Matthew 9:11

9:11 When the Pharisees ¹  saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ² 

Matthew 9:14

The Superiority of the New

9:14 Then John’s ³  disciples came to Jesus ⁴  and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees ⁵  fast often, ⁶  but your disciples don’t fast?”

Matthew 12:2

12:2 But when the Pharisees ⁷  saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.”

Matthew 12:24

12:24 But when the Pharisees ⁸  heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, ⁹  the ruler ¹⁰  of demons!”

Matthew 19:3

19:3 Then some Pharisees ¹¹  came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful ¹²  to divorce a wife for any cause?” ¹³ 

Matthew 23:25

23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law ¹⁴  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

Matthew 23:27

23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law ¹⁵  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. ¹⁶ 

Matthew 23:29

23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law ¹⁷  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You ¹⁸  build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves ¹⁹  of the righteous.

[9:11]  ¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[9:11]  ² sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.

[9:14]  ³ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[9:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:14]  ⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[9:14]  ⁶ sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

[12:2]  ⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[12:24]  ⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[12:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”

[12:24]  ⁹ tn Or “prince.”

[19:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “And Pharisees.”

[19:3]  ¹⁰ tc ‡ Most mss have either ἀνθρώπῳ (anqrwpw, “for a man” [so א² C D W Θ 087 Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt]) or ἀνδρί (andri, “for a husband” [1424^c pc]) before the infinitive ἀπολῦσαι (apolusai, “to divorce”). The latter reading is an assimilation to the parallel in Mark; the former reading may have been motivated by the clarification needed (especially to give the following αὐτοῦ [autou, “his”] an antecedent). But a few significant mss (א* B L Γ 579 [700] 1424* pc) have neither noun. As the harder reading, it seems to best explain the rise of the others. NA²⁷, however, reads ἀνθρώπῳ here.

[19:3]  ¹¹ sn The question of the Pharisees was anything but sincere; they were asking it to test him. Jesus was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea and beyond the Jordan) and it is likely that the Pharisees were hoping he might answer the question of divorce in a way similar to John the Baptist and so suffer the same fate as John, i.e., death at the hands of Herod (cf. 14:1-12). Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic custom and the debate over Deut 24:1, but rather from the account of creation and God’s original design.

[23:25]  ¹¹ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:27]  ¹³ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:27]  ¹⁴ sn This was an idiom for hypocrisy – just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (for discussion of a similar metaphor, see L&N 88.234; BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). See Deut 28:22; Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:3.

[23:29]  ¹⁵ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:29]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated.

[23:29]  ¹⁷ tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75-76).