• Matthew 23:1-4 Jesus fingers the talk about works
•  Matthew 23:5 Broad prison boxes and head shackles (this page)
• Matthew 23:6-12 Taking it to the birds
• Matthew 23:13-23 Woe to the hypocrites
• Matthew 23:24 So far as the net gain of a gnat into a canopy
• Matthew 23:25-26 Cleaning the cup and bowl
• Matthew 23: 27-32 Measured with the white tombs
• Matthew 23:33-36 Prophets and wise ones and scribes
• Matthew 23:37-39 Seeing the big house as it is



More: Matthew

The ancient Greek word "θεάομαι" ≈ "view, watch, gaze, contemplate, review" which appears to be a play on words.

The ancient Greek word "δικαιοσύνη" ≈ "righteousness, justice" (grammatically feminine, important in two verses). The ancient Greek word "ἔμπροσθεν" ≈ "before, in front" and, in the case of time, "earlier"

Do not do your "righteousness" or "opinion" "before" or "in front of" men. Discuss:

• Is "doing" man's "righteousness" similar to "good works"?
• Is "doing" God's "righteousness" similar to "good works"?

Where should "good works" be done? How are you related to "good works"? Both of these previous verses use the Greek word for "before" or "in front of" to refer to a place and not at time.

More: Matthew 6:1-2 The right secret left with alms

The ancient Greek word "θεάομαι" ≈ "view, watch, gaze, contemplate, review".

The exact word used only two times in the GNT (Greek New Testament), both by Jesus in Matthew. There may be a play on words here.

The ancient Greek word "θεάομαι" ≈ "view, watch, gaze, contemplate, review". The exact word used only two times in the GNT, both by Jesus in Matthew. There may be a play on words here.

• "θέα" ≈ "view, sight".
• "θεάομαι" ≈ "view, watch, gaze, contemplate, review".
• "θεαθηναι" ≈ "be seen" (as used by Jesus).
• "Ἀθῆναι" ≈ "Athens" as a Greek goddess and the city visited and recorded by Paul. This word is the suffix of the word used by Jesus for "be seen".

The Greek goddess Athena, apparently named for the city of Athens, is often associated with "birds", usually the "owl" (nighttime bird of prey, perhaps pray) and "snakes" (serpents). Jesus will call the religious elite "snakes" and "vipers" in Matthew 23:33. This essentially calls them "fools" or "raca". Jesus does not have good things to say about "birds" who deceive and oppress others, using His name, for their own benefit (e.g., to be great).

The ancient Greek word "θεάομαι" ≈ "view, watch, gaze, contemplate, review".

Jesus then points out that they do this to be "seen" of men and obtain the praise of the world.

Some modern churches do this when they aim to "out love the world" (is this a high bar or a low bar) and to get the praise of the world. Jesus says the world will hate his followers because they hate him. How far can one go to get the praise of the world?

More: Equivocation deception between names and meanings

The ancient Greek word "πλατύς" ≈ "wide, flat, broad" and is related to the English words "flat", "platypus" (flat broad feet), "plateou", "plaza", etc. This is the same "broad" is the same word as the "broad" "way" to "destruction".

The modern Greek word "φυλακή" (fee-la-KEE) ≈ "watch, prison" from the ancient Greek word "φυλακή" ≈ "watch, prison" where "prison" was one way to be "watched". The Greek word is the source of the English word "prophylactic".


Jesus wants believers to "walk" in "righteousness" in the "sea" of "humanity" and be "fishers" of "men" and not "fishers" of "pigs" or "birds".

More: Matthew 14:21-36 The all in one boat fallacy and deception

More: Matthew 5:25-26 Adversarial agreement

The Greek translated as "altar" is also translated as "sanctuary" in some of the works of the early church fathers. The word comes from the Greek word for "kill" as in something "dead" that as "sacrificed".

Details are left as a future topic.

More: Matthew 5:23-24 Alterated gifts

The Greek word for "phylactery" has the word for "watch" or "prison" as in the place with the "altar" in the "house" or "temple".

• Why would a religious elite want to "enlarge" (e.g., wide area, plaza, etc.) their "box" that contains scripture texts? As a box, which sides would be made bigger? Would that make them look more important?
• Why would a religious elite want to "enlarge" (e.g., wide area, plaza, etc.) their "prison" (e.g., temple, alter, etc.) or "watch" (following)?

Discuss:

☐ Does a religious elite want to be "seen" by the outside public? How about at the "corners" of the "plaza"?
☐ Does a religious elite want to be "seen" by those in the inside "prison" or "watch" where they have a "captive" audience?

In a "prison", the "prisoners" are "watched". Those in the "prison" or "watch" are a "captive" audience so that those in control can be "seen".

The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison. Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881), author of Crime and punishment.

Russian: Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский (1821-1881)
Analogy: The best way to keep people separated (rooted up, loosed, judged) from the love of Christ is to not let them know they have separated themselves from the love of Christ. One way: Convince the people that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ. Therefore, they do not need to worry about anything.

Many are "happy" in the "abyss", "pit", "ditch", "wide area" as in better together, all in the same boat/vote, etc.

Discuss: Has has the modern cell phone become a prison?

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 1)

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 2)

More: Matthew 14:21-36 The all in one boat fallacy and deception

More: Blind goats and prison pits in Matthew

More: Matthew 10: 28-31 Taking care of the sparrows

The Greek for "fringes" is that of "wings". That is, the "borders" on the "wings" of the "garments".

The ancient Greek word "πτερύγιον" ≈ "fin, wing, etc.".

The ancient Greek word "κράσπεδα" ≈ "fringes, tassels, edges". This word in this exact form is used one time in the GNT be Jesus (here in this verse) and twice in one verse in Numbers in the LXX. Some play on word mental suggestions might be from the following.

• "κρας" ≈ "head, peak, summit".
• "κρᾶσις" ≈ "mixing, blending, combining" and is the source of the modern Greek word "κρασί" (kra-SEE) ≈ "wine" due to the "mixing" and "blending" nature of how the wine was produced.
• "πεδάω" ≈ "fetter, shackle, secure, hold in check, entrap".

Paraphrase: But all their works they do to be seen [as Athena, yes, Greek goddess of birds and snakes, etc.] of men. They widen (wide area) their phylacteries (prisons, sanctuaries) and make great the borders [head shackles].
The TR (Textus Receptus) adds "of their garments" which breaks the model.