Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 23:6
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
6. the uppermost rooms ] i. e. “the most honourable seats.” The Jews, like the Romans, reclined at meals on couches, called triclinia each containing three seats and each seat having its special dignity. The seats on the triclinia are here called “rooms.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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, Joh 13:23; Luk 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 Luk 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, Joh 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 Mat 4:23.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
We have the same applied to the scribes, Mar 12:38,39; Luk 11:43. Mark addeth, which love to go in long clothing. Our Saviour in these words doth not blame a distinction in habits and places, for he himself hath taught us, that those who are in kings palaces wear soft raiment; and, being often called Master and Lord, never reflected on them who called him so, as having done amiss: he only blames the Pharisees ambition, and silly affectation of these little things, seeking their own honour and glory, or an undue domination. There is therefore an emphasis to be put upon the word love; they might take salutations, and the upper rooms, if offered them as their due, for keeping civil order, but not affect them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. And love the uppermost rooms atfeastsThe word “room” is now obsolete in the sensehere intended. It should be “the uppermost place,” that is,the place of highest honor.
and the chief seats in thesynagogues. See on Lu 14:7, 8.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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 1Sa 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”, Ec 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The chief place at feasts ( ). Literally, the first reclining place on the divan at the meal. The Persians, Greeks, Romans, Jews differed in their customs, but all cared for the post of honour at formal functions as is true of us today. Hostesses often solve the point by putting the name of each guest at the table. At the last passover meal the apostles had an ugly snarl over this very point of precedence (Luke 22:24; John 13:2-11), just two days after this exposure of the Pharisees in the presence of the apostles.
The chief seats in the synagogues ( ). “An insatiable hunger for prominence” (Bruce). These chief seats (Zuchermandel) were on the platform looking to the audience and with the back to the chest in which were kept the rolls of scripture. The Essenes had a different arrangement. People today pay high prices for front seats at the theatre, but at church prefer the rear seats out of a curious mock-humility. In the time of Jesus the hypocrites boldly sat up in front. Now, if they come to church at all, they take the rear seats.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The uppermost rooms [] . Rev., more correctly, the chief place, the foremost couch or uppermost place on the divan.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
6 And love the first places at entertainments.. He proves, by evident signs, that no zeal for piety exists in the scribes, but that they are wholly devoted to ambition. For to seek the first places and the first seats belongs only to those who choose rather to exalt themselves among men, than to enjoy the approbation of God. But above all, Christ condemns them for desiring to be called masters; for, though the name Rabbi in itself denotes excellence, yet at that time the prevailing practice among the Jews was, to give this name to the masters and teachers of the Law. But Christ asserts that this honor does not belong to any except himself; from which it follows that it cannot, without doing injury to him, be applied to men. But there is an appearance of excessive harshness, and even of absurdity, in this, since Christ does not now teach us in his own person, but appoints and ordains masters for us. Now it is absurd to take away the title from those on whom he bestows the office, and more especially since, while he was on earth, he appointed apostles to discharge the office of teaching in his name.
If the question be about the title, Paul certainly did not intend to do any injury to Christ by sacrilegious usurpation or boasting, when he declared that. he was
a master and teacher of the Gentiles, (1Ti 2:7.)
But as Christ had no other design than to bring all, from the least to the greatest, to obey him, so as to preserve his own authority unimpaired, we need not give ourselves much trouble about the word. Christ therefore does not attach importance to the title bestowed on those who discharge the office of teaching, but restrains them within proper limits, that they may not rule over the kith of brethren. We must always attend to the distinction, that Christ alone ought to be obeyed, because concerning him alone was the voice of the Father heard aloud from heaven, Hear him, (Mat 17:5😉 and that teachers are his ministers in such a manner that he ought to be heard in them, and that they are masters under him, so far as they represent his person. The general meaning is, that his authority must remain entire, and that no mortal man ought to claim the smallest portion of it. Thus he is the only Pastor; but yet he admits many pastors under him, provided that he hold the preeminence over them all, and that by them he alone govern the Church.
And you are all brethren. This opposite clause must be observed. For, since we are brethren, he maintains that no man has a right to hold the place of a master over others; and hence it follows, that he does not condemn that authority of masters which does not violate brotherly intercourse among the godly. In short, nothing else is here enjoined than that all should depend on the mouth of Christ alone. Nearly to the same purpose does Paul argue, when he says that we have no right to judge one another, for all are brethren, and
all must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, (Rom 14:10.)
