Matthew 23:6

New King James Version

They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,

King James Version (1611)
And loue the vppermost roomes at feasts, and the chiefe seats in the Synagogues,

King James Version
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

English Standard Version
and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues

New American Standard Bible
"And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues,

New Century Version
Those Pharisees and teachers of the law love to have the most important seats at feasts and in the synagogues.

Amplified Bible
"They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation],

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Legacy Standard Bible
And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,

Berean Standard Bible
They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,

Contemporary English Version
They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places.

Complete Jewish Bible
they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,

Darby Translation
and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,

Easy-to-Read Version
These men love to have the places of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And loue the chiefe place at feastes, and to haue the chiefe seates in the assemblies,

George Lamsa Translation
And they like the chief places at feasts, and the front seats in the synagogues,

Good News Translation
They love the best places at feasts and the reserved seats in the synagogues;

Lexham English Bible
And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues

Literal Translation
And they love the first couch in the suppers, and the first seats in the synagogues,

American Standard Version
and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Bible in Basic English
And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues,

Hebrew Names Version
and love the chief place at feasts, the chief seats in the synagogues,

International Standard Version
They love to have the places of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,Mark 12:38-39; Luke 11:43; 20:46; 3 John 1:1:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and love the chief reclining-places at evening feasts, and the highest seats in synagogues,

Murdock Translation
And they love the highest couches at suppers and the highest seats in the synagogues,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And loue the vppermost seates at feastes, and to syt in the chiefe place in councels,

English Revised Version
and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

World English Bible
and love the chief place at feasts, the chief seats in the synagogues,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And love the uppermost places at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Weymouth's New Testament
and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei louen the first sittyng placis in soperis, and the first chaieris in synagogis;

Update Bible Version
and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Webster's Bible Translation
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

New English Translation
They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues

New Living Translation
And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues.

New Life Bible
They like to have the important places at big suppers and the best seats in the Jewish places of worship.

New Revised Standard
They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And dearly love the first couch in the chief meals, and the first seats in the synagogues,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they love the first places at feasts and the first chairs in the synagogues,

Revised Standard Version
and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and love to sit vppermooste at feastes and to have the chefe seates in the synagoges

Young's Literal Translation
they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and loue to syt vppermost at the table, and to haue the chefe seates in the synagoges,

Mace New Testament (1729)
they affect the uppermost place at feasts, the principal chair in the synagogues,

Simplified Cowboy Version
They like the box seats at the rodeo and want to be the first in line at the chuckwagon.

Contextual Overview

¹ Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47">[xr] Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, ² saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, [fn] that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ⁴ 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. ⁵ But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. ⁶ They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, "Rabbi, Rabbi.' ⁸ But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, [fn] and you are all brethren. ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 20:21, Proverbs 25:6, Proverbs 25:7, Mark 12:38, Mark 12:39, Luke 11:43-54, Luke 14:7-11, Luke 20:46, Luke 20:47, Romans 12:10, James 2:1-4, 3 John 1:9

Reciprocal: Matthew 6:2 - in the synagogues Matthew 6:5 - for Luke 9:46 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 13:2
Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 14:14
Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

Genesis 18:12
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.

Genesis 23:1
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Genesis 23:2
So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Genesis 23:4
"I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

Genesis 23:5
And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

Genesis 24:18
So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.

Genesis 24:35
The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And love the uppermost rooms at feasts,.... Or the first and chief places to sit, or lie down on, at ordinary meals, and especially at large entertainments, where the great ones sat, as in 1 Samuel 9:22 where Jarchi on the place observes, that by the manner of their sitting, it was known who was the greatest; and this the Scribes and Pharisees affected. With the Romans, the most honourable place was at the upper end of the table: some think it was more honourable to sit in the middle, but the master of the feast sat at the lower end; and to senior men, and who were venerable with age, or excelled in prudence and authority, the first sitting down, and the more honourable place, were given; and when the table was taken away, they used to rise first a: the middle place was the more honourable with the Numidians b, and so it seems to be with the Romans c, and also with the Jews; and this the Scribes and Pharisees loved, desired, sought for, and were pleased if they had not it. It is said d of Simeon ben Shetach, a noted Pharisee, about, or rather before the time of Christ, that having fled upon a certain account from king Jannai, he sent for him, and when he came,

"he sat himself between the king and the queen: the king said to him, why dost thou mock me? he replied to him, I do not mock thee, thou hast riches and I have learning, as it is written, "Wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence", Ecclesiastes 7:12. He said to him, but why dost thou "sit between the king and queen?" He replied, in the book of Ben Sira, it is written, "Exalt her and she shall promote thee, and cause thee to sit among princes." He ordered to give him a cup, that he might ask a blessing; he took the cup and said, blessed be the food that Jannai and his friends eat.''

Thus on account of their wisdom and learning, they thought they had a right to take the upper hand of kings themselves:

and the chief seats in the synagogues; for these were different; the seats of the senior men were turned towards the people, and the backs of them were towards the ark or chest, in which the holy books were put; and these seem to be what the Scribes and Pharisees coveted, that they might be in the full view of the people. And so says Maimonides e, "How do the people sit in the synagogues?"

"The elders sit, i.e. first, and their faces are towards the people, and their backs are to the temple, or holy place; and all the people sit in rows, and the faces of one row are to the backs of the row that is before them; so that the faces of all the people are to the holy place, and to the elders, and to the ark.''

a Alex. ab Alex. Genial Dier. l. 5. c. 21. b Sallust. Bell. Jugurth. p. 45. c Vid. Alstorph. de lect. vet. p. 117. Minut. Felix, p. 3, 4. d T. Hieros. Betacot, fol. 11. 2. Beresh. Rabba, sect. 91. fol. 78. 4. e Hilchot Tephilla, c. 11. sect. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The uppermost rooms at feasts - The word “rooms,” here, by no means expresses the meaning of the original. It would be correctly rendered the uppermost “places or couches” at feasts. To understand this, it is necessary to remark that the custom among the Jews was not to eat sitting, as we do, but reclining on couches. The table was made by “three” tables, raised like ours and placed so as to form a square, with a clear space in the midst, and one end quite open. Around these tables were placed cushions capable of containing three or more persons. On these the guests reclined, leaning on their left side, with their feet extended from the table, and so lying that the head of one naturally reclined on the bosom of another. To recline near to one in this manner denoted intimacy, and was what was meant by lying “in the bosom” of another, John 13:23; Luke 16:22-23. As the feet were extended “from” the table, and as they reclined instead of sitting, it was easy to approach the feet behind, and even unperceived. Thus, in Luke 7:37-38, while Jesus reclined in this manner, a woman that had been a sinner came to his feet “behind him,” and washed them with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. She stood on the outside of the couches. So our Saviour washed the feet of his disciples as they reclined on a couch in this manner, John 13:4-12. Whenever we read in the New Testament of “sitting” at meals, it always means reclining in this manner, and never sitting as we do. The chief seat, or the “uppermost” one, was the middle couch at the upper end of the table. This the Pharisees loved, as a post of honor or distinction.

Chief seats in the synagogues - The seats usually occupied by the elders of the synagogue, near the pulpit. The meaning is, they love a place of distinction. See the notes at Matthew 4:23.