Matthew 23:5

5 They do everything ^[a] to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries ^[b] and lengthen their tassels. ^[c]

Matthew 23:5 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 23:5

But all their works they do for to be seen of men
All their prayers, alms deeds, and fastings, were all done in a public manner, that men might behold them, and they might have applause and glory from them: they sought neither the glory of God, nor the good of their fellow creatures, nor any spiritual advantage and pleasure to themselves, in their performances; they neither attended to moral duties, nor ceremonious rites, nor the traditions of their fathers, any further than they could be seen by men in them, and keep up their credit and esteem among them. Hence,

they make broad their phylacteries:
these were four sections of the law, wrote on parchments, folded up in the skin of a clean beast, and tied to the head and hand. The four sections were these following, viz. the "first", was ( Exodus 13:2-11 ) the "second", was ( Exodus 13:11-17 ) the "third", was ( Deuteronomy 6:4-10 ) the "fourth", was ( Deuteronomy 11:13-22 ) . Those that were for the head, were written and rolled up separately, and put in four distinct places, in one skin, which was fastened with strings to the crown of the head, towards the face, about the place where the hair ends, and where an infant's brain is tender; and they took care to place them in the middle, that so they might be between the eyes. Those that were for the hand, were written in four columns, on one parchment, which being rolled up, was fastened to the inside of the left arm, where it is fleshy, between the shoulder and the elbow, that so it might be over against the heart ^F21. These, they imagined, were commanded them by God, in ( Exodus 13:16 ) ( Deuteronomy 6:8 ) whereas the sense of these passages only is, that the goodness of God in delivering them out of Egypt, and the words of the law, should be continually before them, in their minds and memories, as if they had tokens on their hands, and frontlets between their eyes; but they understood them literally, and observed them in the above manner. These the Jews call "Tephillin", because they use them in time of prayer, and look upon them as useful, to put them in mind of that duty: they are here called "phylacteries", because they thought they kept them in the fear of God, preserved in them the memory of the law, and them from sin; yea, from evil spirits, and diseases of the body. They imagined there was a great deal of holiness in, and valued themselves much upon the use of them {w}; and the Pharisees, because they would be thought to be more holy and religious, and more observant of the law than others, wore these things broader than the rest of the people;

and enlarge the borders of their garments.
These were the fringes which they put upon the borders of their garments, and on them a ribbon of blue, to put them in mind of the commandments, to obey them, ( Numbers 15:38 ) ( Deuteronomy 22:12 ) . The observance of this law is of so much consequence with the Jews, that they make all the commandments to depend on it ^F24; and say, that it is equal to them all, and that he that is guilty of the breach of it, is worthy of death ^F25: they ascribe the like virtue to these fringes, as to their phylacteries, and think themselves much the better for the wearing them; and the Pharisees, because they would appear with a greater air of sanctity and devotion than others, made their's larger. We ^F26 read of one Ben Tzitzith Hacceseth, a man of this complexion, who was so called, because his Tzitzith, or fringes, were drawn upon, a pillow; and there are some that say, that the pillow was bore between the great men of Rome: it was drawn after him, not upon the ground, but upon a cloth or tapestry, and the train supported by noblemen, as is pretended. This was one of those, that enlarged the Tzitzith, or fringes, beyond the ordinary size; hence Mark calls it, "long clothing."

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Targ. Jon. Jarchi, & Baal Hatturim in Exod. xiii. 16. & Deut. vi. 8. Maimon. Hilch. Tephillin, c. 1. sect. 1. & c. 2. sect. 2. & c. 3. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. & c. 4. sect. 1, 2.
F23 Maimon. ib. c. 4. sect. 25, 26. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. affirm. 3. 23. Targ. in Cant. viii. 3.
F24 Maimon. Hilch. Tzitzith, c. 3. sect. 12.
F25 T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 25, 1. Shebuot, fol. 29. 1. & Menachot, fol. 43. 2.
F26 T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 56. 1.

Matthew 23:5 In-Context

3 Therefore do whatever they tell you and observe [it]. But don't do what they do, because they don't practice what they teach.

4 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.

5 They do everything to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,

7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit do all their works
• [b]. Small leather boxes containing OT texts, worn by Jews on their arms and foreheads
• [c]. Other mss add on their robes