94. Although St. Matt. xxiii. 14 is in all probability spurious, this 'woe' occurs in St. Mark
xii. 40, and in St. Luke xx. 47.
The first Woe against Pharisaism was on their shutting the Kingdom of God against
men by their opposition to the Christ. All knew how exclusive were their pretensions in
confining piety to the possession of knowledge, and that they declared it impossible for
an ignorant p erson to be pious. Had they taught men the Scriptures, and shown them
the right way, they would have been true to their office; but woe to them who, in their
positions as leaders, had themselves stood back with their backs to the door of the
Kingdom, and p revented the entrance of others.
The second Woe was on their covetousness and hypocrisy. They made long prayers,95
but how often did it only cover the vilest selfishness, even to the 'devouring' of widow's
houses. We can scarcely expect the Talmud here to furnish us with illustrative
instances, and yet at least one such is recorded;96 and we recall how often broad
phylacteries covered fraudulent minds.
95. Ber. 32 b; Yoma 29 a.
96. Sot. 21 b; comp. Jer. Sot. 19 a.
The third Woe was on their proselytism, which issued only in making their converts
twofold more the children of hell than themselves. Against this charge, rightly
understood, Judaism has in vain sought to defend itself. It is, indeed, true that, in its
pride and exclusiveness, Judaism seemed to denounce proselytism, laid down strict
rules to test the sincerity of converts, and spoke of them in general contempt97 as 'a
plague of leprosy.'98 Yet the bitter complaint of classical writers,99 100 the statements of
Josephus,101 the frequent allusions in the New Testament and even the admissions of
the Rabbis, prove their zeal for making proselytes - which, indeed, but for its moral
sequences, would neither have deserted nor drawn down the denunciation of a 'woe.'
Thus the Midrash, commenting on the words:102 'the souls that they had gotten in
Haran,' refers it to the converts which Abraham had made, adding that every proselyte
was to be regarded as if a soul had been created.103 104 To this we may add the pride
with which Judaism looked back upon the 150,000 Gibeonite converts said to have
been made when David avenged the sin of Saul;105 the satisfaction with which it looked
forward to the times of Messiah as those of spontaneous conversion to the
Synagogue;106 and not the unfrequent instances in which a spirit favorable to
proselytism is exhibited in Jewish writings,107 as, also, such a saying as this, that when
Israel is obedient to the will of God, He brings in as converts to Judaism all the just of
the nations, such as Jethro, Rahab, Ruth, &c.108 But after all, may the Lord not have
referred, not to conversion to Judaism in general, but to proselytism to the sect of the
Pharisees, which was undoubtedly sought to the compassing of sea and land?
97. Horay, 13 a.
98. Yeb. 47 a. b; Nidd. 13 b.
99. Tacit. Hist. v. 5; Seneca in August. De Civit. Dei vi. 11(2).
100. For passages in proof see Wetsein ad loc.
101. Ant. xviii. 3. 5; xx. 2, 4; Jewish War ii.17. 10 &c.; 20, 2; Life 23.