SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:4
Porque atan cargas pesadas y difíciles de llevar, y las ponen sobre los hombros de los hombres; mas ni aun con su dedo las quieren mover.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:4
Verse 4. They bind heavy burdens] They are now so corrupt that they have added to the ceremonies of the law others of their own invention, which are not only burdensome and oppressive, but have neither reason, expediency, nor revelation, to countenance them. In a word, like all their successors in spirit to the present day, they were severe to others, but very indulgent to themselves.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. For they bind heavy burdens , etc.] Meaning not the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses, circumcision, and other rituals, which obliged to the keeping of the whole law, which was a yoke men were not able to bear; but the traditions of the elders, which the Scribes and Pharisees were very tenacious of, and very severely enjoined the observance of, and are called their heavy things f1223 . It is a tradition of R. Ishmael, there are in the words of the law, that, which is bound or forbidden, and that which is loose or free; and there are in them light things, and there are in them heavy things; but the words of the Scribes, h yrwmj lwk , all of them are heavy. And a little after, the words of the elders, yrwmj , are heavier than the words of the prophets.
Hence frequent mention is made of the light things of the school of Shammai, yrmwjmw , and of the heavy things of the school of Hillell f1224 two famous doctors, heads of two universities, in being in Christs time: these are also called, ywrp twkm , the blows, or wounds of the Pharisees f1225 ; not as Bartenora explains them, the wounds they gave themselves, to show their humility; or which they received, by beating their heads against the wall, walking with their eyes shut, that they might not look upon women, under a pretence of great chastity; but, as Maimonides says, these are their additions and heavy things, which they add to the law.
Now the binding of these heavy things, means the imposing them on men, obliging them to observe them very strictly, under great penalties, should they omit them. The allusion is, to those frequent sayings in use among them, such a thing is bound, and such a thing is loosed; such a Rabbi binds, and such an one looses; that is, forbids, or allows of such and such things; (see Gill on Matthew 16:19). and grievous to be borne . This clause is left out in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; but is in all the Greek copies, and serves to illustrate and aggravate the burdensome rites and institutions of these people: and lay them on mens shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers : the sense is, not that they were so rigid and hardhearted, that they would not move a finger to remove these burdens from the shoulders of men, or ease them in the least degree, or dispense with their performance of them in the least measure, upon any consideration, though this also was true in many respects; but that they were so slothful and indolent themselves, that though they strictly enjoined the observance of their numerous and unwritten traditions on the people, yet in many cases, where they could without public notice, they neglected them themselves, or at least, made them lighter and easier to them, as in their fastings, etc. In the Misna f1226 , mention is made of a crafty wicked man, along with a woman Pharisee, and the blows of the Pharisees before spoken of; and in the Gemara f1227 , is explained by R. Hona, of one, that makes things light for himself, and makes them heavy for others.
Such crafty wicked men were Scribes and Pharisees; though R. Meir pretended that he made things light to others and heavy to himself f1228 .
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
δεσμευουσιν 1195 5719 V-PAI-3P γαρ 1063 CONJ φορτια 5413 N-APN βαρεα 926 A-APN και 2532 CONJ δυσβαστακτα 1419 A-APN και 2532 CONJ επιτιθεασιν 2007 5719 V-PAI-3P-ATT επι 1909 PREP τους 3588 T-APM ωμους 5606 N-APM των 3588 T-GPM ανθρωπων 444 N-GPM τω 3588 T-DSM δε 1161 CONJ δακτυλω 1147 N-DSM αυτων 846 P-GPM ου 3756 PRT-N θελουσιν 2309 5719 V-PAI-3P κινησαι 2795 5658 V-AAN αυτα 846 P-APN
Robertson's NT Word Studies
23:4 {With their finger} (twi daktulwi autwn). A picturesque proverb. They are taskmasters, not burden-bearers, not sympathetic helpers.
