Matthew 23:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

NIV: They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

NASB: And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger.

CSB: They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger to move them.

NLT: They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Jesus has stated bluntly that the scribes and Pharisees, Israel's primary religious leaders for everyday life, do not practice what they preach. He has told His disciples and the crowds to obey their teaching about the Scripture itself, since God has established the idea of spiritual authorities and teachers (Matthew 23:2–3). However, those same men live in contradiction to what they claim to believe. They say one thing yet do something else. They are pretending, which is the essential meaning of the Greek term hipokritēs (Matthew 23:13).

Here, that hypocrisy is being explained. Jesus is referring to the massive, complicated religious rules added to the law of Moses over time. These rules began with a good intent: to help people apply the law to everyday circumstances, and especially to help them avoid breaking it. Unfortunately, those traditional rules, created by mere human beings, had gradually been elevated until they were considered equal to the law itself.

The scribes and Pharisees insisted every follower of the law was expected to keep all these rules to be pleasing to God. Jesus notes these leaders won't make the slightest effort to ease that burden. This does not mean the scribes and Pharisees did not keep those same rules themselves. Rather, these teachers were not willing to lighten the burden of man-made and man-controlled rules. Not even a little bit. They were not trying to help the people live out God's Word in a way that reflected God's heart. They only made the lives of the people more and more difficult by making religion more and more legalistic and restrictive.

Matthew 23:1–12 begins Jesus' condemnation of Israel's religious leaders, summarized with the phrase "the scribes and the Pharisees." He warns those listening not to follow their example, since they don't practice what they preach. Their words imply heavy burdens, but their actions don't reflect the same. They make no effort to help others fulfill those requirements. In fact, everything they do is for show: only to be seen and approved of by others. They make a great show of religious clothes and symbols, jockey for the seats of honor everywhere they go, and take enormous pride in their prestigious spiritual titles.

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.