Matthew 23:6

“And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, etc.] Or the first and chief places to sit, or lie down on, at ordinary meals, and especially at large entertainments, where the great ones sat, as in (<090922>1 Samuel 9:22) where Jarchi on the place observes, that by the manner of their sitting, it was known who was the greatest; and this the Scribes and Pharisees affected. With the Romans, the most honourable place was at the upper end of the table: some think it was more honourable to sit in the middle, but the master of the feast sat at the lower end; and to senior men, and who were venerable with age, or excelled in prudence and authority, the first sitting down, and the more honourable place,…”

“And love the uppermost rooms at feasts--The word "room" is now obsolete in the sense here intended. It should be "the uppermost place," that is, the place of highest honor. and the chief seats in the synagogues. See on Luk 14:7-8.”

“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. Around these tables were placed cushions capable of containing three or more persons. On these the guests reclined, leaning on their left side, with their feet extended from the table, and so lying that the head of one naturally…”

“23:6 The seats of honor in the synagogues were near the scrolls of the Torah and facing the congregation.”

“Mat 20:21; Pro 25:6, Pro 25:7; Mar 12:38, Mar 12:39; Luk 11:43-54, Luk 14:7-11, Luk 20:46, Luk 20:47; Rom 12:10; Jam 2:1-4; Jo3 1:9 Matthew 23:7”