John Calvin Commentary Matthew 23:14

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows` houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation." — Matthew 23:14 (ASV)

For you devour widows’ houses. He now proceeds further, for he not only accuses them of open crimes that demand hatred and detestation, but even tears away the disguises of virtues by which they deceived the common people. If it is objected that there was no need to reprove those things whose example could do no harm, we should remember that it was impossible to promote the salvation of those who were held bound by the errors of the scribes, unless they turned away entirely from such persons. This reason, therefore, constrained Christ to expose the vain appearance of virtues, which nourishes superstitions.

And that under the pretense of a long prayer. He says in general that, even when they appear to do what is right, they wickedly abuse the pretense of religion. Long prayers contained some evidence of remarkable piety; for the more holy a man is, the more eminently he is devoted to prayer. But Christ says that the Pharisees and scribes were so impure that even the chief part of the worship of God was not used by them without committing sin, because constancy in prayer was with them a trap for base gain. For they sold their prayers in exactly the same manner as hirelings dispose of their daily labor.⁹⁷

Hence also we infer that our Lord does not exactly reprove long prayers, as if in itself it were an impropriety—particularly since pastors ought to be eminently devoted to prayer—but rather to condemn this abuse, because a thing laudable in itself was turned to a wicked purpose. For when men aim at gain by means of hired prayers, the more fervent the appearance of what they call devotion becomes, the more the name of God is profaned.

And as this false conviction had been long and deeply seated in the minds of the common people, on this account Christ employs harsher threats, for the pollution of so sacred a thing was no light offense.

That it was chiefly widows who were imposed on need not excite surprise, because silly women are more prone to superstition, and therefore it has always been customary for base men to make gain of them. Thus Paul brings a charge against the false teachers of his age, that they

lead captive silly women laden with sins, (2 Timothy 3:6).

⁹⁷ “Que les mercenaires et ouvriers ont accoustumé de vendre leur labeur, et se loer à la journee;” — “as hirelings and laborers are wont to sell their labor, and to hire themselves out for the day.”;” — “as hirelings and laborers are wont to sell their labor, and to hire themselves out for the day.”