Matthew 23:16

“Woe unto you, you blind guides, etc.] Meaning the same persons, the Scribes and Pharisees, as before, though not named, who pretended to be “guides of the blind”, ( <450219>Romans 2:19) but were them selves blind, and so very unfit to be guides of others; they were as they were born, ignorant of divine things, of God in Christ, of the true Messiah, of the true meaning of the Scriptures, of the spirituality of the law, and of the Gospel of Christ; and the way of salvation by him; and their minds were blinded by the God of this world, and with a greedy, and insatiable covetousness after the things of it, of which Christ here gives an instance: which say, whosoever shall swear by the temple, it…”

“Woe unto you, ye blind guides--Striking expression this of the ruinous effects of erroneous teaching. Our Lord, here and in some following verses, condemns the subtle distinctions they made as to the sanctity of oaths--distinctions invented only to promote their own avaricious purposes. which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing--He has incurred no debt. but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple--meaning not the gold that adorned the temple itself, but the Corban, set apart for sacred uses (see on Mat 15:5). he is a debtor!--that is, it is no longer his own, even though the necessities of the parent might require it. We know who the successors of these men are.…”

“Whosoever shall swear ... - See the notes at Matthew 5:33-37. The temple - See the notes at Matthew 21:12. It is nothing - It amounts to nothing - it is not binding. The gold of the temple - Either the golden vessels in the temple - the candlestick, etc.; or the gold with which the doors and other parts of the temple were covered; or the gold in the treasury. This, it seems, they considered far more sacred than any other part of the temple, but it is not known why. He is a debtor - He is bound to keep his oath. He is guilty if he violates it. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Wo to you, ye blind guides - Before he had styled them hypocrites, from their personal character: now he gives them another title, respecting their influence upon others. Both these appellations are severely put together in Mat 23:23 and Mat 23:25; and this severity rises to the height in Mat 23:33. The gold of the temple - The treasure kept there. He is bound - To keep his oath. Matthew 23:20”

“23:16-22 The religious leaders declared certain oaths less binding in order to commit fraud. Jesus calls for honest fulfillment of commitments (see 5:33-37).”

“ye blind: Mat 23:17, Mat 23:19, Mat 23:24, Mat 23:26, Mat 15:14; Isa 56:10, Isa 56:11; Joh 9:39-41 Whosoever shall swear by the temple: Mat 5:33, Mat 5:34; Jam 5:12 it is: Mat 15:5, Mat 15:6; Mar 7:10-13 he is: Gal 5:3 Matthew 23:17”