Translation commentary on Matthew 23:2

Scribes and Pharisees were discussed at 2.4 and 3.7 respectively.

Those who sit on Moses’ seat are those who have “official authority” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible (footnote)), and so Good News Translation defines them as “the authorized interpreters of Moses’ Law.” As one commentator points out, the metaphor may have been derived from the existence of “an actual stone seat in front of the synagogue where the authoritative teacher (usually a scribe) sat.” But in any case the words of Jesus reflect the claim of the Pharisees that Moses, the ultimate authority, “can be understood only as interpreted by the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.” In the Mishnah, which preserves much of the Jewish oral teaching, the chain of command is stated in the following way: “Moses received the Law from Sinai and committed it to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the Prophets; and the Prophets committed it to the men of the Great Synagogue.” Most English translations prefer a literal representation of the text, but at least two are dynamic: “have inherited the authority of Moses” (Barclay) and “speak with the authority of Moses” (Phillips). Translators should also consider “have the right (or, authority) to interpret the Law of Moses (for others).”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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