Matthew – Chapter 23

New Testament39 Verses

Chapter Summary

Matthew 23 opens with the words: "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples," The chapter centers on Zechariah, Moses and Abel. Across its 39 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and worship and praise. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

2Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.

3All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not. For they say, and do not.

4For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens and lay them on men's shoulders: but with a finger of their own they will not move them.

5And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad and enlarge their fringes.

6And they love the first places at feasts and the first chairs in the synagogues,

7And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.

8But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master: and all you are brethren.

9And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.

10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ.

11He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.

12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for you yourselves do not enter in and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

14Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.

15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

16Woe to you, blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple is a debtor.

17Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.

19Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20He therefore that sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things that are upon it.

21And whosoever shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth in it.

22And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon.

23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint and anise and cummin and have left the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. These things you ought to have done and not to leave those undone.

24Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.

26Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.

27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful but within are full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness.

28So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just: but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just,

30And say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.

32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?

34Therefore behold I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify: and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city.

35That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

36Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not?

38Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate.

39For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Important Verses in Matthew 23

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

Matthew 23:1

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for you yourselves do not enter in and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

Matthew 23:13

And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon.

Matthew 23:22

For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 23:39

Historical Context

Matthew belongs to the New Testament and was composed for jewish Christians, shown that Jesus fulfills the Scriptures of Israel. Chapter 23 of 28 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 39 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Zechariah, Moses and Abel, the principal figures named in this chapter. The chapter begins: "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples," It concludes: "For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. " The wider setting of Matthew is this: Matthew wrote for Jewish Christians, presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets—the Son of David, the new Moses who delivers the Sermon on the Mount. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: About AD 70-85; early tradition places a first version among Jewish Christians.

Who Wrote It

The Apostle Matthew (Levi), the former tax collector, according to unanimous early tradition

When It Was Written

About AD 70-85; early tradition places a first version among Jewish Christians

Catholic Commentary

In this 39-verse narrative, the sacred author records events that advance the story of Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish hopes. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples," The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 2215). Here, Matthew shows Christ as the new Moses and true Israel (CIC 577). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Matthew 23 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.
  • Christ is the Divine Physician who heals both body and soul.

People in This Chapter

Zechariah1 mentionMoses1 mentionAbel1 mention

Reflection for Today

When the Church proclaims Matthew Chapter 23 at Mass or in the Liturgy of the Hours, she treats this text as the living voice of God.

In the four senses of Scripture—literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical—the Church finds rich meaning in Matthew Chapter 23. At the moral level, the unity of Scripture and the Magisterium challenges us to examine conscience and amend our lives (CIC 2215).

If this passage raises questions, seek the Church's teaching through the Catechism, a faithful priest, or sound Catholic commentaries. Private interpretation must remain in harmony with the Magisterium (CIC 2578).

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Matthew Chapter 23 about?

Matthew 23 contains 39 verses. It opens with "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples," and closes with "For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. ". The book as a whole is gospel.

What is a key verse in Matthew 23?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples," It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Matthew Chapter 23?

This chapter mentions Zechariah, Moses, Abel.

Who wrote Matthew and when?

The Apostle Matthew (Levi), the former tax collector, according to unanimous early tradition. About AD 70-85; early tradition places a first version among Jewish Christians.

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