Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Saturday in Easter Week
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Weymouth New Testament

Matthew 23:3

Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Example;   Hypocrisy;   Inconsistency;   Minister, Christian;   Oppression;   Pharisees;   Satire;   Scribe (S);   Teachers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Imitation;   Inconsistency;   Religion;   Religion, True-False;   Sinful;   Worldliness;   Worldliness-Unworldliness;   The Topic Concordance - Hypocrisy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Call of God, the;   Hypocrites;   Magistrates;   Ministers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Education;   Law;   Matthew, gospel of;   Ruler;   Scribes;   Synagogue;   Teacher;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Hypocrisy;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Supralapsarians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hypocrisy;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Salutation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hypocrite;   Judas Iscariot;   Pharisees;   Scribes;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boyhood of Jesus;   Courage;   Discourse;   Error;   Example;   Humility;   Israel, Israelite;   Law of God;   Lawlessness;   Paradox;   Righteous, Righteousness;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Saying and Doing;   Winter ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pharisee;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Scribe;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Philosophy;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - After;   Authority in Religion;   Law in the New Testament;   Market;   Salvation;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Binding and Loosing;   Jesus of Nazareth;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.
King James Version (1611)
All therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that obserue and doe, but doe not ye after their workes: for they say, and doe not.
King James Version
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
English Standard Version
so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them.
New Century Version
So you should obey and follow whatever they tell you, but their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they themselves don't do them.
Amplified Bible
so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
Legacy Standard Bible
therefore all that they tell you, do and keep, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
Berean Standard Bible
So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Contemporary English Version
So obey everything they teach you, but don't do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.
Complete Jewish Bible
So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don't do what they do, because they talk but don't act!
Darby Translation
all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
Easy-to-Read Version
So you should obey them. Do everything they tell you to do. But their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they don't do those things themselves.
Geneva Bible (1587)
All therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that obserue and doe: but after their workes doe not: for they say, and doe not.
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore whatever they tell you to obey, obey and do it, but do not do according to their works; for they say and do not.
Good News Translation
So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don't practice what they preach.
Lexham English Bible
Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as they do, for they tell others to do something and do not do it themselves.
Literal Translation
Then all things, whatever they tell you to keep, keep and do. But do not do according to their works, for they say, and do not do.
American Standard Version
all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.
Bible in Basic English
All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not.
Hebrew Names Version
All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don't do their works; for they say, and don't do.
International Standard Version
So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say.Romans 2:19;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Every thing, therefore, which they tell you to observe, observe and do; but after their practices do not act; for they say, and do not.
Murdock Translation
Whatever therefore they tell you to observe, that observe and do. But according to their deeds, practise ye not: for they say, and do not.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
All therfore, whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that obserue and do: but do not ye after their workes, for they say, and do not.
English Revised Version
all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.
World English Bible
All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don't do their works; for they say, and don't do.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
but do not ye after their works; for they say and do not.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor kepe ye, and do ye alle thingis, what euer thingis thei seien to you. But nyle ye do aftir her werkis; for thei seien, and don not.
Update Bible Version
all things therefore whatever they bid you, [these] do and observe: but do not do after their works; for they say, and do not do.
Webster's Bible Translation
All therefore, whatever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do: but do not ye according to their works: for they say, and do not.
New English Translation
Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach.
New Life Bible
Do what they tell you to do and keep on doing it. But do not follow what they do. They preach but do not obey their own preaching.
New Revised Standard
therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All things, therefore, whatsoever they tell you, do and observe, - but, according to their works, do ye not, for they, say, and do not, perform.
Douay-Rheims Bible
All 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.
Revised Standard Version
so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
All therfore whatsoever they byd you observe that observe and do: but after their workes do not:
Young's Literal Translation
all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that obserue and do, but after their workes shal ye not do,
Mace New Testament (1729)
therefore whatever moral precepts they bid you observe, those observe and practise; but don't follow their example: for they preach one thing, and practise another.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Y'all need to do what they say, but don't act like they act. They sure as heck don't practice what they preach.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples. 2 "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves. 4 Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them. 5 And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their phylacteries and make the tassels large, 6 and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues, 7 and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as `Rabbi.' 8 "As for you, do not accept the title of `Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father. 10 And do not accept the name of `leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

