And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Parallel translations
- WEB and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
- BSB They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
- NKJV They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
- NASB And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues,
- NLT And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They crave the seats of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues. It exposes a love of status that corrupts religious leadership.
Overview
The Pharisees delighted in public recognition and prestige. Their hunger for honor revealed hearts set on self rather than on serving God and others. Jesus, by contrast, took the lowest place, washing his disciples' feet and giving his life, showing that greatness in God's kingdom is found in humble service.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 3 Jn 1:9I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
- Mark 12:38–39And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
- Luke 11:43–54Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
- Luke 14:7–11And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
- Prov 25:6–7Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
- Jas 2:1–4My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
- Luke 20:46–47Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
- Rom 12:10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
- Matt 20:21And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 23:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.