Matthew 23:3

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 2 Tim 3:5 : 5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.
  • Titus 1:16 : 16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
  • Exod 18:19-20 : 19 Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God; 20 warn them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.
  • Exod 18:23 : 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”
  • Deut 4:5 : 5 Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in the land you are about to enter and possess.
  • Deut 5:27 : 27 You go near so that you can hear everything the LORD our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”
  • Deut 17:9-9 : 9 You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict. 10 You must then do as they have determined at that place the LORD chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught. 11 You must do what you are instructed, and the verdict they pronounce to you, without fail. Do not deviate right or left from what they tell you. 12 The person who pays no attention to the priest currently serving the LORD your God there, or to the judge– that person must die, so that you may purge evil from Israel.
  • 2 Chr 30:12 : 12 In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict of the king and the officers in keeping with the LORD’s message.
  • Ps 50:16-20 : 16 God says this to the evildoer:“How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant? 17 For you hate instruction and reject my words. 18 When you see a thief, you join him; you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives. 19 You do damage with words, and use your tongue to deceive. 20 You plot against your brother; you slander your own brother.
  • Matt 15:2-9 : 2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them,“And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said,‘Honor your father and mother’ and‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say,‘If someone tells his father or mother,“Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” 6 he does not need to honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, 9 and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
  • Matt 21:30 : 30 The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,‘I will, sir,’ but did not go.
  • Acts 5:29 : 29 But Peter and the apostles replied,“We must obey God rather than people.
  • Rom 2:19-24 : 19 and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth– 21 therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! 24 For just as it is written,“the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
  • Rom 13:1 : 1 Submission to Civil Government Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Matt 23:4-7
    4 verses
    81%

    4They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.

    5They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.

    6They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues

    7and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them‘Rabbi.’

  • Matt 23:1-2
    2 verses
    77%

    1Seven Woes Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

    2“The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.

  • Matt 23:23-29
    7 verses
    75%

    23“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law– justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others.

    24Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!

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

    26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!

    27“Woe to you, experts in the law 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.

    28In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

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

  • Luke 6:46
    73%

    46“Why do you call me‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?

  • Matt 15:9-10
    2 verses
    73%

    9and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

    10True Defilement Then he called the crowd to him and said,“Listen and understand.

  • Mark 7:7-9
    3 verses
    73%

    7They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’

    8Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.”

    9He also said to them,“You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition.

  • Matt 7:12
    72%

    12In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.

  • Luke 11:41-44
    4 verses
    72%

    41But give from your heart to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you.

    42“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and every herb, yet you neglect justice and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others.

    43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces!

    44Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it!”

  • Matt 15:2-3
    2 verses
    71%

    2“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.”

    3He answered them,“And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

  • Luke 17:23
    71%

    23Then people will say to you,‘Look, there he is!’ or‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.

  • Mark 7:3
    71%

    3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders.

  • Deut 12:32
    71%

    32Idolatry and False Prophets(13:1) You must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it!

  • Col 3:23
    70%

    23Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people,

  • Matt 23:13
    70%

    13“But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.

  • Matt 15:7
    70%

    7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said,

  • Matt 6:1
    70%

    1Pure-hearted Giving“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

  • Lev 18:3
    70%

    3You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; you must not walk in their statutes.

  • Mark 7:13
    70%

    13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

  • Luke 3:13
    69%

    13He told them,“Collect no more than you are required to.”

  • Matt 23:15-16
    2 verses
    69%

    15“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!

    16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’

  • Luke 11:39
    69%

    39But the Lord said to him,“Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

  • Matt 22:18
    69%

    18But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said,“Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

  • Luke 20:46
    69%

    46“Beware of the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes, and they love elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

  • Mark 2:24
    69%

    24So the Pharisees said to him,“Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?”

  • Matt 5:20
    68%

    20For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!

  • Mark 10:3
    68%

    3He answered them,“What did Moses command you?”

  • Matt 23:32
    68%

    32Fill up then the measure of your ancestors!

  • Matt 16:12
    68%

    12Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

  • Luke 16:15
    68%

    15But Jesus said to them,“You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.

  • Matt 7:20
    68%

    20So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

  • Jas 1:22
    68%

    22But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.

  • Mark 12:38
    68%

    38Warnings About Experts in the Law In his teaching Jesus also said,“Watch out for the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces,