Matthew 23 14

Matthew 23:14 kjv

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.

Matthew 23:14 nkjv

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

Matthew 23 verses

Matthew 23 14 Meaning

Matthew 23:14 (present in some manuscripts but absent in others) declares a solemn judgment, or "woe," upon the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus condemns them as "hypocrites" for their deceptive practice of exploiting vulnerable widows, even while maintaining a façade of piety through lengthy public prayers. Consequently, their duplicity and spiritual abuse will incur a greater, more severe divine condemnation. The verse exposes the dangerous gap between outward religious observance and inward corruption, highlighting God's severe judgment on those who oppress the helpless under the guise of spiritual authority.

Matthew 23 14 Context

Matthew 23, along with its parallels in Mark 12 and Luke 20, presents Jesus' final public discourse and his most severe denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees during the last week before His crucifixion. This chapter is a series of eight "woes," pronouncements of impending doom and condemnation, aimed at exposing their hypocrisy, pride, and spiritual blindness. They are portrayed as leaders who burdened the people with rules but failed to follow them, who loved public honor, distorted God's law, and misled others away from genuine faith. Verse 14, although its presence in some of the earliest and most reliable manuscripts of Matthew is debated by textual critics (some omitting it as an interpolation from Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47), perfectly aligns with the pervasive theme of hypocrisy and abuse of power found throughout the chapter. It vividly illustrates a specific charge against them: exploiting the most vulnerable under a guise of false piety, thereby earning them a particularly harsh judgment.

Matthew 23 14 Word analysis

• Woe (Greek: Ouai - οὐαί): More than a mere expression of sorrow, ouai in the New Testament is a declaration of impending judgment or disaster. It's a prophetic condemnation, signaling divine wrath for moral or spiritual transgression. Jesus frequently uses this term when pronouncing judgment, particularly on those who refuse to repent or who mislead others.
• to you (ὑμῖν - hymin): Emphatic plural, directly addressing the specific group being condemned.
• Scribes and Pharisees (Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι - Grammateis kai Pharisaios): The two dominant Jewish religious groups and intellectual authorities of the time. The Scribes were professional interpreters and teachers of the Law, while the Pharisees were a separatist movement known for strict adherence to oral and written traditions, aspiring to a higher standard of purity and piety. Jesus' repeated condemnation of them targets their perceived spiritual authority and influence over the people, which they abused.
• hypocrites! (ὑποκριταί - hypokritai): Derived from Greek theater, literally meaning "stage-players" or "actors." It refers to someone who pretends to be what they are not, especially one who feigns religious piety while their actions or true character are contrary to their outward show. This epithet is Jesus' core charge against them throughout Matthew 23.
• For you devour (ὅτι κατεσθίετε - hoti katesthiete): "Devour" (katesthio) is a strong verb, meaning to consume, eat up entirely, or even ruin/exploit financially. It suggests a ruthless, complete, and unholy appropriation of resources. It conveys not just taking but ruthlessly consuming their possessions.
• widows' houses (τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν - tas oikias tōn chērōn): "Widows" (chērōn) are a classic biblical representation of vulnerability, poverty, and powerlessness, lacking a male protector. "Houses" refers to their property, assets, or means of sustenance. This points to the exploitation of the weakest in society. This abuse likely occurred through manipulative legal counsel, managing their estates, or even extorting donations under the guise of religious contributions, leaving the widows destitute.
• and for a pretense (καὶ προφάσει - kai prophasei): "Pretense" (prophasis) means a pretext, an excuse, a false show, a fabricated reason, or outward appearance. It indicates that their true motive (exploitation) was hidden beneath a veneer of religiosity.
• make long prayers (μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι - makra proseuchomenoi): Public and verbose prayers, not for the sake of communion with God but to impress people with their apparent devoutness. This practice (like standing in synagogues or street corners, Matt 6:5) made their exploitation of widows seem acceptable, or even justifiable, to the common people who believed these "pious" leaders must be acting righteously.
• therefore you will receive (διὰ τοῦτο λήμψεσθε - dia touto lēmpsesthe): Establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Their deceptive actions are the reason for their impending fate.
• greater condemnation (περισσότερον κρίμα - perissoteron krima): "Greater" (perissoteron) signifies a heavier, more severe, or more abundant judgment. "Condemnation" (krima) refers to divine judgment or punishment. This implies that their specific sins—exploiting the most vulnerable while appearing devout—warrant a stricter reckoning from God, precisely because they held a position of trust and influence, and because their sins involved deception and sacrilege.

• "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!": This is a direct, stinging indictment. It functions as an ultimate rejection of their perceived spiritual authority, declaring divine displeasure on their entire religious system. The repeated label "hypocrites" strips away any façade, exposing their inner corruption.
• "For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers": This phrase paints a devastating picture of their spiritual depravity. It highlights two antithetical actions: ruthless exploitation (devouring) concealed by ostentatious piety (long prayers for show). The prophasis ("pretense") connects the two, showing how the public display of prayer was a cover-up for their hidden wickedness.
• "therefore you will receive greater condemnation": This part is the divine consequence. The severity of their judgment is directly linked to the magnitude of their sin—not merely that they sinned, but that they abused positions of religious authority, violated fundamental divine laws of caring for the vulnerable, and compounded their sin with deceit. Their spiritual privilege becomes a magnifier of their guilt, ensuring a heavier judgment from God.

Matthew 23 14 Bonus section

While Matthew 23:14 is present in several manuscripts (Textus Receptus, forming the basis for KJV, NKJV, etc.) and seamlessly fits the rhetorical flow and themes of Matthew 23 and the parallel accounts in Mark and Luke, many critical modern editions (like NA28, UBS5, forming the basis for NIV, ESV, etc.) omit it or place it in a footnote. This omission is primarily based on the absence of the verse in significant early manuscripts such as Codex Sinaiticus (א) and Codex Vaticanus (B). Regardless of its specific textual origin in Matthew, its powerful message against religious hypocrisy and the exploitation of the vulnerable, particularly in a spiritual context, is undeniably canonical and strongly echoed elsewhere in Scripture, including Jesus' own words recorded in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47. Its presence underscores the severity of judgment for those who leverage spiritual authority for personal gain and actively oppress the most helpless, under a pretense of godliness.

Matthew 23 14 Commentary

Matthew 23:14 delivers a poignant summary of Jesus' primary grievances against the religious leadership of His time. It zeroes in on the devastating hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees: their outwardly pious acts, exemplified by verbose public prayers, were merely a sophisticated veil for their avaricious exploitation of the most defenseless, specifically widows. God's law consistently commanded protection and provision for widows, rendering their actions not only unethical but blasphemous—abusing religious guise to commit grave injustice. This verse teaches that God discerns true devotion from religious showmanship and holds those in positions of spiritual influence to a higher standard of accountability. Their deceptive piety magnified their sin, warranting a "greater condemnation." It is a timeless warning against prioritizing reputation over integrity, religious ritual over righteousness, and personal gain over compassionate care for the weak.

Example: A person in a position of religious authority who pressures elderly, isolated church members into donating their life savings to the organization, while frequently publicizing their own seemingly devout prayer life and charitable contributions, would embody this type of exploitation and hypocrisy. Their elevated position and outward religiosity would make their unethical actions even more heinous in God's eyes.