Matthew 23:13 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

But wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites— The above discourse against the Scribes and Pharisees was pronounced in the hearing of many of the order; they were therefore greatly incensed, and watched for an opportunity to destroyJesus: but it was not a time for him now to conceal from them any necessary reproof, this being the last sermon that he was ever to preach in public. It was necessary to use violent remedies, especially as gentle medicines had hitherto proved ineffectual; wherefore, with a kind of severity he threatened them in the most aweful and solemn manner, denouncing dreadful woes against them, not on account of the personal injuries they had done him, although they were many, but on account of their excessive wickedness. They were public teachers of religion,who abused every mark and character of goodness to all the purposes of villany. Under the grimace of a severe and sanctified air, they were malicious, implacable, lewd, covetous, and rapacious; in a word, instead of being reformers, they were corrupters of mankind; so that their wickedness being of the very worst sort, it deserved the sharpest rebuke that could be given. Our Lord pronounced eight blessings upon the mount; here he pronounced eight woes; not as imprecations, but solemn compassionate declarations of the misery which these stubborn sinners were bringing upon themselves. The reasons, why these woes were denounced against the Scribes, are set forth in the subsequent verses, 1. The first is, because they shut up the kingdom of heaven from men, by taking away the key of knowledge, (Luke 11:52.) or the right interpretation of the ancient prophesies concerning the Messiah, by their example and authority; for theyboth rejected Jesus themselves, and excommunicated those who believed in him; in short, by doing all they could to hinder the people from repenting of their sins and believing the Gospel. Dr. Moore, with great propriety, observes, that the word hypocrites, υποκριται, in its most exact application, signifies players, who, according to the unnatural custom of the ancients, acted a part under a mask. See his Theological Works, p. 293. Vitringas' Observ. Sacr. and the note on chap. 6: