Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 23:4
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men’s shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their fingers.
4. they bind heavy burdens ] Impose the grievous enactments of the Law. Cp. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (ch. Mat 11:30).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They bind heavy burdens … – This phrase is derived from the custom of loading animals. The load or burden is bound up and then laid on the beast. So the Pharisees appointed weighty burdens, or grievous and heavy precepts, and insisted that the people should obey them, though they lent no assistance. The heavy burdens refer not here to the traditions and foolish customs of the Pharisees, for Jesus would not command the people to observe them; but they clearly mean the ceremonies and rights appointed by Moses, which Peter says neither they nor their fathers were able to bear, Act 15:10. Those rites were numerous, expensive, requiring much time, much property, and laborious. The Pharisees were rigid in requiring that all the people should pay the taxes, give of their property, comply with every part of the law with the utmost rigor, yet they indulged themselves, and bore as little of the expense and trouble as possible; so that, where they could avoid it, they would not lend the least aid to the people in the toils and expense of their religious rites.
With one of their fingers – In the least degree. They will not render the least aid.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. They bind heavy burdens] They are now so corrupt that they have added to the ceremonies of the law others of their own invention, which are not only burdensome and oppressive, but have neither reason, expediency, nor revelation, to countenance them. In a word, like all their successors in spirit to the present day, they were severe to others, but very indulgent to themselves.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Our Saviour saith the same of the lawyers, Luk 11:46. The
burdens here mentioned were not their traditions and ritual things, Christ would never have before commanded his disciples to observe and do them, but the things truly commanded by the law of God, especially the ceremonial law, called a yoke, Act 15:10, which (say the apostles) neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. They are, saith our Saviour, rigid exactors and pressers of the law of God upon others, but will not themselves use the least endeavours (such as the putting to of a finger) themselves to do them.
1. He blames them that their own lives no way answered their doctrine.
2. It may be, he also blames their too rigid pressing the law in all the minute things of it.
There may be a too rigorous pressing of the law. Good teachers will be faithful in delivering the whole counsel of God, yet teaching no more than themselves will endeavour to practise; and being conscious of human infirmity, they will do it with great tenderness and compassion, joining law and gospel both together.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. For they bind heavy burdens andgrievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but theythemselves will not move them“touch them not” (Lu11:46).
with one of theirfingersreferring not so much to the irksomeness of the legalrites, though they were irksome enough (Ac15:10), as to the heartless rigor with which they were enforced,and by men of shameless inconsistency.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For they bind heavy burdens,…. Meaning not the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses, circumcision, and other rituals, which obliged to the keeping of the whole law, which was a yoke men were not able to bear; but the traditions of the elders, which the Scribes and Pharisees were very tenacious of, and very severely enjoined the observance of, and are called their “heavy” things o.
“It is a tradition of R. Ishmael, there are in the words of the law, that, which is bound or forbidden, and that which is loose or free; and there are in them light things, and there are in them heavy things; but the words of the Scribes, , “all of them are heavy”.”
And a little after,
“the words of the elders, , “are heavier” than the words of the prophets.”
Hence frequent mention is made of
“the light things of the school of Shammai, , “and of the heavy things of the school of Hillell” p”
two famous doctors, heads of two universities, in being in Christ’s time: these are also called, , “the blows, or wounds of the Pharisees” q; not as Bartenora explains them, the wounds they gave themselves, to show their humility; or which they received, by beating their heads against the wall, walking with their eyes shut, that they might not look upon women, under a pretence of great chastity; but, as Maimonides says, these are their additions and heavy things, which they add to the law. Now the binding of these heavy things, means the imposing them on men, obliging them to observe them very strictly, under great penalties, should they omit them. The allusion is, to those frequent sayings in use among them, such a thing is “bound”, and such a thing is loosed; such a “Rabbi binds”, and such an one looses; that is, forbids, or allows of such and such things; [See comments on Mt 16:19].
