SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:2
diciendo: Sobre la ctedra de Moiss se sentaron los escribas y los fariseos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:2
Verse 2. The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat] ekaqisan.-They sat there formerly by Divine appointment: they sit there now by Divine permission. What our Lord says here refers to their expounding the Scriptures, for it was the custom of the Jewish doctors to sit while they expounded the law and prophets, (chap. v. 1; Luke iv. 20-22,) and to stand up when they read them. By the seat of Moses, we are to understand authority to teach the law.
Moses was the great teacher of the Jewish people; and the scribes, &c., are here represented as his successors.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. Saying, the Scribes and Pharisees , etc.] The Persic version adds, the priests: but Christ does not here speak of the sanhedrim, or grand council of the nation, and of their legislative power; but of those that were the teachers of the people, and the interpreters of the law; and of those, who, though they corrupted the word with their glosses and traditions, yet retained some truth, and at least came nearer truth, than the Sadducees; who therefore are omitted, and only Scribes and Pharisees mentioned, who gave the literal and traditional sense of the Scriptures; of whom he says, they sit in Mosess seat : not that they were his successors in his office as a legislator and mediator; though the Persic version reads it, sit in the place and chair of Moses; but they read his law, and explained it to the people: this post and place, as yet, they kept in the office they were, and were to continue; and the people were to regard them so far as they spoke consistent with the law, until it had its full accomplishment in Christ. The allusion is not to the chairs in which the sanhedrim sat in trying and determining causes, but to those in which the doctors sat when they expounded the law; for though they stood up when they read the law, or the prophets, they sat down when they preached out of them: this custom of the synagogue was observed by our Lord; (see Luke 4:16,20).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - The scribes and Pharisees explained the law of Moses, and enforce obedience to it. They are charged with hypocrisy in religion. We can only judge according to outward appearance; but God searches the heart They made phylacteries. These were scrolls of paper or parchment wherein were written four paragraphs of the law, to be worn on their foreheads and left arms, Ex 13:2-10; 13:11-16; De 6:4-9; 11:13-21. The made these phylacteries broad, that they might be thought more zealou for the law than others. God appointed the Jews to make fringes upo their garments, Nu 15:38, to remind them of their being a peculia people; but the Pharisees made them larger than common, as if they wer thereby more religious than others. Pride was the darling, reigning sin of the Pharisees, the sin that most easily beset them, and which ou Lord Jesus takes all occasions to speak against. For him that is taugh in the word to give respect to him that teaches, is commendable; but for him that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up with it, is sinful How much is all this against the spirit of Christianity! The consisten disciple of Christ is pained by being put into chief places. But wh that looks around on the visible church, would think this was the spirit required? It is plain that some measure of this antichristia spirit prevails in every religious society, and in every one of ou hearts.
Greek Textus Receptus
λεγων 3004 5723 V-PAP-NSM επι 1909 PREP της 3588 T-GSF μωσεως 3475 N-GSM καθεδρας 2515 N-GSF εκαθισαν 2523 5656 V-AAI-3P οι 3588 T-NPM γραμματεις 1122 N-NPM και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM φαρισαιοι 5330 N-NPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Moses' seat (kaqedrav). Or chair, as Wyc., in allusion to the practice of teachers sitting.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
23:2 {Sit on Moses' seat} (epi tes mwusews kaqedras ekaqisan). The gnomic or timeless aorist tense, ekathisan, not the aorist "for" the perfect. The "seat of Moses" is a brief form for the chair of the professor whose function it is to interpret Moses. "The heirs of Moses' authority by an unbroken tradition can deliver _ex cathedra_ pronouncements on his teaching" (McNeile).
