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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
Verse Takeaways
1
The Hypocrisy of Appearances
Jesus uses the powerful image of a cup that is sparkling clean on the outside but filthy inside. Commentators explain this illustrates the Pharisees' hypocrisy: they meticulously followed external religious rituals to look righteous, but their hearts and actions were corrupt. This serves as a warning against prioritizing outward appearances over genuine inner holiness.
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Matthew
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9
18th Century
Presbyterian
The cup and the platter. The drinking cup, and the dish containing food. The Pharisees were diligent in observing all the washings and off…
From extortion and excess (εξ αρπαγης κα ακρασιας). A much more serious accusation. These punctilious observers of the external ce…
19th Century
Anglican
The outside of the cup and of the platter — The latter word in the Greek indicates what we would call a “side-dish,” as distinct f…
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Baptist
The sixth “woe” is uttered against the scribes and Pharisees with regard to their eating and drinking: “You make clean the outside of the cup a…
Jesus begins with the metaphor of the cup and dish (v.25a), reveals his nonmetaphorical concerns at the end of v.25, then returns to his metaphor i…
16th Century
Protestant
For you cleanse the outer part. Our Lord elaborates on the same statement and uses a figure of speech to reproach the scribes for…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites Our Lord cannot be thought to bear too hard upon these men, nor does …
The scribes and Pharisees were enemies of the gospel of Christ, and therefore of the salvation of people's souls. It is bad to keep away from Chris…
13th Century
Catholic
After He instructed the disciples and the multitudes about the caution they should have regarding the Jews' doctrine, He now directs His words to t…