So, he gathered all the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses from among the people and asked them where the Christ [child] was to be born.

"Do not think that I came to do away with the law of Moses or the prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to fulfill them [i.e., their requirements and predictions].

For it is true when I say, not one little letter or even a portion of a letter will be removed from the law of Moses until everything is accomplished [that is required by them]. [When that happens, then] heaven and earth will pass away [i.e., be destroyed. See II Peter 3:12].

Therefore, whoever disregards one of these least [significant] requirements [of the law of Moses] and teaches others to [disregard them], he will be considered the least [significant person] in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys them and teaches [others to obey] them, will be considered important in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you people, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless what you do that is right excels what the experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees [i.e., a strict sect of the Jewish religion] do that is right.

Therefore, everything that you would like people to do to you, do [these things] to them also. For this is [what is required by] the law of Moses and the prophets.

for he taught like a person who had authority, instead of like their experts in the law of Moses.

Jesus said to him, "Be sure you do not tell anyone [about your healing yet]; but [first] go and show yourself to the priest and then offer the [sacrificial] gift required by the law of Moses [See Lev. 13:49; 14:2ff], as evidence to them [that you have been healed]."

[While there] an expert in the law of Moses said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Seeing this, certain experts in the law of Moses said to themselves, "This man is speaking against God."

For all of the prophets and the law of Moses prophesied [of this kingdom] up until the time of John.

But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law of Moses to do on a Sabbath day."

He entered the house of God [i.e., the Temple] and ate the 'Bread of Presence', which was not permissible, according to the law of Moses, for him or those with him to do, since it was reserved only for the priests.

Or, have you not read in the law of Moses that the priests in the Temple defiled the Sabbath day [i.e., by doing the 'work' of offering sacrifices] and were not held guilty [of wrongdoing]? [See Num. 28:9-10]

and there He saw a man with a deformed hand. They asked Him, "Is it permissible by the law of Moses to heal someone on a Sabbath day?"

Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is permissible by the law of Moses to do what is good on a Sabbath day."

Then certain experts in the law of Moses and some Pharisees answered Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we would like to see you perform a [supernatural] sign."

Then He said to them, "Therefore every expert in the law of Moses who has been made a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is similar to a [wealthy] homeowner who brought [both] new and old things out of his supply of goods."

Then some Pharisees and experts in the law of Moses came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

From that time onward Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the [Jewish] elders, leading priests, and experts in the law of Moses; [that He would then] be killed and [yet] raised up on the third day.

Then suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is so good for us to be here. If you wish, I will build three [small] shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." [Note: Perhaps Peter wanted to provide quarters for the three to stay temporarily, thus prolonging the wonderful experience. In any event, he should not have done what suggested that Moses and Elijah were equal to Jesus].

His disciples asked Him, "Why then [since you are obviously the Messiah] do the experts in the law of Moses say that Elijah must come first, [i.e., before the Messiah]?"

Some Pharisees came to Him, [attempting] to put Him to a test. They said, "Is it permissible by the law of Moses for a man to divorce his wife for any reason [he chooses]?"

They replied, "Why then did Moses order [a man] to provide a legal divorce decree [Deut. 24:1], and then divorce his wife?"

Jesus said to them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives [only] because of the rebellious spirits you [Jews] had. But this was not how it was [intended to be] from the beginning [i.e., when God created one woman for one man].

"Now look, we are going up to Jerusalem and [while there] the Son of man will be turned over to the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses. They will condemn Him to death,

But when the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses saw the wonderful things [i.e., miracles] He was performing and [heard] the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," [See note at verse 9], they were filled with anger [i.e., over the acclaim being given to Jesus].

"Teacher, Moses said [in Deut. 25:5] that when a man dies without having had any children, his brother must marry his widow and father children by her, who would [then] be considered his [dead] brother's.

One of them, a teacher of the law of Moses, asked Him a question [in an attempt] to test Him.

"Teacher, which one is the greatest commandment in the law of Moses?" he asked.

The entire law of Moses and the prophets hinge on these two commandments."

saying, "The experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees teach by the authority of Moses.

"But it is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! [It is] because you withhold the kingdom of heaven from people, for you do not enter it yourselves, nor [do you] allow those who are trying to enter it to get in. {[{[Verse

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you travel over land and sea [in hope of] making one person a proselyte [i.e., a convert to the Jewish religion]. And when you do convert one, you make him twice as deserving of hell as yourselves.

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you give a tenth of your mint, dill and cumin [i.e., small garden herbs used for seasoning or fragrance], and [yet] neglect the heavier responsibilities required by the law, [such as] justice, mercy and faith. You should have done these ["lighter"] things and not neglected to do the other ["heavier"] things [as well].

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you [carefully] wash the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they [i.e., such evil people] are full of greed and uncontrolled desire.

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you are like white-washed tombs, used for burial [sites], which appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones and decaying flesh of dead people.

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you construct burial sites for the prophets and decorate the tombs of people who were righteous.

"You know that the Passover Festival will be celebrated in two more days [Note: This was the annual Jewish festival commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage under Moses' leadership], and the Son of man will be turned over to be crucified."

And those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas, the head priest, where the experts in the law of Moses and the [Jewish] elders were gathered.

The leading priests took the silver coins and said, "It is not permissible by the law of Moses to put this money in the Temple treasury, since it is the price [paid] for [taking] a life.

In the same way the leading priests, experts in the law of Moses and [Jewish] elders also mocked Him, saying,