Matthew 23:2
New International Version
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

New Living Translation
“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.

English Standard Version
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,

Berean Standard Bible
“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

Berean Literal Bible
saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down on Moses' seat;

King James Bible
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

New King James Version
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

New American Standard Bible
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses.

NASB 1995
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

NASB 1977
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

Legacy Standard Bible
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

Amplified Bible
saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];

Christian Standard Bible
“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.

American Standard Version
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to them:”The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the throne of Moses.”

Contemporary English Version
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.

English Revised Version
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"The scribes and the Pharisees teach with Moses' authority.

Good News Translation
"The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses' Law.

International Standard Version
"The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses,

Literal Standard Version
saying, “On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees;

Majority Standard Bible
“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

New American Bible
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.

NET Bible
"The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.

New Revised Standard Version
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat;

New Heart English Bible
saying, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.

Webster's Bible Translation
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat.

Weymouth New Testament
"The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.

World English Bible
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.

Young's Literal Translation
saying, 'On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 33:3
Surely You love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand, and they sit down at Your feet; each receives Your words--

Ezra 7:6
this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.

Ezra 7:25
And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates--all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them.

Nehemiah 8:4
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Matthew 23:3
So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.


Treasury of Scripture

Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

Nehemiah 8:4-8
And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam…

Malachi 2:7
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Mark 12:38
And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

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Authority Chair Law Moses Moses's Pharisees Sat Scribes Seat Seated Sit Teachers Themselves
Matthew 23
1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5. His disciples must beware of their ambition.
13. He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness,
34. and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem.














(2) The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.--The words were probably spoken of their collective action as represented in the Sanhedrin, rather than of their individual work as interpreters of the Law. As such, they claimed to be the authoritative exponents of the Law, and our Lord recognises (unless we suppose a latent protest in His words, like that which is veiled in the "full well ye reject" of Mark 7:9) their official claim to reverence.

Verses 2-12. - The moral character of the scribes and Pharisees, and warning to Christ's disciples. Verse 2. - The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. In the seat of the great judge and lawgiver. This is stated as an undoubted fact (ἐκάθισαν), with no idea of blame attached. Literally, sat on the seat of Moses from time immemorial. These (meaning not individuals, but the collective body) are the authorized expounders and teachers of the Law; their position is assured; they are not to be displaced. The scribes were the party chiefly denoted; they were of the Pharisaical sect; hence the addition, "and the Pharisees," by which is intimated, not that these latter, qua Pharisees, had any teaching office, but that the former shared their religious opinions. The Sadducees seem to have had no popular influence, and were never recognized as leaders. The Levitical priests never appear in the Gospels as teachers or expositors of the Mosaic system; this function of theirs had devolved upon scribes and lawyers.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“The
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

scribes
γραμματεῖς (grammateis)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1122: From gramma. A writer, i.e. scribe or secretary.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Pharisees
Φαρισαῖοι (Pharisaioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: Of Hebrew origin; a separatist, i.e. Exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary.

sit
ἐκάθισαν (ekathisan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2523: Another form for kathezomai; to seat down, i.e. Set; intransitively, to sit; figuratively, to settle.

in
Ἐπὶ (Epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

Moses’
Μωϋσέως (Mōuseōs)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3475: Or Moses, or Mouses of Hebrew origin; Moseus, Moses, or Mouses, the Hebrew lawgiver.

seat.
καθέδρας (kathedras)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2515: A seat, chair. From kata and the same as hedraios; a bench.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 23:2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sat (Matt. Mat Mt)
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