Matthew 23:6

"But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,"

Key Reflection

This passage criticizes the Pharisees for seeking external validation through religious practices, such as making their phylacteries wide and their tassels prominent. Jesus highlights that these actions are motivated by a desire for public recognition rather than genuine devotion to God.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 6. The uppermost rooms at feasts. The word rooms, here, by no means expresses the meaning of the original. It would be correctly rendered the uppermost places or couches at feasts. To understand this it is necessary to remark, that the custom among the Jews was not to eat sitting, as we do, but reclining on couches. The table was made by three tables, raised like ours, and placed so as to form a square, with a clear space in the midst, and one end quite open.

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