Matthew 23:13 ff. THE WOES. Lange compares these woes and the beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. This comparison follows the order of some ancient manuscripts, in placing Matthew 23:14 before Matthew 23:13. The best authorities leave out Matthew 23:14 altogether. It was probably inserted from Mark 12:40, and Luke 20:47. The variation in the order confirms this suspicion. If retained, Matthew 23:13 should come first, as the main charge including all the others. The omission leaves seven woes, a significant number.

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Old Testament