and grievous to be borne. This clause is left out in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; but is in all the Greek copies, and serves to illustrate and aggravate the burdensome rites and institutions of these people: and
lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers: the sense is, not that they were so rigid and hardhearted, that they would not move a finger to remove these burdens from the shoulders of men, or ease them in the least degree, or dispense with their performance of them in the least measure, upon any consideration, though this also was true in many respects; but that they were so slothful and indolent themselves, that though they strictly enjoined the observance of their numerous and unwritten traditions on the people, yet in many cases, where they could without public notice, they neglected them themselves, or at least, made them lighter and easier to them, as in their fastings, c. In the Misna r, mention is made of “a crafty wicked man”, along with a woman Pharisee, and the blows of the Pharisees before spoken of and in the Gemara s, is explained by R. Hona, of one,
“that makes things “light” for himself, and makes them “heavy” for others.”
Such crafty wicked men were Scribes and Pharisees; though R. Meir pretended that he made things “light” to others and “heavy” to himself t.
o T. Hieros. Peracot, fol. 3. 2. p T. Hieros. Sota, fol. 19. 2. Yom Tob. fol. 60. 2. & Berncot, fol. 3. 2. q Misn. Sota, c. 3. sect. 4. r Ubi supra. (Misn. Sota, c. 3. sect. 4.) s T. Bab. Sota, fol. 21. 2. t T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 3. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With their finger ( ). A picturesque proverb. They are taskmasters, not burden-bearers, not sympathetic helpers.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
4. For they bind heavy and intolerable burdens. He does not charge the scribes with oppressing and tyrannizing over souls by harsh and unjust laws; for, though they had introduced many superfluous ceremonies — as is evident from other passages — yet Christ does not at present refer to that vice, because his design is, to compare right doctrine with a wicked and dissolute life. That the Law of God should be called a heavy and intolerable burden is not wonderful, and more especially in reference to our weakness. But though the scribes required nothing but what God had enjoined, yet Christ reproves the stern and rigid manner of teaching which was usually followed by those proud hypocrites, who authoritatively demand from others what they owe to God, and are rigorous in enforcing duties, and yet indolently dispense with the performance of what they so strictly enjoin on others, and allow themselves to do whatever they please. In this sense Ezekiel (Eze 34:4) reproaches them for ruling with sternness and rigor. For those who truly fear God, though they sincerely and earnestly endeavor to bring their disciples to obey Him, yet as they are more severe towards themselves than towards others, they are not so rigid in exacting obedience, and, being conscious of their own weakness, kindly forgive the weak. But it is impossible to imagine any thing that can exceed the insolence in commanding, or the cruelty, of stupid despisers of God, because they give themselves no concern about the difficulty of doing those things from which they relieve themselves; and therefore no man will exercise moderation in commanding others, unless he shall first become his own teacher. (91)
(91) “ Si premierement il ne se regle luy-mesme, et s’assul jetit aux mesmes choses qu’il commande;” — “if he do not first rule himself, and submit to the same things which he commands.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Heavy burdens.The thought was involved in our Lords call to the heavy laden, in the words that spoke of His own burden as light (Mat. 11:28; Mat. 11:30). Here it finds distinct expression. That it appealed to the witness which mens hearts were bearing, secretly or openly, we see from St. Peters confession in Act. 15:10.
They themselves will not move . . .The rigorous precepts, the high-flown morality were for others, not themselves. Professing to guide, they neither helped nor sympathised with the troubles of those they taught. (Comp. Rom. 2:17-23.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Heavy burdens and grievous to be borne Namely, the unauthorized traditional observances which they impose. These our Lord repudiates in pointed terms. In binding these burdens, the scribes do not sit in Moses’ seat. They sit in their own seat, and deliver worthless and dead dogmas. Move them with one of their fingers They are physicians who will not take their own medicines. Surely the most unscrupulous supporter of ecclesiastical succession will not claim that our Lord meant that such burdens should be carried by the backs of his own followers. On the contrary, he expressly taught his disciples to disregard the prescription of washing the hands, as a ritual observance, before they eat, although required by scribes who professedly sat in Moses’ seat.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
a “And they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,
b And lay them on the shoulders of men,
a But they themselves will not move them with their finger.”
