Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
This phrase is a direct rebuke from Jesus to the religious leaders of His time. The term "woe" is a strong expression of judgment and lament. The scribes and Pharisees were influential Jewish leaders known for their strict adherence to the Law and traditions. However, Jesus calls them "hypocrites," indicating that their outward appearance of righteousness was not matched by their inner spiritual state. This critique aligns with Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, who condemned similar hypocrisy (Isaiah 29:13).

You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces.
The "kingdom of heaven" refers to the reign and rule of God, which Jesus came to proclaim. By their actions and teachings, the scribes and Pharisees were preventing people from understanding and entering this kingdom. Their legalistic interpretations and additional burdens made it difficult for people to experience the grace and truth of God. This echoes Jesus' earlier teachings in Matthew 5:20, where He states that righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees to enter the kingdom.

You yourselves do not enter,
Despite their religious status, the scribes and Pharisees were not part of the kingdom they claimed to represent. Their focus on external rituals and self-righteousness blinded them to the true nature of God's kingdom, which requires humility and repentance. This is reminiscent of Jesus' parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32, where those who initially refuse to obey God but later repent are contrasted with those who claim obedience but do not follow through.

nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
The religious leaders not only failed to enter the kingdom themselves but also hindered others from doing so. Their teachings and practices created barriers rather than pathways to God. This reflects a broader biblical theme where leaders are held accountable for leading others astray, as seen in Ezekiel 34, where God condemns the shepherds of Israel for failing to care for His flock. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, contrasts with these leaders by offering Himself as the way to the Father (John 10:9).

1. Scribes
Jewish scholars and teachers of the Law, responsible for copying and interpreting the Scriptures. They held significant religious authority and were often associated with the Pharisees.

2. Pharisees
A religious and political group in Judaism known for strict adherence to the Law and traditions. They were influential in the synagogues and often clashed with Jesus over interpretations of the Law.

3. Widows
Vulnerable members of society in ancient Israel, often without financial support. The Law commanded care and protection for widows, making their exploitation particularly egregious.

4. Jerusalem
The central city of Jewish worship and the location of the Temple. It was a focal point for Jesus' ministry and the setting for many of His confrontations with religious leaders.

5. Condemnation
A divine judgment pronounced by Jesus, indicating severe disapproval and the consequences of the scribes' and Pharisees' actions.Hypocrisy in Religious Practice
Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their outward show of piety while exploiting the vulnerable. True faith is demonstrated through genuine love and justice, not mere appearances.

Responsibility to the Vulnerable
The exploitation of widows highlights a failure to uphold God's command to care for the needy. Believers are called to protect and support those who are vulnerable in society.

The Danger of Pride and Pretense
Lengthy prayers for show reveal a heart focused on self-glorification rather than God. Believers must guard against pride and ensure their worship is sincere and God-centered.

Greater Accountability for Leaders
Religious leaders are held to a higher standard due to their influence. Those in positions of authority must lead with integrity and humility, aware of the greater judgment they face.(14) Ye devour widows' houses.--The avarice thus described may have attained its end either (1) by using the advantages which they possessed, as the jurists and notaries of the time, to press unjust claims against wealthy widows, or to become their heirs, or (2) by leading devout women, under the show of piety, to bestow on them their estates or houses. To minister to the maintenance of a scribe was, they taught, the best use of wealth. The "long prayer" refers probably to the well-known Eighteen Prayers, which formed the standard of the Pharisee's devotion. The whole verse, it may be noted, is wanting in many MSS., and may have been inserted here from Mark 12:40 or Luke 20:47.

Verse 14. - Second woe - against rapacity and hypocrisy. There is some doubt about the genuineness of this verse, and our Revisers have expunged it from their text, relegating it to the margin. It is omitted by א, B, D, L, Z, some copies of the Vulgate and some versions; on the other hand, it is found in E, F, G, H, K, M, and other later uncials, and in the received Vulgate and Syriac Versions. Critics reject it as a supposed interpolation from Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47. At any rate, whether spoken now or at another time, it is undoubtedly an utterance of Christ, and to be received with all reverence. Ye devour widows' houses. Women who have lost their natural protector become their prey. To these they attach themselves, winning them over by flattery and fraud, and persuading them to assist them with their substance to the ruin of their fortunes. God had always defended the cause of widows, and had urged his people to deal gently and mercifully with them (see Deuteronomy 10:18; Deuteronomy 27:19; Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:17; Luke 18:3-7). This woe is followed in St. Luke by the episode of the widow's mite (Luke 20:47; Luke 21:1-4). And for a pretence make long prayer; or, and that, making long prayers for a pretence. They put on an appearance of extraordinary devotion, that they might more easily secure the favour of the widows; or else they exacted large sums of money, engaging to offer continual prayers for the donors (compare St. Paul's words in 2 Timothy 3:6). Thus these hypocrites made a gain of godliness at the expense of the most helpless members of the community. Greater (περισσότερον, more abundant) damnation. No condemnation in this world or the next can be more justly awarded than to him who adds hypocrisy to covetousness, and makes religion a cloke for cruel rapacity. The comparative may refer to "the lengthened hypocritical prayers which went before" (Lange).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Woe
Οὐαὶ (Ouai)
Interjection
Strong's 3759: Woe!, alas!, uttered in grief or denunciation.

to you,
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You.

scribes
γραμματεῖς (grammateis)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1122: (a) in Jerusalem, a scribe, one learned in the Jewish Law, a religious teacher, (b) at Ephesus, the town-clerk, the secretary of the city, (c) a man of learning generally.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Pharisees,
Φαρισαῖοι (Pharisaioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: A Pharisee, one of the Jewish sect so called.

hypocrites!
ὑποκριταί (hypokritai)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5273: (literal: a stage-player), a hypocrite, dissembler, pretender.

For
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: That, since, because; may introduce direct discourse.

you devour
κατεσθίετε (katesthiete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2719: To eat up, eat till it is finished, devour, squander, annoy, injure.

the
τὰς (tas)
Article - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article.

houses
οἰκίας (oikias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3614: A house, household, dwelling; goods, property, means.

of widows,
χηρῶν (chērōn)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 5503: A widow.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

as a pretext
προφάσει (prophasei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4392: A pretext, an excuse.

are praying
προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4336: To pray, pray for, offer prayer.

at great length.
μακρὰ (makra)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3117: Long, distant, far; of long duration.

Because of
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: (a) genitive: through, throughout, by the instrumentality of, (b) accusative: through, on account of, by reason of, for the sake of, because of.

this,
τοῦτο (touto)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

you shall receive
λήψεσθε (lēpsesthe)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2983: (a) to receive, get, (b) to take, lay hold of.

greater
περισσότερον (perissoteron)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 4053: More, greater, excessive, abundant, exceedingly, vehemently; noun: preeminence, advantage.

condemnation.
κρίμα (krima)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2917: (a) a judgment, a verdict; sometimes implying an adverse verdict, a condemnation, (b) a case at law, a lawsuit.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 23:14 But woe to you scribes and Pharisees (Matt. Mat Mt)