Matthew 23 · Verse 25

Matthew 23:25

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Matthew 23:25, King James Version

Matthew 23:25 in other translations

BSBWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
WEB“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
ASVWoe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
YLT‘Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence.
DARBYWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
BBEA curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire.
WebsterWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

What does Matthew 23:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. within they are full of extortion--In Luke (Lu 11:39) the same word is rendered "ravening," that is, "rapacity."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 25. The cup and the platter. The drinking cup, and the dish containing food. The Pharisees were diligent in observing all the washings and oblations required by their traditions.

Full of extortion and excess. The outside appeared well. The inside was filled with the fruit of extortion, oppression, and wickedness. The meaning is, that though they took much pains to appear well, yet they obtained a living by extortion and crime. Their cups, neat as they appeared outward, were filled not with the fruits of honest industry, but were extorted from the poor by wicked arts. Instead of excess, many manuscripts and editions of the Greek Testament read wickedness.

(l) "for ye make" Mk 7:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 Ye make clean the outside - The Pharisees were exceedingly exact in observing all the washings and purifications prescribed by the law; but paid no attention to that inward purity which was typified by them. A man may appear clean without, who is unclean within; but outward purity will not avail in the sight of God, where inward holiness is wanting. Extortion and excess - 'Αρπαγης και ακρασιας, rapine and intemperance; but instead of ακρασιας, intemperance, many of the very best MSS., CEFGHKS, and more than a hundred others, the Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, Slavonic, with Chrysostom, Euthym., and Theophylact, have αδικιας injustice, which Griesbach has admitted into the text instead of ακρασιας. The latter Syriac has both. Several MSS. and versions have ακαθαρσιας, uncleanness; others have πλεονεξιας, covetousness; some have πονηριας, wickedness; and two of the ancients have iniquitate, iniquity. Suppose we put them all together, the character of the Pharisee will not be overcharged. They were full of rapine and intemperance, injustice and uncleanness, covetousness, wickedness, and iniquity.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 23:13-33

The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and form of godliness to be made a cloak to the greatest enormities. But dissembled piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party…

Read the full comment on Matthew 23:13-33 →

Matthew 23:25 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΟὐαὶOuaiWoeG3759
ὑμῖν,huminto you,G4771
γραμματεῖςgrammateisscribesG1122
καὶkaiandG2532
ΦαρισαῖοιPharisaioiPhariseesG5330
ὑποκριταί,hupokritaihypocrites!G5273
ὅτιhotiForG3754
καθαρίζετεkatharizeteyou cleanseG2511
τὸtotheG3588
ἔξωθενexōthenoutsideG1855
τοῦtouof theG3588
ποτηρίουpotērioucupG4221
καὶkaiandG2532
τῆςtēsof theG3588
παροψίδος,paropsidosdish,G3953
ἔσωθενesōtheninwardlyG2081
δὲdehoweverG1161
γέμουσινgemousinthey are fullG1073
ἐξexofG1537
ἁρπαγῆςharpagēsgreedG724
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀκρασίας.akrasiasself-indulgence.G192

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 23:25

  • Luke 11:39-40

    And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

  • Matthew 15:19-20

    For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

  • Isaiah 28:7-8

    But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

  • Mark 7:4-13

    And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
for.
15:19,20; Mr 7:4-13; Lu 11:39,40
full.
Isa 28:7,8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 23:24

    Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

  • Matthew 23:25

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

  • Matthew 23:26

    Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Read all of Matthew 23

Matthew 23:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¡Ay de vosotros, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas! porque limpiáis lo que está de fuera del vaso y del plato; mas de dentro están llenos de robo y de injusticia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Malheur à vous, scribes et pharisiens hypocrites! car vous nettoyez le dehors de la coupe et du plat; mais au-dedans, ils sont pleins de rapine et d’intempérance.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wehe euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, Heuchler! denn ihr reiniget das Äußere des Bechers und der Schüssel, inwendig aber sind sie voll von Raub und Unenthaltsamkeit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia mundatis quod deforis est calicis et paropsidis; intus autem pleni estis rapina et immunditia!