whatsoever: Matthew 15:2-9, Exodus 18:19, Exodus 18:20, Exodus 18:23, Deuteronomy 4:5, Deuteronomy 5:27, Deuteronomy 17:9-12, 2 Chronicles 30:12, Acts 5:29, Romans 13:1

for: Matthew 21:30, Psalms 50:16-20, Romans 2:19-24, 2 Timothy 3:5, Titus 1:16

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 5:1 - General Deuteronomy 19:17 - General Deuteronomy 33:10 - They shall teach Ezra 7:25 - teach ye Mark 1:44 - show Luke 6:49 - that heareth Romans 2:21 - therefore Galatians 6:13 - keep Titus 3:1 - to be subject

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,.... This must be restrained to things that were agreeable to the chair of Moses, in which they sat, to the law of Moses, which they read and explained, to other parts of Scripture and truth in general; for otherwise many of their glosses and traditions were repugnant to the law, and ought not to be observed, as appears from Matthew 5:1. The word "observe", in this clause, is omitted by the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel; and Beza says, it is wanting in one ancient copy, but is in others; and is retained in the Syriac and Persic versions

that observe and do; hearken to what they say, give diligent heed unto it, take notice of it, and act according to it:

but do not ye after their works; let their doctrine be the rule of your lives, so far as it agrees with the law of Moses; but let not their actions be drawn into an example by you; conform to their instructions, but do not imitate their practices:

for they say, and do not; they talk of good works, but do none; they bid others do them, but do not practise them themselves; they very strictly and severely enjoin them on others, but are very careless themselves to observe them; and of this the Jews are so conscious, that they suggest the same doctrine n.

"The daughter of Ahar (a wicked man) came before Rabbi; she said to him, Rabbi, supply me with the necessaries of life: he replied to her, daughter, who art thou? she answered him, the daughter of Ahar: he said to her, is there any of his seed in the world? for lo! it is written,

Job 18:19. "He shall neither have son, nor nephew, among his people, nor any remaining, in his dwellings": she replied to him, זכור לתורתו ואל תזכור מעשיו, "remember his law, or doctrine, but do not remember his works."--Says R. Jochanan, what is that which is written, Malachi 2:7. "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." If the doctor is like to an angel, or messenger of the Lord of hosts, they should seek the law at his mouth; and if not, they should not seek the law at his mouth. Says Resh Lekish, R. Meir found and explained that Scripture, Proverbs 22:17. "Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart to my knowledge": to their knowledge it is not said, but to my knowledge. R. Chanina says, hence,

Psalms 45:10. "Hearken, O daughter! and consider, incline thine ear, forget thine own people, and thy father's house": on which the gloss is, forget their works, and do not learn them: he that knows how to take care not to learn their works, may learn the law from their mouths.''

--And a little after,

"the disciples of the wise men are like to a nut; as a nut, though it is defiled with mire and filth, yet that which is within it is not to be rejected; so a scholar, or a disciple of a wise man, though he act wickedly, his law, or doctrine, is not to be despised.''

Good doctrine is not the worse for being taught by bad men; nor are good works to be slighted and neglected, because they are not done by all that teach them; but it must be owned that examples are very useful and forcible, and practice greatly recommends doctrine; and it is to be wished, that they both always went together.

n T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 15. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All, therefore, whatsoever ... - That is, all that they teach that is consistent with the Law of Moses - all the commands of Moses which they read to you and properly explain. The word “all” could not be taken without such a restriction, for Christ himself accuses them of teaching many things contrary to that law, and of making it void by their traditions, Matthew 15:1-6.

They say, and do not - The interpretation which they give to the law is in the main correct, but their lives do not correspond with their teaching. It is not the duty of people to imitate their teachers unless their lives are pure; they are to obey the law of God, and not to frame their lives by the example of evil people.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:3. All therefore whatsoever — That is, all those things which they read out of the law and prophets, and all things which they teach consistently with them. This must be our Lord's meaning: he could not have desired them to do every thing, without restriction, which the Jewish doctors taught; because himself warns his disciples against their false teaching, and testifies that they had made the word of God of none effect by their traditions. See Matthew 15:6, &c. Besides, as our Lord speaks here in the past tense - whatsoever they HAVE commanded, οσαειπωσιν, he may refer to the teaching of a former period, when they taught the way of God in truth, or were much less corrupted than they were now.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile