# Matthew 23.3
**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95
## Immediate context (±2 verses)
**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 1. Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2. saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat:
>
> **3. all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.**
>
> 4. Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. 5. But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, (Matthew 23:1-5, ASV)
**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2. saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat.
>
> **3. All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.**
>
> 4. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. 5. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, (Matthew 23:1-5, WEB)
**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 1. Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
>
> **3. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.**
>
> 4. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, phylacteries: pieces of parchment containing sentences of the law (Matthew 23:1-5, KJV)
**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 1. Then Jesus spake to the multitudes, and to his disciples, 2. saying, 'On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees;
>
> **3. all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not;**
>
> 4. for they bind together burdens heavy and grievous to be borne, and lay upon the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them. 5. 'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, (Matthew 23:1-5, YLT)
## Setting
- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_
## Theological reading
_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._
## Key words
_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
## Quoted in
**Concepts:**
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 23](/codex/matthew-23/)
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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_
## Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.