“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 23:5 Mean?
Matthew 23:5 is part of Jesus' most sustained and withering critique of the Pharisees. He identifies their core disease: "all their works they do for to be seen of men." The Greek theathenai — from which we get "theater" — means to be spectated, to perform for an audience. Their entire religious life is a production.
The two specific examples Jesus gives are telling. Phylacteries were small leather boxes containing Scripture passages, strapped to the forehead and arm during prayer — a literal fulfillment of Deuteronomy 6:8. Making them "broad" meant making them oversized, conspicuously visible. The "borders of their garments" refers to the tassels (tzitzit) commanded in Numbers 15:38 as reminders of God's commandments. Enlarging them turned a private reminder into a public billboard.
Both practices were commanded by God. The problem wasn't the practice — it was the motive. The Pharisees took things designed to draw them closer to God and repurposed them as tools for drawing attention to themselves. They didn't abandon religion; they weaponized it for status. And Jesus says that's worse than neglecting it entirely, because it corrupts the very mechanism meant to produce humility.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What's your version of a 'broadened phylactery' — a spiritual practice you've been tempted to perform for an audience?
- 2.How do you tell the difference between genuine faith that's visible and performative faith that needs to be visible?
- 3.Has social media changed how you practice your faith? In what ways — healthy and unhealthy?
- 4.If no one ever saw or acknowledged your spiritual life, which practices would survive? What does that reveal?
Devotional
This verse is uncomfortable because the Pharisees' temptation is alive and well — it just looks different now. We don't wear phylacteries, but we have our own ways of making our faith visible for the wrong reasons. The Instagram post about your quiet time. The prayer that's really a sermon aimed at the people listening. The generosity that needs an audience.
Jesus isn't against visible faith. He's against performative faith — the kind that exists primarily because someone is watching. The test is simple: would you still do it if no one ever knew? If the answer is no, you've found your phylactery.
What makes this so insidious is that the Pharisees probably started sincere. Nobody puts on phylacteries for the first time thinking "this will make me look holy." The performance creeps in gradually — you notice someone noticing, and something shifts. The practice that was between you and God becomes a stage.
The antidote isn't to stop all visible expressions of faith. It's to regularly audit your motives with ruthless honesty. Who is this for? Am I drawing people to God or to my version of godliness? The broadened phylactery and the enlarged border are symptoms of a deeper issue: wanting to be seen as righteous more than wanting to be righteous.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But all their works they do for to be seen of men,.... All their prayers, alms deeds, and fastings, were all done in a…
Their phylacteries - The word “phylactery” comes from a word signifying to keep, preserve, or guard. The name was given…
phylacteries Greek φυλακτήρια = "defences," and in late Greek "amulets" or "charms." The Hebrew name, tephillin, which…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture