Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 23

To the multitude—Now, as in Matthew 15:10, but here more fully and emphatically, our Lord not only reproves the hypocrisy of the Pharisees but also warns the multitude against them. He appeals, as it were, to the uncorrupted conscience of the people, setting it against the perversions of their guides.

In some points, for example, in Matthew 23:16-21, this teaching presents a striking parallel to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33–37). Our Lord closes His public teaching, just as He began it, with a protest against the false casuistry that had substituted the traditions of men for the commandments of God.

The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. These words were likely spoken about their collective action as represented in the Sanhedrin, rather than about their individual work as interpreters of the Law. As such, they claimed to be the authoritative exponents of the Law, and our Lord recognizes their official claim to reverence (unless we suppose a latent protest in His words, like that which is veiled in the statement “full well you reject” from Mark 7:9).

All therefore whatever... — Since these words are followed by repeated protests against special and grave errors in the teaching of the Pharisees, it is obvious that they must be understood with an implied limitation. Insofar as they truly sit in Moses’ seat and set forth his teaching—as, for example, the scribe had done whose answer was just recorded—they were to be followed with all obedience.

What was lacking was the life, without which even the highest moral principles became mere platitudes of empty rhetoric. It was one thing to “draw fine pictures of virtue” and another to bring thought, word, and deed into conformity with them.

Heavy burdens — This thought was present in our Lord’s call to the “heavy laden,” in the words that described His own “burden” as “light” (Matthew 11:28, 30). Here it finds distinct expression. We see from St. Peter’s confession in Acts 15:10 that this appealed to the testimony people’s hearts were bearing, whether secretly or openly.

They themselves will not move... — The rigorous precepts and the high-flown morality were for others, not for themselves. Professing to guide, they neither helped nor sympathized with the troubles of those they taught .

To be seen of men — With clear insight into the root evil of Pharisaism and all related forms of religious life, our Lord identifies the love of human applause as the very thing that corrupted their highest ethical teaching and most rigorous outward holiness, just as He did before in Matthew 6:1-18. The rebuke gains special emphasis from the fact, which we learn from John 12:42-43, that many “among the chief rulers” were inwardly convinced of His claims yet were afraid to confess Him. They may have been among those who listened to it, conscious that He was speaking of them.

Phylacteries — The Greek word (phylacterion), from which the English is derived, means “safeguard or preservative.” It was probably applied with the idea that phylacteries were charms or amulets against the evil eye or the power of evil spirits. This was the word's common meaning in later Greek, and it is unlikely to have risen among Hellenistic Jews to the higher sense sometimes ascribed to it: a means of reminding people of their obligations under the Law.

Interestingly, the Septuagint translators do not use this word for the “frontlets” of Exodus 13:16; Deuteronomy 6:8; and Deuteronomy 11:18. The only place it is found in the Old Testament is for the “cushions” of Ezekiel 13:18. The Hebrew word in common use from our Lord’s time onward has been tephillin, or “Prayers.” These items were worn by almost all Jews as soon as they became Children of the Law, i.e., at age thirteen.

They consisted of a small box containing the four passages where frontlets are mentioned (Exodus 13:2–16; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Deuteronomy 11:13–22), written on four slips of vellum for the phylactery of the head, and on one for the arm. This box was fastened by a loop to thin leather straps, which were twisted around the arm with the box on the heart, or around the head with the box on the brow. They were commonly worn during prayer (hence the Hebrew name) and, by those making a show of perpetual devotion, throughout the entire day.

In their ostentatious display of piety, the Pharisees made either the box or the straps wider than the common size. They wore them as they walked back and forth in the streets or prayed while standing (Matthew 6:5) so that people might see and admire them.

The borders of their garments — The word is the same as the “hem” of the garment (Matthew 9:20) worn by our Lord. The practice was based on Numbers 15:37-41, which commanded that a ribband or thread of blue (the color symbolizing heaven) be put into the fringe or tassels of the outer cloak. The other threads were white, and the total number of threads was 613, corresponding to the number of precepts in the Law as counted by the scribes. These fringes were worn by our Lord (see notes on Matthew 9:20; Matthew 14:36) and probably by the disciples. It was the Pharisees, however, who made them so conspicuous as to attract people’s attention.