Matthew 23:2
23:2 {1} Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees {a} sit in Moses'
     seat:

 (1) We ought to listen to whatever we are truly taught from the
     word of God, even by wicked teachers, but in a way so that
     we abstain from their evil behaviour.
     (a) Because God appointed the order, the Lord would
         therefore have his word to be heard even from the mouth
         of hypocrites and hirelings.

Matthew 23:3
23:3 {b} All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that]
     observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they
     say, and do not.

     (b) Provided always that they deliver the doctrine of
         Moses which they profess, which thing the metaphor of
         the seat shows, which they occupied as teachers of
         Moses' teaching.

Matthew 23:4
23:4 {2} For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,
     and lay [them] on men's shoulders; but they [themselves]
     will not move them with one of their fingers.

 (2) For the most part hypocrites most severely exact those
     things which they themselves chiefly neglect.

Matthew 23:5
23:5 {3} But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they
     make broad their {c} phylacteries, and enlarge {d} the
     borders of their garments,

 (3) Hypocrites are ambitious.
     (c) It was a thread or ribband of blue silk in the fringe
         of a corner, the beholding of which made them remember
         the laws and ordinances of God: and therefore it was
         called a phylactery, or as you would say, a container.
         See Numbers 15:38, Deuteronomy 6:8, a commandment which the Jews
         abused afterwards, as those do today who hang the
         gospel of John around their necks, which was condemned
         many years ago in the Council of Antioch.
     (d) Literally, "Twisted tassels of thread which hung at the
         outermost hems of their garments."

Matthew 23:6
23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in
     the {e} synagogues,

     (e) When assemblies and councils are gathered together.

Matthew 23:7
23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi,
     {f} Rabbi.

     (f) This word "Rabbi" signifies one that is above his
         fellows, and is as good as any of them: and we may see
         by the repeating of it how proud a title it was.  Now
         they were called Rabbi who, by the laying on of hands,
         were uttered and declared to the world to be wise men.

Matthew 23:8
23:8 {4} But be not ye {g} called Rabbi: for {h} one is your
     Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.

 (4) Modesty is a singular ornament of God's minsters.
     (g) Seek not ambitiously after it: for our Lord does not
         forbid us to give the magistrate and our masters the
         honour that is due to them; Augustine in a sermon on
         the words of God from Matthew 11:1-30.
     (h) He seems to allude to references in Isaiah 54:13 and
         Jeremiah 31:34.

Matthew 23:9
23:9 And call no [man] your {i} father upon the earth: for one
     is your Father, which is in heaven.

     (i) He attacks a custom of the Jews, for they called the
         rabbis "our fathers".

Matthew 23:10
23:10 Neither be ye called {k} masters: for one is your Master,
      [even] Christ.

      (k) It seems that the scribes hunted very greatly after
          such titles, these scribes being the ones whom he
          called blind guides in Matthew 23:16.

Matthew 23:12
23:12 And whosoever {l} shall exalt himself shall be abased; and
      he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

      (l) He seems to allude to the position of the rabbis, for
          rabbi signifies one that is in a high position.

Matthew 23:13
23:13 {5} But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, {m}
      hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against
      men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye
      them that are {n} entering to go in.

 (5) Hypocrites cannot endure others to be better than
     themselves.
     (m) Christ, when he reproves any man sharply, uses this
         word to show us that there is nothing more detestable
         than hypocrisy and falsehood in religion.
     (n) Who are even at the door.

Matthew 23:14
23:14 {6} Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
      ye devour widows' houses, and {o} for a pretence make long
      prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

 (6) It is a common thing among hypocrites to abuse the pretence
     of zeal when in reality they are exercising covetousness
     and extortion.
     (o) Literally, "under a colour of long praying"; and the
         word "and" signifies a double wickedness in them: the
         one, that they devoured widows goods: the other that
         they did it under a pretence of godliness.

Matthew 23:15
23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
      compass sea and {p} land to make one proselyte, and when
      he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell
      than yourselves.

      (p) The dry part: now that part of the earth is called dry
          which the Lord has given to us to live upon.

Matthew 23:16
23:16 Woe 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 {q} is a debtor!

      (q) Is a debtor.  In the Syrian language, sins are called
          "Debts", and it is certain that Christ spoke in
          Syrian.

Matthew 23:17
23:17 [Ye] fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or
      the temple that {r} sanctifieth the gold?

      (r) Causes the gold which is dedicated to a holy use to be
          considered holy.

Matthew 23:22
23:22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the {s}
      throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

      (s) If heaven is God's throne, than he is without doubt
          above this entire world.

Matthew 23:23
23:23 {7} Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
      ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
      omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment,
      mercy, and {t} faith: these ought ye to have done, and not
      to leave the other undone.

 (7) Hypocrites take special care in small matters, and neglect
     the things which matter the very most.
     (t) Faithfulness in the keeping of promises.

Matthew 23:25
23:25 {8} Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
      ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter,
      but within they are full of extortion and excess.

 (8) Hypocrites pay too much attention to outward things, and
     the inward things they utterly condemn.

Matthew 23:29
23:29 {9} Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
      because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish
      the sepulchres of the righteous,

 (9) Hypocrites, when they try the most to cover up their
     wickedness, it is then by the just judgment of God that
     they shame themselves.

Matthew 23:32
23:32 {u} Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

      (u) A proverb used by the Jews, which has this meaning:
          You go on also, and follow your ancestors, that at
          length your wickedness may come to its fulness.

Matthew 23:34
23:34 {10} Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise
      men, and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and
      crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your
      synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city:

 (10) Hypocrites are cruel.

Matthew 23:35
23:35 {11} That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed
      upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the
      blood of Zacharias son of {y} Barachias, whom ye slew
      between the temple and the altar.

 (11) The punishment of those who persecute the gospel, under
      the pretence of zeal.
      (y) Of Joiada, who was also called Barach-jah, that is,
          blessed of the Lord.

Matthew 23:37
23:37 {12} O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the
      prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how
      often would I have {z} gathered thy children together,
      even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings,
      and ye would not!

 (12) Where the mercy of God was greatest, it was there that
      there was the greatest wickedness and rebellion, and at
      length the sharpest judgments of God.
      {z} He speaks of the outward ministry, and as he was
          promised for the saving of this people, he was
          making sure that it would happen, even from the time
          that the promise was made to Abraham.