For this is an expose of the Scribes and Pharisees. They are revealed as binding grievously heavy burdens on men, and making very little effort to help them carry them. They laid on men heavy religious requirements, especially negative ones (‘binding’ was a word used for ensuring the enforcing negative commandments) which they themselves were able to observe because they had shaped their lives in a way that enabled them to do so, and on the whole had the resources. Indeed they had multiplied laws and expanded on them to such an extent that only an expert could really understand what was required. (Compare Mat 12:1-2). But they had taken no note of the problems of ordinary people who had to live their daily lives in situations very unlike theirs, and especially those whose occupations prevented them from being able to fit in with their requirements, and yet some of whose services they made abundant use of. Thus they wrote off such people as weavers (women’s work), tanners and dyers (constantly touching dead things), herdsmen and camel drivers (probably unscrupulous and dishonest, and necessarily not punctilious in religious observance), dung collectors (constantly ‘unclean’), bath attendants (undoubtedly immoral), public servants (traitors) and so on, as ‘sinners’, and as not worthy of consideration, because they not only failed to observe the requirements of the Law as laid down by them, but often could not. And they made no attempt to assist such people in their difficulties. They were simply seen by most as riffraff, to be mainly treated with contempt (see Mat 9:11). The Scribes and Pharisees thus found no difficulty in breaking bruised reeds and quenching smoking flax (see Mat 12:20). They simply thrust them to one side.
This was in direct contrast with those who took on themselves Jesus’ yoke, for they found that that yoke was ‘easy’ (straightforward and understandable) and the burden was ‘light’ (Mat 11:28-30), it did not ask of them the impossible. He did not ask of them narrow and detailed requirements connected with ritual which had to be performed in the right way in order to be meaningful, but rather asked of them what they could all achieve in their daily lives if they really wished to do so, by living their lives in love and righteousness. That is why His yoke was ‘easy’, not because it did not make demands (no one who has read the Sermon on the Mount could say that), but because it was clear and was applied in an atmosphere of love and forgiveness on those whose hearts were ready to respond. It was a glad and willing service in response to an all powerful love and compassion revealed towards them. They loved because He first loved them.
We should note here that the very reason that Jesus had spoken of His yoke, and of the lightness the burdens that He placed on men, was because His were in deliberate contrast to the difficult yoke (of their version of the Law) and the heavy burdens placed upon them by the Scribes and Pharisees, of which the people themselves were very much aware, and under which they groaned. Thus even those words in Mat 11:28-30 had contained an implicit condemnation of the Pharisees, and of the strictness of the synagogues in unnecessary matters.
‘Will not move them with their finger.’ This may have in mind the use of the fingers to help another to balance his pack, or the all too well known picture of an ass driver who piled on the load haphazardly and then did not bother to make his asses life easier by adjusting it with his fingers so as to spread the load, or it may simply mean ‘they will not lift even a finger to help them’. For they had worked out many ways of mitigating the harshest effects of the Laws on themselves, but they rarely bothered to enlighten the common people about these, or to assist them in their struggles of conscience with regard to them. They were good at saying ‘it is not lawful –’. They were not so good at saying, ‘consider this, it is not required’. Many in the crowds would have been nodding their agreement to this. They knew just how heavy they found the burdens heaped on them. Jesus would hardly have dared to say such things before the crowds had He not known that many of them would acknowledge them as true.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 23:4. For they bind heavy burdens It is well known that the Pharisees gloried in the exactness with which they obeyed the ceremonial part of the law. Nay, they carried matters so high, that, not content with the commandments which God had enjoined, they took upon them to prescribe a variety of traditionary precepts of their own invention. Therefore, if it was this kind of duties that our Lord meant, when he said they bind heavy burdens, &c. their zeal must have shewn itself chiefly in public: or, by the grievous burdens which the Pharisees bound up, may be understood the ceremonial precepts of the law; which are called grievous, not because they were reckoned so by the Pharisees. This interpretation agrees well with the character given of the precepts in question. They were delivered from Moses’ seat, that is to say, were taken out of the book of Moses; and the disciples were to observe and do them, which our Lord would by no means have ordained, had he been speaking of the traditionary precepts of the elders. Besides, in this light the character given of the Scribes and Pharisees is palpably just, namely, that they bound up heavy burdens, &c. For while they themselves neglected both the moral and ceremonial precepts of the divine law, as often as they coulddo it with secrecy, they wreathed the ceremonial precepts of it fast about the necks of the people, and would not give them the smallest respite from its most burdensome ceremonies on any occasion whatsoever. The words of our Lord allude to the practice of those who load and drive beasts of burden: they first make, or bind up their loads, then lay them on their backs, and, in driving them through bad roads, support the loads, and keep them steady by taking hold of them. Our Lord’s meaning, therefore, was, “They will neither bear these loads themselves, nor will they give the people the least respite from them, even in cases where it is due.” See Macknight.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 23:4 . Comp. Luk 11:46 .
