Matthew 23:14

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

KJV Reading Defended

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Why the KJV Reading Is Retained

Modern editions often omit Matthew 23:14 or weigh the placement/order of the parallel material in Mark and Luke as part of the evidence.

Disputed unit

Two coupled questions: presence of the verse, and its position relative to the woe now numbered 13.

Short omitted phraseMajority Greek supportPatristic supportSyriac supportLatin supportScant evidence against KJV

Evidence assessment

The verse stands in Washingtonianus, Sangallensis, 0102, 0107, 0233, Family 13, twelve further minuscules and the Byzantine tradition, and Chrysostom quotes and expounds it. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae, Regius and several early versions omit it. Its placement also varies: some witnesses put it after the woe now numbered 13, others before it.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and Syriac support with fourth-century patristic quotation

King James Bible reading

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Open in Research Desk

Evidence sources

Where the evidence on this page comes from.

Sources used for the witnesses, readings, dates, and notes on this page. Complete citations appear in the References section at the end of the page.

Governing apparatus and count scope

Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.

Full witness information

Earliest KJV-supporting evidence

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

AD 310–367 — Hilary of Poitiers. Hilary’s use establishes fourth-century circulation of the verse.

Earliest surviving Greek support: Fifth century — Codex W.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and Syriac support with fourth-century patristic quotation

The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.

Majority Text standing

Presence of the verse

The presence of Matthew 23:14 is the numerical Majority Text reading in the Greek tradition.

Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,400 to 1,600 Greek manuscripts

Unit qualification: This majority claim concerns the verse's presence. Its exact position relative to the preceding woe is a separate unit, and the Byzantine order is not identical to the KJV order in every witness.

This is a conservative working estimate based on the published Majority or Byzantine designation and the approximate number of continuous-text manuscripts that preserve the book. Lacunae and collation scope make the exact denominator vary by verse.

Source scope and denominator

Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.

Greek support in the cited corpus

17 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition in Willker's apparatus

Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus

8 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1

Lectionary evidence

No specific lectionary support listed.

Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot

Codex Sinaiticus (01)
Codex Vaticanus (03)
Codex Bezae (05)
Codex Regius (019)

Evidence represented on this page

Greek manuscripts

Represented

Ancient versions

Represented

Church fathers

Represented

Printed editions

No entry listed

Complete source-scoped roster

Complete roster within the stated source scope.

This roster preserves every named or grouped state recovered in the governing sources, including exact readings, competing readings, corrections, related forms, lacunae, versions, and aggregate traditions. When Maj or Byz appears on the KJV side, it marks the numerically dominant Greek transmission at that unit. The green Majority Text card above supplies the best available passage-specific estimate. The grouped siglum is then retained so it is not mistaken for one individual manuscript.

Apparatus and roster scope

Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.

Greek support in cited scope: 17 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition in Willker's apparatus
Greek competing evidence in cited scope: 8 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1
Evidence classification: Byzantine and Syriac support with fourth-century patristic quotation

Presence of the verse

KJV/TR unit: οὐαὶ δὲ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι, ὑποκριταί, ὅτι κατεσθίετε τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν…

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

032 036 037 0102 0107 0233 22 28 157 372 565 579 700 892C 1071 1241 1424

Grouped evidence: Family 13 · Byz

Old Latin and Vulgate

Supports the KJV/TR form

b (VL4) c (VL6) f (VL10) ff2 (VL8) h (VL12) l (VL11) r1 (VL14)

Grouped evidence: some Vulgate manuscripts

Syriac and Coptic

Supports the KJV/TR form

Curetonian Peshitta Harklean Christian-Palestinian-Aramaic Bohairic-manuscripts

Greek manuscripts

Competing reading

01 03 05 019 035 038 33 892*

Grouped evidence: Family 1 · further manuscripts cited collectively

Old Latin and Vulgate

Competing reading

a (VL3) aur (VL15) d (VL5) e (VL2) ff1 (VL9) g1 (VL7)

Grouped evidence: principal Vulgate text

Syriac, Coptic and other versions

Competing reading

Sinaitic Christian-Palestinian-Aramaic-manuscript Sahidic Bohairic-strand mae-1 mae-2 Armenian Georgian

