Luke 20:46

Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:39-47 The scribes commended the reply Christ made to the Sadducees about the resurrection, but they were silenced by a question concerning the Messiah. Christ, as God, was David's Lord; but Christ, as man, was David's son. The scribes would receive the severest judgement for defrauding the poor widows, and for their abuse of religion, particularly of prayer, which they used as a pretence for carrying on worldly and wicked plans. Dissembled piety is double sin. Then let us beg of God to keep us from pride, ambition, covetousness, and every evil thing; and to teach us to seek that honour which comes from him alone.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See Matthew 23:1.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

46, 47. Beware, &c.—(See on [1711]Mt 23:5; and [1712]Lu 14:7).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 20:45"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Beware of the Scribes,.... And also of the Pharisees; for they are joined together in Matthew:

which desire to walk in long robes: the rule for the length of a scholar's garment was this (a);

"his flesh must not appear under his garments, as the light linen garments, and the like, they make in Egypt; nor must his garments be drawn upon the ground, as the garments of proud men, but must reach to his heel, and his glove must reach the top of his fingers.''

According to this rule, the garments of the doctors were to be so long as to cover the whole body, even down to their heels, but were not to be any longer; and by this it appears their garments were very long; but they did not always go by this rule; some had their garments so long as to have a train after them; See Gill on Matthew 23:5.

and love greetings in the markets; or in courts of judicature; they loved to be saluted with the titles of Rabbi, Master, and the like:

and the highest seats in the synagogues; which were next to the place where the book of the law was read and expounded, and where they might be seen by the people:

and the chief rooms at feasts; the uppermost; See Gill on Matthew 23:6 and See Gill on Matthew 23:7.

(a) Maimon Hilch. Dayot, c. 5. sect. 9. Vid. T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 57. 2. & Gloss. in ib.

Geneva Study Bible

{6} Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

(6) We must avoid the example of the glory-seeking and covetous pastors.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 20:46. φιλούντων: while following Mk. in the main, Lk. improves the construction here by introducing this participle before ἀσπασμοὺς, which in Mk. depends on θελόντων.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

46. to walk in long robes] with special conspicuousness of fringes, Numbers 15:38-40. “The supreme tribunal,” said R. Nachman, “will duly punish hypocrites who wrap their talliths round them to appear, what they are not, true Pharisees.”

greetings in the markets] See on Luke 11:43 : Videri quam esse was their secret rule.

Bengel's Gnomen

[46. Θελόντων, who wish) Often a thing, not bad in itself, is vitiated by the wish and intent with which it is done.—V. g.]

Luke 20:46

Vincent's Word Studies

Chief rooms

Rev., correctly, chief places. See on Mark 12:39.