In (see critical notes), the introduces an instance of their of a peculiarly oppressive character.
The binding (tying up into a bundle portions from the various elements, comp. Jdt 8:3 ) of heavy burdens is an expression intended to represent the connecting together of a number of requirements and precepts, so that, from their accumulation, they become difficult to fulfil.
, . . .] but are themselves indisposed to move them even with their finger , in the direction, that is, of their fulfilment. The emphasis rests on ; they will not move the burdens with their finger , far less would they bear them upon their shoulders .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Ver. 4. For they bind heavy burdens, &c. ] Their human traditions: so do the Popish doctors (heirs herein to the Pharisees, of whom this sermon is not more historical than of the other it is prophetic). The inferior clergy they make preach every day in Lent without intermission, throughout all Italy in the greater cities; so as six days in the week they preach on the Gospel of the days, and on the Saturday in honour and praise of our Lady. Whereas the pope and bishops preach not at all. So for the laity; they must fast with bread and water; when the priests have their suckers and other deserts three or four times on their mock fast days. What should we speak of their pilgrimages to Peru, Jerusalem, &c.; penances, satisfactions, &c.? And no man must question, but obey without questioning. Walter Mapes, sometime Archdeacon of Oxford, relating the pope’s gross simony, concludes, Sit tamen Domina materque nostra Roma baculus in aqua fractus, et absit credere quae vidimus. In things that make against our Lady Mother Rome, we may not believe our own eyes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4. ] The warning was, imitate them not for they do not themselves what they enjoin on others. And this verse must be strictly connected with Mat 23:3 . The then are not, as so often misinterpreted (even by Olshausen, i. 834), human traditions and observances, but the severity of the law , which they enforce on others, but do not observe (see Rom 2:21-23 ): answering to the of Mat 23:23 . The irksomeness and unbearableness of these rites did not belong to the Law in itself , as rightly explained, but were created by the rigour and ritualism of these men, who followed the letter and lost the spirit: ‘omnem operam impendebant (says Grotius) ritibus urgendis et ampliandis.’
. , not : the emphasis is not on the pronoun, but on the . As a general rule, when the pron. is simply reflexive, the smooth breathing should always be printed.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 23:4 illustrates the previous statement. , tc., they bind together, like sheaves, heavy backloads of rules. Think, e.g. , of the innumerable rules for Sabbath observance similar to that prohibiting rubbing ears of corn as work threshing. may be a spurious reading imported from Luk 11:46 , but it states a fact, and was doubtless used by Jesus on some occasion. It shows by the way that He had no thought of unqualified approval of the teaching of the scribes. . , on the shoulders, that they may feel the full weight, demanding punctual compliance. . , etc., they are not willing to move or touch them with a finger; proverbial (Elsner) for “will not take the smallest trouble to keep their own rules”. A strong statement pointing to the subtle ways of evading strict rules invented by the scribes. “The picture is of the merciless camel or ass driver who makes up burdens not only heavy, but unwieldy and so difficult to carry, and then placing them on the animal’s shoulders, stands by indifferent, raising no finger to lighten or even adjust the burden” (Carr, C. G. T.).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
For they bind, &c. By what they “bid you observe”. A further proof that “observe and do” is not the Lord’s command to carry these many burdens “grievous to be borne”.
on. = upon. Greek. epi.
