Matthew 23:4
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They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them--"touch them not" (Luk 11:46). with one of their fingers--referring not so much to the irksomeness of the legal rites, though they were irksome enough (Act 15:10), as to the heartless rigor with which they were enforced, and by men of shameless inconsistency.
Open source ↗23:4 unbearable religious demands: There were 613 legal prohibitions and commands, according to the rabbis (see 11:28-30; Acts 15:10, 28). • never lift a finger: The religious leaders were unwilling to consider relaxing traditional legal statutes.
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
“Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “You weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.
Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you.
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: