^23:1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ^23:2“The¹ experts in the law² and the Pharisees³ sit on Moses’ seat. ^23:3Therefore 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.⁴^23:4They⁵ 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. ^23:5They⁶ do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries⁷ wide and their tassels⁸ long. ^23:6They⁹ love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues¹⁰^23:7and elaborate greetings¹¹ in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ ^23:8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. ^23:9And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. ^23:10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.¹²^23:11The¹³ greatest among you will be your servant. ^23:12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

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Footnotes

1 Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2 Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in .
3 See the note on Pharisees in .
4 Grk “for they say and do not do.”
5 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
6 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7 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.
8 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).” 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).
9 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
10 See the note on synagogues in .
11 There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, 1:498.
12 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in .
13 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.