men’s. Greek. anthropos. App-123.
will not move = do not choose to touch.
will. See App-102.
move. Much less bear.
their = their own.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] The warning was, imitate them not-for they do not themselves what they enjoin on others. And this verse must be strictly connected with Mat 23:3. The then are not, as so often misinterpreted (even by Olshausen, i. 834), human traditions and observances, but the severity of the law, which they enforce on others, but do not observe (see Rom 2:21-23): answering to the of Mat 23:23. The irksomeness and unbearableness of these rites did not belong to the Law in itself, as rightly explained, but were created by the rigour and ritualism of these men, who followed the letter and lost the spirit: omnem operam impendebant (says Grotius) ritibus urgendis et ampliandis.
. , not : the emphasis is not on the pronoun, but on the . As a general rule, when the pron. is simply reflexive, the smooth breathing should always be printed.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 23:4. , for they bind) This explains the words, They say and do not.- , heavy and grievous to be borne) epithets suitable to the doctrines of men.[986]–, shoulders-with the finger) There is an evident contrast intended between these words.-, to move) much less to bear. Scripture has an incomparable felicity in describing the inner characters of minds, of which the whole of this chapter affords a striking instance; see also Luk 12:16-17.
[986] Which both are not contained in the law, and are contrary to the law.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mat 23:23, Mat 11:28-30, Luk 11:46, Act 15:10, Act 15:28, Gal 6:13, Rev 2:24
Reciprocal: Gen 49:15 – bowed 1Ki 12:4 – our yoke 2Ch 10:4 – Thy father Lam 5:13 – fell Gal 5:1 – entangled 3Jo 1:9 – who loveth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:4
The scribes and Pharisees would apply the duties taught in the law in a severe measure when concerned with others. With one of their fingers is a figure of speech, for a burden that could be moved with one finger would not be very heavy. It means they were not willing to exert themselves in the least toward practicing the commandments of the law. One reason they took such an attitude was the fact that they exaggerated the duties actually required by the law in order to oppress the common people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers
[Heavy burdens.]…a heavy prohibition; Let him follow him that imposeth heavy things. There are reckoned up four-and-twenty things of the weighty things of the school of Hillel, and the light things of that of Shammai. “R. Joshua saith, A foolish religious man, a crafty wicked man; a she-pharisee, and the voluntary dashing of the Pharisees, destroy the world.” It is disputed by the Gemarists, who is that crafty wicked man; and it is answered by some, “He that prescribes light things to himself, and heavy to others.”
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 23:4. Yea they bind, etc. They so presented the correct law as to make its precepts heavy burdens, like loads, packs on beasts of burden (comp. Act 15:16). The reference is not simply to the traditions they added, but also to the mode of presenting the law itself, as demanding a servile obedience in minute details irrespective of the spirit of the commandment. Imposing such burdens, they did not in the least lighten them by spiritual precept or example. Lange: A fourfold rebuke: 1. they make religion a burden; 2. an intolerable burden; 3. they lay it upon the shoulders of others; 4. they leave it untouched themselves, i.e., they have no idea of fulfilling these precepts in spirit and in truth.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
These heavy burdens which the Pharisees laid upon the people’s shoulders, were counsels and directions, rules and canons, austerities and severities, which the Pharisees introduced and imposed upon their hearers, but would not undergo the least part of those severities themselves. If we do not follow our own counsels, we must not think to oblige others what he is unwilling to perform himself. It is very sinful to give that counsel to others, which we refuse to take ourselves.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 23:4. For they bind heavy burdens Not only insisting upon the most minute circumstances of the ceremonial law, called a yoke, Act 15:10; and pressing the observation of them with more strictness and severity than God himself did; but by adding to his word, and imposing their own inventions and traditions under the highest penalties: witness their many additions to the law of the sabbath, by which they made that day a burden, which was designed to be a joy and delight: but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers They press upon the people a strictness in religion which they themselves will not be bound by, but secretly transgress their own traditions, which they publicly enforce.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
23:4 {2} For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men’s shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their fingers.
(2) For the most part hypocrites most severely exact those things which they themselves chiefly neglect.