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) The uppermost rooms.Better, the first places, the word room, which had that meaning at the time when the English version was made, having now become identical with chamber. Strictly speaking, they would be the first places, nearest to the host, on the couches or ottomans (as we have learnt to call them from their modern Eastern use) on which the guests reclined, these being assigned (as in the case of the disciple whom Jesus loved, in Joh. 13:23) to the most favoured guests.
The chief seats in the synagogues.These were at the upper or Jerusalem end of the synagogue (corresponding to the east end of most Christian churches), where was the ark, or chest that contained the Law. These were given, either by common consent or by the elders of the synagogue, to those who were most conspicuous for their devotion to the Law, and as such, were coveted as a mark of religious reputation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. And love the uppermost Our Lord here explains the motive of all this display of external holiness and ultra Judaism. They desired to establish and enjoy the privileges of a religious caste or hierarchy. It was not the holiness of the people, or their salvation, or benefit they sought; but a self-exaltation into power. Uppermost rooms at feasts It must never be forgotten that at their meals the ancients used not chairs, nor seats, but couches, and that they did not sit but recline. Three tables were so placed as to form the three sides of a square, with the fourth open for entrance. Upon the side opposite the open entrance was the master’s place; in the middle room of the couch occupied by himself, and the positions nearest him, were the places of honour. The uppermost room does not, therefore, signify a high room in the house, but the most noble reclining place, and this was the uppermost room, to which their ambition aspired.
Chief seats in the synagogues Seats in the front of the congregation and facing it. See note on Mat 4:23. The passage might be more strictly rendered, they “love the uppermost reclining-places at feasts and the foreseats in the synagogues.” The ancients reclined at feasts but sat in synagogues.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Ver. 6. And love the uppermost rooms ] Which is a singular vanity, and yet hath bred greatest contestation in the Church; as between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople, the archbishops of Canterbury and York jostling in parliament for precedence, even unto blows and bloodshed: what doleful effects followed upon the contention between the Lord Protector and his brother in King Edward VI’s days, raised by their ambitious wives, who could not agree about place! The apostle’s rule is, “in honour to prefer one another,” Rom 12:10 . And true humility is like true balm, that still in water sinks to the bottom; like the violet, the sweetest but lowest of flowers, which hangs the head downwards, and hides itself with its own leaves.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
6, 7. ] See Mar 12:38-39 ; Luk 20:46-47 .
On . . see Luk 14:7 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 23:6 . : with religious ostentation goes social vanity, love of the first place at feasts, and first seats ( ) in synagogues; an insatiable hunger for prominence.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
love = are fond of. Greek. phileo. App-135.
uppermost rooms = the first place, as in next clause.
at = in. Greek. en. App-104.
chief seats = first seats, as in preceding clause.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
6, 7.] See Mar 12:38-39; Luk 20:46-47.
On . . see Luk 14:7.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 23:6. , …, they love, etc.) Both individually and for their order.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mat 20:21, Pro 25:6, Pro 25:7, Mar 12:38, Mar 12:39, Luk 11:43-54, Luk 14:7-11, Luk 20:46, Luk 20:47, Rom 12:10, Jam 2:1-4, 3Jo 1:9
Reciprocal: Mat 6:2 – in the synagogues Mat 6:5 – for Luk 9:46 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:6
Rooms means places at the table while eating, some of them being regarded as more honorable than others. Chief seats means the first or front seats in the synagogues that gave the occupants a prominent view of the audience.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 23:6. The chief place at feasts. The place on the middle couch at the upper table (which joined the other two) was considered most honorable.
Chief seats in the synagogues. The places nearest the reading desk, where the elders sat. Being in such places (at feasts, in synagogues or elsewhere) is not rebuked, but loving to be there. Pharisaism may now show itself in taking the lowest place, if this is done in a slavish obedience to the letter of the gospel, or from a desire to be invited to go up higher.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 6
Rooms; places. The subject of censure here is ostentation and parade, and excessive ambition. The language is not to be understood as condemning the just and proper distinctions of society, whether civil, social, or religious, as the whole tenor of the New Testament shows. In Luke 14:10, the honorable regard of our fellow-men, in the social intercourse of life, is represented as a good, and admirable directions are given to enable us to secure it.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the {e} synagogues,
(e) When assemblies and councils are gathered together.