40 Bible Verses About Pharisees

The Pharisees were a religious group in ancient Judaism known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses and oral traditions. They often opposed Jesus and His teachings, leading to many confrontations recorded in the New Testament. This post will explore 40 Bible verses about Pharisees and their role in biblical history.

What Does the Bible Say About a Pharisee?

The Bible describes the Pharisees as a group dedicated to maintaining religious traditions, but they often focused on outward appearances rather than true righteousness. Jesus frequently rebuked them for their hypocrisy, legalism, and failure to practice mercy and justice.

In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus says:

• “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

This passage reveals how Jesus condemned their outward show of holiness while their hearts remained corrupt.

40 Bible Verses About Pharisees

Here are 40 Bible verses about Pharisees that shed light on their character, actions, and Jesus’ responses to them.

Pharisees and Their Hypocrisy

1. Matthew 23:3 – “So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”

2. Matthew 23:5 – “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long.”

3. Matthew 23:23 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.”

4. Matthew 15:7-9 – “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'”

5. Luke 18:9-14 – The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows the dangers of self-righteousness.

Pharisees and Jesus’ Confrontations

6. Matthew 9:11-13 – The Pharisees questioned Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, but He responded that He came for the sick, not the righteous.

7. Matthew 12:2-8 – The Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath, revealing their rigid legalism.

8. Matthew 16:6 – “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

9. Mark 3:6 – “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”

10. John 8:3-9 – The Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, but He exposed their own sinfulness.

Pharisees and the Law

11. Luke 11:39-42 – Jesus rebukes them for cleaning the outside of the cup while ignoring the filth within.

12. Matthew 22:15-22 – The Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar.

13. Matthew 5:20 – “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

14. John 7:48-49 – The Pharisees question if any of the rulers believed in Jesus, displaying their arrogance.

15. Acts 23:6-9 – Paul, a former Pharisee, uses their belief in the resurrection to create division between them and the Sadducees.

Pharisees’ Role in Jesus’ Trial

16. Matthew 26:57 – “Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.”

17. Matthew 27:62-66 – The Pharisees request Pilate to guard Jesus’ tomb to prevent His disciples from stealing the body.

18. Luke 23:13-25 – Pharisees and religious leaders push for Jesus’ crucifixion.

19. John 18:3 – Judas arrives with a detachment of soldiers and officials from the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus.

20. Mark 14:53-65 – The chief priests and Pharisees falsely accuse Jesus before the Sanhedrin.

The Transformation of a Pharisee: Paul’s Story

21. Acts 9:1-19 – Saul, a Pharisee, encounters Jesus and becomes Paul, the apostle.

22. Philippians 3:5-6 – Paul describes his past as a Pharisee and how he considered it loss for Christ.

23. Acts 26:5 – Paul speaks about being a Pharisee, the strictest sect in Judaism.

24. Galatians 1:13-14 – Paul describes his former zeal in persecuting the church.

25. Romans 10:2-4 – Paul speaks of the Pharisees’ misguided zeal for the law without understanding righteousness in Christ.

Lessons from the Pharisees

26. James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

27. Romans 2:1-3 – “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else.”

28. Matthew 7:5 – “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

29. Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

30. 1 Samuel 16:7 – “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

More Bible Verses About Pharisees

31. Luke 6:7 – “The Pharisees and teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.”

32. Mark 2:16 – “When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?'”

33. John 9:40-41 – “Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.'”

34. Matthew 21:45 – “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.”

35. Luke 14:1-6 – Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, challenging the Pharisees’ rigid interpretation of the law.

36. Matthew 19:3 – “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?'”

37. John 3:1-2 – Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night seeking truth.

38. Mark 7:6 – Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites, quoting Isaiah.

39. Luke 5:30 – The Pharisees complain about Jesus eating with sinners.

40. Matthew 23:13 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.”

Conclusion

The Bible verses about Pharisees highlight their hypocrisy, legalism, and opposition to Jesus. However, their story serves as a warning against self-righteousness and a reminder to seek a heart transformed by God’s grace rather than mere outward appearances. Just as Paul was changed from a Pharisee into a devoted follower of Christ, we too can turn from legalism and embrace true righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Read also: 30 Bible Verses About Discipleship