Matthew 23:5

Matthew 23:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
• New International Version (NIV)“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
• English Standard Version (ESV)They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.

Context of Matthew 23:5

3So you must obey everything that they teach you. But you should not do the same things that they do. They tell you what the Law of Moses teaches. But then they themselves do not obey it. 4The rules that they give you are difficult to obey. Their rules are like heavy luggage, which they make you carry. But they themselves will not help you to carry that luggage. They will not agree to use even one finger to help you. The Pharisees do things only so that people will see them. They wear little boxes with words from the Bible in them, but they make them really big. They also make the tassels on their clothes very long. 6They like to sit in the important places at special meals. They also choose to sit in the best seats in the meeting places. 7They like people to praise them in the market place. They want people to call them “Teacher.”

Matthew 23:5 word by word

πάντα δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ποιοῦσιν πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· πλατύνουσιν γὰρ τὰ φυλακτήρια αὐτῶν καὶ μεγαλύνουσιν τὰ κράσπεδαRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• they doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• forπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• to be seenθεάομαιtheaomai · to look atG2300
• of menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• they make broadπλατύνωplatunō · to widenG4115
• phylacteriesφυλακτήριονphulaktērion · phylacteryG5440
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• enlargeμεγαλύνωmegalunō · to magnifyG3170
• the bordersκράσπεδονkraspedon · edgeG2899
• ofἱμάτιονhimation · clothingG2440

Cross-references for Matthew 23:5

• Matthew 6:1Jesus then said to them, ‘You should do good things to help people. But be careful! Do not do this so that other people see you. If you want other people to praise you, your Father in heaven will not praise you.
• 2 Kings 10:16Jehu said, ‘Come with me. You will see that I want to serve the Lord faithfully.’ So Jehonadab rode with Jehu in his chariot.
• Luke 16:15Jesus replied, ‘You are happy when people like you. You want them to think that you are good people. But God sees inside you. He knows what you are thinking. The things that many people think are valuable are not valuable to God. He hates those things.’
• Luke 20:47They take things away from women after their husbands have died, even their houses. Then they pray for a long time so that other people will praise them. Because they do these things, God will punish those men much more than other people.’
• Luke 21:1Then Jesus looked up and saw something that was happening in the temple. There was a box for money there. Many rich people were putting their gifts of money into the box.
• John 5:44You like to praise each other. That makes you happy. But what about God himself? You do not try to do good things so that he will praise you. That is why you will never believe in me.
• John 7:18A person who teaches his own ideas wants people to think that he himself is great. But I want to show that the one who sent me is great. A person like that is honest and there is nothing false in him.
• John 12:43The Pharisees wanted other people to praise them, more than they wanted God to praise them.
• Philippians 1:15It is true that some of these Christians are jealous of me. They want to show that they are better than me. That is why they tell people the message about Christ. But other Christians speak about Christ because they want to help me.
• Philippians 2:3In the way that you live, do not just try to help yourself. Do not be proud. Instead, respect other people. Think about other people as more important than yourself.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:4This man will be God's great enemy. He will say that he is greater than everything that people call their gods. He will say that he is greater than everything that people worship. As a result, he will even go into the temple. He will sit down there like a king. He will tell everyone that he himself is God.
• Deuteronomy 6:8Tie them as signs on your arms and on your heads, so that you remember them.
• Proverbs 3:3Keep hold of faithful love. That will be like a beautiful necklace that you always wear. Think about what it means to love other people.
• Proverbs 6:21Keep their teaching in your thoughts. Keep it as near to you as a necklace that you wear.
• Matthew 9:20There was a sick woman in the crowd. She had been losing blood for 12 years. She came near to Jesus, behind him. She touched the edge of his coat.
• Numbers 15:38‘Tell the Israelites that they must put tassels on the corners of their clothes. They must fix the tassels on blue strings. They must do this now and for all future time.

Commentaries on Matthew 23:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5All their works they do for to be seen of men - In pointing out the corruptions of these men, our Lord gives us the distinguishing characteristics of all false teachers, whether Jewish or Christian. They live not according to the truths they preach. They say, and do not, Matthew 23:3. They are severe to others, point out the narrowest road to heaven, and walk in the broad road themselves. They bind on burdens, etc., Matthew 23:4. They affect to appear…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Their phylacteries - The word “phylactery” comes from a word signifying to keep, preserve, or guard. The name was given because phylacteries were worn as amulets or charms, and were supposed to defend or preserve those who wore them from evil. They were small slips of parchment or vellum, on which were written certain portions of the Old Testament. The practice of using phylacteries was founded on a literal interpretation of that passage where God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5phylacteries: Pious Jews sometimes wore small prayer boxes, called phylacteries. These were placed on the head and the upper left arm. Inside were written copies of important Old Testament commands (see Deuteronomy 6:6–9; 11:18–19). Another custom was wearing tassels, which were also a sign of devotion (see Matthew 9:20; see also Numbers 15:38–41). Some made their tassels extra long to draw attention to their religious devotion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. But all their works they do for to be seen of men--Whatever good they do, or zeal they show, has but one motive--human applause. they make broad their phylacteries--strips of parchment with Scripture-texts on them, worn on the forehead, arm, and side, in time of prayer. and enlarge the borders of their garments--fringes of their upper garments (Nu 15:37-40).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 23:5

• Ambition
• Church
• Fringes
• Hypocrisy
• Pharisees
• Phylactery
• Satire
• Teachers

In the dictionaries

• Abase
• Apparel
• Bewray
• Devour
• Exalt
• Fill
• Gnat
• Hem
• Ought
• Partaker

Commentaries on Matthew 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings