Matthew 23:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

NIV: You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

NASB: You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

CSB: Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel!

NLT: Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!

KJV: Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

NKJV: Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

This passage illustrates the central problem of the scribes and Pharisees, both in their practice of Judaism and how they imposed it on the people. They went to the trouble to give the required ten percent of the smallest of the garden "crops," even tiny herbs. That was fine, but they obsessed over these details, while missing the big reasons behind God's law for His people: justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23–24).

In other words, these spiritual leaders did not interpret the law to the people in a way that emphasized what God really cared about. To use a common English expression, they "missed the forest for the trees:" they forgot that details are meant to form a larger picture. They focused on wooden, legalistic religious performance in a way that ultimately only served their own pride, power, and glory. Jesus once again calls them blind guides (Matthew 23:16–17), meaning they have no understanding of where they are leading God's people.

This obsession with legalistic details is compared to someone who uses a screen to keep insects out of their drink, while failing to notice a massive animal floating in there. It's a humorous and devastating line. Both gnats and camels were unclean for the Israelites to eat. To avoid even accidentally eating something ritually unclean, Pharisees would use cloth to strain their drink. Like tithing from their herb crop, this was exacting work performed to be religiously perfect.

The scribes and Pharisees could not—or would not—see they were missing the much more important reasons behind God's regulations for His people. Obeying specific commands is important, but details are not meant to override the broader message being given by God.

Matthew 23:13–36 contains seven layers of condemnation, from Jesus, towards the religious leaders of His era. Each of these is introduced with the word "woe," which is an exclamation like "oh!" or "alas!" Pronouncing God's judgment on these men, He repeatedly describes them as "blind" and "hypocrites." Convincing others of their views only adds victims to hell. They follow the letters of manmade law to the tiniest detail but miss the real meaning of Scripture: God's heart for justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Their outer appearance of righteousness hides inner lives full of greed, self-indulgence, hypocrisy, and lawlessness. Those in Jesus' generation will pay for many of the righteous people unjustly killed in the past.

After thoroughly dismantling scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees in debate, Jesus even more thoroughly condemns these religious leaders for their religious hypocrisy. They do all their religious acts and works to be seen and approved of by other people. Jesus pronounces God's judgment on the scribes and Pharisees in a series of seven "woe to you" statements. He repeatedly calls them "blind" and "hypocrites." He concludes with a lament for Jerusalem and her children who rejected His protection. God's judgment is coming.

Matthew 23 concludes Matthew's multi-chapter account of all of Jesus' interactions in the temple during the last week before His arrest and crucifixion. After silencing the religious leaders with parables and brilliant responses (Matthew 21—22), He pronounces God's judgment on the scribes and Pharisees in a series of seven "woe to you" statements. Jesus mourns for the judgment that will come on Jerusalem for her rejection of God. This leads Jesus to leave the temple, sadly remarking on its impending destruction (Matthew 24:1–2). As the disciples ask about this, Jesus begins an extended teaching on the end times in chapter 24.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.