Matthew 23:13

Translations

Modern

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Traditional

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Literal

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men. For you do not enter, nor even do you allow those who are entering to enter.

Latin

Væ autem vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia clauditis regnum cælorum ante homines! vos enim non intratis, nec introëuntes sinitis intrare.

Original

Greek

English

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Notes

Matthew 23:13

Woe to you: This is a distinct warning about God's judgment.
hypocrites!: In English, hypocrisy means a contradiction between what is real and what seems to be real. In the Bible, it means misunderstanding God's will, misleading others, and facing God's judgment. This often includes: desire for fame and power (Matthew 23:5–12), misuse of teaching authority, false teachings (23:13–22), and focusing on minor ethical details (23:23–28).
A suitable English word for these behaviors is heresy. The Pharisees and religious teachers showed these traits. As the Christian church grew, these traits continued to appear (for example, 1 Timothy 4:1–3; 2 Peter 2:1–22). So God's children must always be on guard against them (James 4:7–10; 1 Peter 2:1–3).
you shut the kingdom: This comes through their false teachings and opposition to Jesus (see Matthew 9:32–34; 12:22–37; 15:12–14; 21:15; John 9:13–34). The Jewish religious teachers and Pharisees stopped others from hearing and believing the truth about the Messiah.

Matthew 23:13–36

Matthew gathered seven warnings of sorrow to come (literally woe to you) inspired by similar Old Testament lists (Isaiah 5:8–23; Habakkuk 2:6–20). Matthew arranged them to reach a climax with the killing of the prophets.

Theme notes and profiles

Jewish Leaders The Pharisees Apostasy Legalism Loving Others Religious Hypocrisy

Events

Related verses

Luke 11:52
Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Matthew 23:29
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Matthew 23:27
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered and his right eye utterly blinded!”
Acts 8:1
And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
2 Timothy 4:15
You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.
Isaiah 9:14–15
So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.
2 Timothy 3:8
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
Luke 11:43–44
Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.
Acts 5:28
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
Acts 5:40
At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

Parallels

Luke 11:37–54

People

Pharisee: A strict Jewish sect known for legalism and hypocrisy

Glossary

Binding and Loosing Curse, Cursed Gospel of Matthew Hypocrisy Jesus Christ, Teachings of Keys of the Kingdom Scribe Son of Man Tradition

Topics

Censorship Christian Minister: False and Corrupt Church: Corruption In Ecclesiasticism: Jewish, Rebuked by Jesus Hypocrisy: General Scriptures Concerning Hypocrites: Woe To Personal Vision Pharisees: Hypocrisy of, Reproved by Jesus Reproof: On Account of Hypocrisy Satire of Jesus Against Hypocrites Teachers: False: Admonition Against The Pharisees: Christ: Denounced Woes Against

Matthew 23:13

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