Matthew 23:14

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that eat (up) the houses of widows, and pray by long prayer; for this thing ye shall take the more doom (or ye shall receive the greater, or the harsher, judgement).

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

In Context

13But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that close (the door of) the kingdom of heavens before men [or for ye close (the door of) the realm of heaven before men]; and ye enter not, neither suffer other men entering to enter. (But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in front of people; and ye enter not, nor allow others entering to enter.)

15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that go about the sea and the land, to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him (to be) a son of hell, double more than ye be.

Read all of Matthew 23

Cross References

Exodus 22:22Ye shall not harm a widow, and a fatherless or a motherless child. (Ye shall not harm a widow, or a fatherless or a motherless child.)

Job 31:16If I denied to poor men that, that they would, and if I made the eyes of a widow to abide; (If I denied to the poor what they needed, or if I made the eyes of a widow to have despair;)

Matthew 23:33Ye adders, and adders’ brood [or (the) fruits of adders], how shall ye flee from the doom of hell? (Ye snakes, and children of snakes, how shall ye flee from the judgement of hell, or from being condemned to hell?)

Luke 12:48But he that knew not, and did worthy things of strokes, shall be beaten with few. For to each man to whom much is given, much shall be asked of him; and they shall ask more of him, to whom they betook much, (or and they shall ask more from him, to whom they have delivered, or entrusted, much).

2 Timothy 3:6Of these they be that pierce houses, and lead women captives [or and lead little women captive], charged (or burdened) with sins, which be led with diverse desires,

James 3:1My brethren, do not ye be made (into) many masters, witting that ye take the more doom. (My brothers, do not let many of you become teachers, knowing that if ye do, ye shall receive a sterner judgement, or a greater condemnation.)

Matthew Henry on Matthew 23:14-34

The Crimes of the Pharisees. 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make… Read the whole commentary →

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Study Matthew 23:14