44 Bible Verses about pharisees

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him.

And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, and you care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men.

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trampled one another, he began to say to his disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to be fasting to men, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Hear another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. read more.
Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did the same to them. Last of all, he sent his son to them saying, 'They will respect my son,' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. [And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."] When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.

"Thus, when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. read more.
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room, shut the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not use empty repetitions as the Gentiles do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." He answered them, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? read more.
For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift to God' he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you have made the word of God of no effect for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, when he said: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'"

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the Law of Moses."

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." He answered them, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered together to him, they saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. read more.
When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash themselves. And there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pitchers and copper vessels.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with impure hands?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites; as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You let go of the commandment of God, and hold on to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." And he called all the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, everyone, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him."

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they watched him.

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house, and reclined at the table.

While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, and you care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" read more.
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial."

They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift to God' he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you have made the word of God of no effect for the sake of your tradition. read more.
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, when he said: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'"

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? read more.
Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. read more.
Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial."

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'"

But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the Law of Moses."

But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.

But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.

So from that day on they plotted to put him to death.

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, so that they might arrest him.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.

Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, and you care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him.

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.

Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with impure hands?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites; as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' read more.
You let go of the commandment of God, and hold on to the tradition of men."

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner."

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."

How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while.

There occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other menextortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

But when the Pharisees heard this they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the Law of Moses."

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him.

(...)

They said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'

Also he told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house, and reclined at the table.

While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.

The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to arrest him.

The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

They said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who would enter to go in. (...) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win a single proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. read more.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If any one swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift that is on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. You serpents! You brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

and greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi.' But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master, and you are all brethren. And do not call anyone on earth your 'Father,' for you have one Father, he who is in heaven. read more.
Nor are you to be called 'Teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win a single proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

You serpents! You brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

and greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi.'

And they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.

For I tell you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

But they do all their works to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and the tassels of their garments long.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Now when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it."

They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.

Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial."

The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him.

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial."

"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore be careful that the light in you is not darkness. read more.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was surprised to see that he did not first wash before dinner. But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish ones! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it." One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, by saying these things you reproach us also." And he said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So you witness that you approve of the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things, lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say.

They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not continue in the house forever, but a son continues forever. read more.
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants, yet you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your Father." They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the things Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You do the deeds of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I have not come of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you are not able to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason you do not hear them is that you are not of God." The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word he will never see death." The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, 'If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you claim to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I would be a liar like you; but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

Then they reviled him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. read more.
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, he listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.