker of the ground. -- “Abel” - lb,h; (hâvel) - In the Greek New Testament Abel (abel, abel) is found in Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51; Hebrews 11:4; 12:24). In the Hebrew, this name is only found in Genesis 4, in 1 Samuel 6:18 for a stone, and in 2 Samuel 20:14-18 for the name of a town.
And Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and it came to pass, while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. -- Abel is the first martyr (see Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:49-51).