Woe to False Teachers (Matthew 23)

The Rebuke of the Rabbis in Matthew 23

Matthew 23 records one of the most severe rebukes ever uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ, directed against the scribes and Pharisees who “sit in Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2). The phrase “seat of Moses” likely refers to a stone chair, often inscribed, several examples of which have been uncovered by archaeologists.”This seat was a reserved bench or chair within the synagogue, set aside by the leaders of the synagogue for distinguished members or the ruler of the synagogue. As such, it was a sign of authority.”¹⁾Randall Price with H. Wayne House, Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI: 2017), p. 251

Christ further condemns them for their acceptance of the title “Rabbi” (Matthew 23:7–8). Derived from the Hebrew term רַב (rav), meaning “great,” it is frequently conjoined with other designations such as “captain of the guard” (2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 39:13), “Rab-mag,” meaning “chief magician” (Jeremiah 39:3, 13)—a “master of the magicians” in Babylon (Daniel 4:9)—the “master of eunuchs” (Daniel 1:3), and the “officers of his house” (Esther 1:8). The term רַב thus signifies “someone who occupies a high and respected position.”²⁾Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (ed. Gerhard Kittel; trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley) WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI: 1964-1976), Vol. 6, p. 961

The title Rabbi includes an added suffix meaning “my teacher” or “my great one,” though around “the middle of the 1^st cent. A.D. the suffix increasingly lost its pronominal significance.”³⁾Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (ed. Gerhard Kittel; trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley) WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI: 1964-1976), Vol. 6, p. 963 John interprets Rabbi as “Master” — Διδάσκαλε (didaskale), literally “teacher”⁴⁾A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (ed. Walter Bauer and trans. Wm. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. Danker, University of Chicago Press (Chicago, IL: 1979), p. 191 (John 1:38). IIn Matthew 23, “Rabbi” is expressed synonymously with “Master” (καθηγητής, kathēgētēs) (Matthew 23:8, 10), which conveys a similar meaning of “teacher.”⁵⁾Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Harper and Brothers (Franklin Square, NY: 1896), p. 313

The Mishna presents the Rabbis as judges presiding over civil courts, claiming an authoritative lineage extending back to Moses. Rabbi Dosa is recorded as saying, “If we come to inquire into [the lawfulness of the decisions of] the court of Rabban Gamaliel, we shall need to inquire into [the decisions of] every court which has arisen since the days of Moses until now[.]”⁶⁾Mishna, Rosh Ha-Shanah, 2.9; The Mishna (Trans. Herbert Danby), Hendrickson Pub. (Peabody, MA: 1933, 2016), p. 191 Attaining the title of “Rabbi” required many years of study and training. As J. Jeremias observed, “It was knowledge alone which gave their power to the scribes.”⁷⁾Joachim Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus (trans. F. H. and C. H. Cave), Fortress Press (Philadelphia, PA: 1967, 1989), p. 235

Christ’s rebuke was directed at their abuse of such authority (Matthew 23:23). He pronounced a series of woes (Matthew 23:13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29), each designed to expose their inner corruption. His denunciations are marked by repeated terms such as “hypocrites” (Matthew 23:13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29), “blind” (Matthew 23:16, 17, 19, 24, 26), “fools” (Matthew 23:17, 19), “serpents,” and “generation of vipers” (Matthew 23:33). The term hypocrite is “one of the few uniquely Greek terms that Christ used. It comes from the Greek theatre which had been introduced to Palestine in the intertestament period…. The word hypocrite means an actor on the stage, i.e., a man who pretends to be something which he is not.”⁸⁾James L. Kelso, An Archaeologist Looks at the Gospels, Word Books, Publishers (Waco, TX: 1969), p. 64 In Matthew’s Gospel, Christ employs this term fifteen times, eight of which occur during His denunciations in the Passion Week (Matthew 6:2, 5, 8; 7:5; 15:7; 16:3; 22:18; 23:13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29; 24:51).

The “woes” pronounced upon the corrupted Rabbis stand in sharp contrast to the “blessings” that will be declared upon Christ (Matthew 23:39). Their woe leads to damnation in hell (Matthew 23:33; Psalm 1:6), whereas Christ’s blessing is because He “cometh in the name of the LORD” (Matthew 23:39; Psalm 2:12). This blessing cites Psalm 118:26, which also declares, “in the name of the LORD will I destroy them” (Psalm 118:10–13), referring to the surrounding nations. Notably, Christ’s pronouncement of woes upon the Rabbis is immediately followed by His prophecy of Jerusalem’s desolation (Matthew 23:37–38), leaving their “house” abandoned. Their hypocrisy cost them both the sacred city and the Promised Land—summed up in the dreadful word, “Woe.” Yet when Christ returns, He will vindicate Jerusalem and judge her enemies from among all nations (Zechariah 12:8–10; 14:3–4; Revelation 19:11–21).