Focused Passage

Matthew 23:1-12

Woes upon Hypocritical Leadership and the Lament over Jerusalem

Matthew 23 moves from Jesus’ instruction to crowds and disciples about hypocritical teachers, to a warning against status-seeking titles, to the principle that greatness is servanthood and exaltation belongs to the humble, to seven major woes exposing Pharisaic hypocrisy, to the announcement of coming persecution of Jesus’ messengers, and finally to Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem’s unwillingness and coming desolation.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:

2“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

4They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,

7the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

9And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.

11The greatest among you shall be your servant.

12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

ThenΤότεG5119Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularspokeἐλάλησενG2980Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto theτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralcrowdsὄχλοιςG3793Noun - Dative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingulardisciplesμαθηταῖςG3101Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 2

Original words

-λέγωνG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularTheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralscribesγραμματεῖςG1122Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralPhariseesΦαρισαῖοιG5330Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralsitἐκάθισανG2523Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralinἘπὶG1909PrepositionMoses’ΜωϋσέωςG3475Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularseatκαθέδραςG2515Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 3

Original words

SoοὖνG3767ConjunctionpracticeποιήσατεG4160Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionobserveτηρεῖτεG5083Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluraleverythingπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural. . .ὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural. . .ἐὰνG1437Conjunctionthey tellεἴπωσινG2036Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person PluralyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralButδὲG1161Conjunction{do} notμὴG3361AdverbdoποιεῖτεG4160Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralwhatκατὰG2596PrepositiontheyαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluraldoἔργαG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralforγὰρG1063ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756Adverbthey do not practiceποιοῦσινG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralwhatκαὶG2532Conjunctionthey preachλέγουσινG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Verse 4

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionThey tie upδεσμεύουσινG1195Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralheavyβαρέαG926Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctionburdensomeδυσβάστακταG1419Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralloadsφορτίαG5413Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionlay [them]ἐπιτιθέασινG2007Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralonἐπὶG1909Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralmen’sἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralshouldersὤμουςG5606Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralbutδὲG1161Conjunctionthey themselvesαὐτοὶG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person PluralvvvοὐG3756Adverbare not willingθέλουσινG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralvvvτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularvvvαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Pluralto lift a fingerδακτύλῳG1147Noun - Dative Masculine Singularto moveκινῆσαιG2795Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivethemαὐτάG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Plural

BSB notes

  • SBL, NE, and WH They tie up heavy loads
Verse 5

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionAllΠάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluraltheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluraldeedsἔργαG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralare doneποιοῦσινG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralforπρὸςG4314Preposition-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralmenἀνθρώποιςG444Noun - Dative Masculine Plural-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularto seeθεαθῆναιG2300Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive-γὰρG1063ConjunctionThey broadenπλατύνουσινG4115Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralphylacteriesφυλακτήριαG5440Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionlengthenμεγαλύνουσινG3170Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheirτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluraltasselsκράσπεδαG2899Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 6

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionThey loveφιλοῦσινG5368Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularplaces of honorπρωτοκλισίανG4411Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularatἐνG1722Preposition-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter PluralbanquetsδείπνοιςG1173Noun - Dative Neuter Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Pluralchief seatsπρωτοκαθεδρίαςG4410Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralsynagoguesσυναγωγαῖςG4864Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Verse 7

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralgreetingsἀσπασμοὺςG783Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralmarketplacesἀγοραῖςG58Noun - Dative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionthe titleκαλεῖσθαιG2564Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passiveof ‘RabbiῬαββίG4461Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularbyὑπὸG5259Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Plural[which they are addressed]ἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Literally and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by men
Verse 8

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionyouὙμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person PluralvvvμὴG3361Adverbare not to be calledκληθῆτεG2564Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person PluralRabbiῬαββίG4461Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularforγάρG1063ConjunctionyouὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural[have]ἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularoneεἷςG1520Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularTeacherδιδάσκαλοςG1320Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularandδὲG1161ConjunctionyouὑμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person PluralareἐστεG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralallπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralbrothersἀδελφοίG80Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 9

Original words

AndκαὶG2532Conjunctiondo not call anyoneκαλέσητεG2564Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural. . .μὴG3361AdverbonἐπὶG1909Preposition-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person PluralfatherπατέραG3962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularforγάρG1063ConjunctionyouὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural[have]ἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularoneεἷςG1520Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularFatherΠατὴρG3962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwho [is]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularin heavenοὐράνιοςG3770Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 10

Original words

NorμηδὲG3366Conjunctionare you to be calledκληθῆτεG2564Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person PluralinstructorsκαθηγηταίG2519Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralforὅτιG3754ConjunctionyouὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural[have]ἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularoneεἷςG1520Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularInstructorκαθηγητὴςG2519Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularChristΧριστόςG5547Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 11

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionTheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulargreatestμείζωνG3173Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparativeamong youὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Pluralshall beἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person PluralservantδιάκονοςG1249Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

ForδὲG1161ConjunctionwhoeverὍστιςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularexaltsὑψώσειG5312Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularhimselfἑαυτὸνG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singularwill be humbledταπεινωθήσεταιG5013Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwhoeverὅστιςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularhumblesταπεινώσειG5013Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularhimselfἑαυτὸνG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singularwill be exaltedὑψωθήσεταιG5312Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.