Matthew 23:2-7

23:2 “The¹ experts in the law² and the Pharisees³ sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.⁴ 23:4 They⁵ tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They⁶ do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries⁷ wide and their tassels⁸ long. 23:6 They⁹ love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues¹⁰ 23:7 and elaborate greetings¹¹ in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’

¹tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

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

³sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

⁴tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”

⁵tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁶tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.

⁸tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”

sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).

⁹tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁰sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

¹¹sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.