The word “woe” is a translation of the Greek word ouai ” which is an emotional expression of grief, regret, misfortune, or gracious distress. When used in context with Matthew 23, it means “alas” or almost like “oh no!” signifying impending doom, condemnation or the wrath of God.

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The Life and
Ministry of
Jesus Christ
Lesson 7: The Seven Woes Against the Scribes
and Pharisees
Presenter: Bro Damaine Franklin
Bible Way Apostolic Church
B I B L E S T U D Y S E R I E S
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The Seven WoesAgainst The Scribe & Pharisees
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Definitions of Terms
 Hypocrites:
 Hypocrites are merely actors who pretend to be something they aren't; as a
result, when used religiously, this term has come to refer to individuals who
pretend to be something they aren't whether consciously or not.

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The Seven WoesAgainst The Scribe & Pharisees
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Definitions of Terms
 Woe:
 The word “woe” is a translation of the Greek word “ouai” which an
emotional expression of grief, regret, misfortune, or gracious distress.
When used in context with Matthew 23, it means “alas” or almost like “oh
no!” signifying impending doom, condemnation or the wrath of God.
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The Seven WoesAgainst The Scribe & Pharisees
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Woe # 1: Keeping people out of Gods Kingdom (vs.13)
 How were the Pharisee able to shut up the kingdom of heaven against men?
1. By forbidding the Apostles from preaching the gospel and the message of
the Kingdom (1 Thess 2:16).
2. By taking away the key to knowledge (see Luke 11:52). And teaching false
doctrine (Mat 15:7 -9)

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Woe # 2: Taking Advantage of Widows (vs. 14)
 The Scribes and Pharisees were characterized as hypocrites mainly because:
1. They publicly uttered lengthy prayers with the wrong motives Jesus spoke
of them in (Mat 6:5) also in ( 1 Thess. 2:5), the apostle Paul describe them
as men who uses religion as a clock to cover their covetousness.
2. Their injustice towards the poor and vulnerable (Mark 12:41-44). Instead of
doing what is written in the law (Ex. 22:22) they purposely exploited it.
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Woe # 3: Misleading Men into Eternal Destruction (vs. 15):
 Key terms and phrases
 Proselytes: A proselyte is a new convert, especially someone who has
recently switched from one religion to another.
 Twice the son of Hell: These were gentile or Jewish men who converted
to Judaism and became members of the Pharisees' order. (see Rom 10:2).

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Woe # 4: Covetous of worldly things (vs.16-22).
 Key terms and phrases:
 Blind guides: In this passage, Jesus explains that the scribes and Pharisees
place a greater emphasis on gold and gifts than on the temple or the altar.
This was a means of manipulating people to take advantage of their giving
which is another way of extortion.
 The situation was getting worse sing the blind was create more blind in an
unending cycle (Matt15:14).
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Woe # 4: Covetous of worldly things (vs.16-22). - continued
 Key terms and phrases:
 Fools: These scribes and Pharisees were so self-righteous and ignorant that
they were able to wrong others while maintaining their reputation. (they
were blind to the fact).

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Woe # 5: Refusing to show compassion (vs. 23-24)
 The 5th woe highlights what was truly expected of the scribes and Pharisees.
 In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel asked the question: What is more pleasing to
the Lord?
 In Micah 6:6-8 Prophet Micah once said to Israel, What can we bring to the
Lord to make up for what we've done?
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Woe # 6: Inwardly corrupt (vs. 25-28)
 Key terms and phrases:
 The cup and plater: The reference to the cup and platter points to two
things:
1. The scribe and Pharisees were more concerned with a ceremoniously
clean vessel than what went into it.
2. It was an illustration of their spiritual condition according to (vs.28)

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Woe # 6: Inwardly corrupt (vs. 25-28) – continued
 Key terms and phrases:
 Whited Sepulchers: This was yet another example of describing the
spiritual state of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus may have used this
illustration because it was the Passover season at the time. To prevent
pilgrims to Jerusalem from accidentally defiling themselves by touching a
place where the bodies of the dead were buried, tombs were painted
white.
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Woe # 6: Inwardly corrupt (vs. 25-28) – continued
 Key terms and phrases:
 Whited Sepulchers: In Luke 11:44 Jesus put it this way: How terrible it
will be for you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over
them without knowing the corruption they're stepping on.
 Paul called the high priest Ananias a whitewashed wall in Acts 23:3 because
he sat in judgment of Paul while at the same time having him beaten
against the law

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Woe # 6: Inwardly corrupt (vs. 25-28) – continued
 Key terms and phrases:
 Whited Sepulchers: Whitewashing wasn't a mark of beauty; it was a
warning of uncleanness—of being dead as these men were to God, which
explains why Jesus warned His disciples to avoid Herod (Mark 8:15) as well
as the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mat. 16:6 & 12).
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Woe # 7: Afflicting the righteous (vs. 29-33)
 The hypocrisy Jesus addressed in the seventh woe was directed to those who
erected monuments and decorated the tombs of the prophets of old. Jesus
points out that those prophets had been slain by the Pharisees’ own ancestors.
They imagined themselves much better than their fathers, saying, “If we had
lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in
shedding the blood of the prophets” (Matthew 23:30).

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Woe # 7: Afflicting the righteous (vs. 29-33)
 But in that very statement they acknowledged their lineage: Jesus says they
were truly their fathers’ sons; they had inherited their ancestors’ wickedness
and were following in their steps. Jesus knew their evil hearts, which would
soon plot to murder Him (Matthew 26:4) just as their ancestors had murdered
the righteous men of old.
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The End
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References
1. Oxford Bibliographies https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-
9780195393361/obo-9780195393361-0186.xml
2. Jewish Learning https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-sects/
3. Oxford Biblical Studies http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/opr/t94/e1462
4. Who Were the Pharisees? The Beginner’s Guide https://overviewbible.com/pharisees/