Matthew 23:2

23:2 “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.

Matthew 23:13

23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.

Matthew 23:34

23:34 “For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog 10  in your synagogues 11  and pursue from town to town,


tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).

tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”

tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

10 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”

11 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.