Lacunose

Non-directional evidence

04

Position relative to the woe now numbered 13

KJV/TR unit: verse 13 then verse 14

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

after verse 13

0233 2C 372

Grouped evidence: Family 13 · some further Greek manuscripts

Old Latin, Syriac and Coptic

Supports the KJV/TR form

after verse 13

Grouped evidence: Old Latin witnesses in this order · selected Syriac · selected Bohairic

Greek manuscripts

Related or qualified evidence

before verse 13

032 036 037 0102 0107 579 700 892C 2737

Grouped evidence: Byz

Old Latin, Syriac and Coptic

Related or qualified evidence

before verse 13

f (VL10) Peshitta Harklean Bohairic-strand

Church Fathers and literary witnesses

Precisely located citations and additional names reported by the controlling apparatus are kept separate. An apparatus-level attribution is not presented as an independently verified exact quotation.

Hilary of Poitiers

AD 310–367

Gaul

Apparatus-level attribution

Supporting witnessCitation type: Patristic citation

The controlling apparatus reports Hilary of Poitiers for this reading, but the exact work and section are not identified in the current dossier.

Locator: Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 1: Matthew, TVU 324, PDF p. 521; exact work and section are not separately identified in the current dossier

Open source

John Chrysostom

AD 367–400

Constantinople

Homilies on Matthew 73

Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

Direct quotation in Homilies on Matthew 73.

Locator: Homiliae in Matthaeum 73

Open source

Arabic Diatessaron

Harmony tradition

Arabic Diatessaron 40.42

Supporting witnessCitation type: Parallel tradition

Parallel tradition in Arabic Diatessaron 40.42.

Open source

Roster distinctions

The principal Vulgate text omits the verse while later Vulgate manuscripts include it.

Evidence notes

Important distinctions in the evidence.

The principal Vulgate text omits the verse while later Vulgate manuscripts include it.

Evidence assessment

Why the KJV reading is retained

The verse stands in Washingtonianus, Sangallensis, 0102, 0107, 0233, Family 13, twelve further minuscules and the Byzantine tradition, and Chrysostom quotes and expounds it. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae, Regius and several early versions omit it. Its placement also varies: some witnesses put it after the woe now numbered 13, others before it.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and Syriac support with fourth-century patristic quotation

Evidence represented on this page

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

GreekRepresented

LatinRepresented

Other versionsRepresented

FathersRepresented

Printed editionsNot listed

References

Editions and works cited.

Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung. New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room. Münster: University of Münster.
New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room
Aland, Barbara, et al., eds. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th rev. ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.
Robinson, Maurice A., and William G. Pierpont. The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2018. Nürnberg: VTR Publications, 2018.
The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2018
Tyndale House, Cambridge, ed. The Greek New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.
Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 1: Matthew. TVU 324, PDF p. 521.
Open source
LaParola Münster-linked verse apparatus. Matthew 23:14 — presence and verse-order subvariants.
Open source
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata. Physical dates for the named Greek manuscripts.
Open source
Vetus Latina Gospel manuscripts register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham). Identity and physical date of the named Old Latin manuscripts.
Open source
British Library Archives and Manuscripts record, Curetonian Syriac (Add MS 14451). Physical date of the Curetonian manuscript, c. AD 450–470.
Open source
Wieland Willker, study of Middle Egyptian mae-2 (Schøyen MS 2650). Identity and date of mae-1 (Codex Scheide) and mae-2 (Schøyen MS 2650).
Open source
New Advent Fathers of the Church. Chrysostom, Hom. in Matt. 73; Arabic Diatessaron 40.42.
Open source

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

Matthew 23:14 in the King James Bible

Where the evidence on this page comes from.

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

Byzantine and Syriac support with fourth-century patristic quotation

Complete roster within the stated source scope.

Presence of the verse

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin and Vulgate

Syriac and Coptic

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin and Vulgate

Syriac, Coptic and other versions

Lacunose

Position relative to the woe now numbered 13

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin, Syriac and Coptic

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin, Syriac and Coptic

Church Fathers and literary witnesses

Hilary of Poitiers

John Chrysostom

Arabic Diatessaron

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Why the KJV reading is retained

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

Editions and works cited.