Matthew 23:14

Matthew 23:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

Context of Matthew 23:14

12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13But 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. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Matthew 23:14 word by word

• Woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• scribesγραμματεύςgrammateus · scribeG1122
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• Phariseesὑποκριτήςhupokritēs · hypocriteG5273
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ye devourκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
• widows’ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• widows’χήραchēra · widowG5503
• housesοἰκίαoikia · homeG3614
• for a pretenceπρόφασιςprophasis · pretenseG4392
• makeπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
• longμακρόςmakros · long/distantG3117
• ·διάdia · through/because ofG1223
• thereforeοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• ye shall receiveλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• the greaterπερισσόςperissos · excessiveG4053
• damnationκρίμαkrima · judgmentG2917

Cross-references for Matthew 23:14

• Exodus 22:22Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
• Job 22:9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
• Job 31:16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
• Mark 12:40Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
• Luke 20:47Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
• 2 Timothy 3:6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
• 2 Peter 2:14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
• Matthew 23:33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
• Matthew 11:24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
• Luke 12:48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
• James 3:1My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
• 2 Peter 2:3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Commentaries on Matthew 23:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Ye devour widows' houses - On this subject I am in possession of nothing better than the following note of Dr. Whitby. "This sect," says Josephus, (Ant. l. xvii. chap. 3), "pretended to a more exact knowledge of the law, on which account the women were subject to them, as pretending to be dear to God. And when Alexandra obtained the government, (Jewish War, b. I. ch. 4), they insinuated themselves into her favor, as being the exactest sect of the Jews…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Devour widows‘ houses - The word “houses” is used here to denote “property” or possessions of any kind. You take away or get possession of the property of widows by improper arts and pretences. This was done in two ways: 1. They claimed a very exact knowledge of the law and a perfect observance of it. They pretended to extraordinary justice toward the poor, friendship for the distressed, and willingness to aid those who were in embarrassed circumstances…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-33Verses 13-33 The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and form of godliness to be made a cloak to the greatest enormities. But dissembled piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party. Not for the glory of God and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-36Matthew 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.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, &c.--Taking advantage of the helpless condition and confiding character of "widows," they contrived to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above "filthy lucre." So much "the greater damnation" awaits them. What a lifelike description of the Romish clergy, the true successors of those scribes!Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 23:14

• Church
• Ecclesiasticism
• Hypocrisy
• Judgment
• Pharisees
• Prayer
• Punishment
• Satire
• Teachers
• Wicked (People)
• Widow

In the dictionaries

• Abase
• Bewray
• Devour
• Exalt
• Fill
• Gnat
• Ought
• Partaker
• Pharisees
• Scribes

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