The word “woe” is used in thirty-three verses of the New Testament. It is one rendition of the Greek word “ouai” (oo-ah’-ee). I mention this because “ouai” is also translated as “alas” in three verses in the Book of Revelation. And I think that it is interesting that in those three verses, the word is doubled – “alas, alas.” Generally speaking the doubling of any word in the Bible indicates extreme emphasis. “Ouai” (oo-ah’-ee) is interesting for another reason – Exactly 75% of the time it is employed by the Lord Jesus. Paul uses the word once, Jude uses it once, and it is found in seven verses in Revelation. Christ Jesus says “ouai” (oo-ah’-ee) eight times in this chapter, and He has used it twice before. All of this goes to tell us that whatever follows the word “woe” is extremely important. The concordance tells us that “ouai” (oo-ah’-ee) is an adverb, but it is also as a noun. Strong tells us that the word is “a primary exclamation, or interjection, of GRIEF.” “Grief” – that may be the emotion seen at a funeral, a natural disaster, or a terrorist attack.
But perhaps we should let the Bible define it for us. The first time that the New Testament uses the word it come from the lips of Jesus – Matthew 11:21 – “WOE unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” Think back on what happened to Sodom – Genesis 19:24 – “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.” “Woe” was an appropriate word for Sodom, because God rased it to the ground – destroyed every house, street, lot and person in it. When the word “woe” is applied to something, especially when found in the Bible, it is serious. The first time that the Lord uses the word after this chapter is in Matthew 24:19. The Lord pronounces woe on pregnant and nursing women in the coming days of the Tribulation. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.” Woe is pronounced on those Jewish ladies, because they will be handicapped by their condition and by the love that they have for their children. The Book of Revelation gives us more information about the time of Israel’s trouble – the Tribulation. After the seventh seal is opened and more of God’s wrath has been poured out upon the earth, John prophetically sees and hears even more horrific events. Revelation 8:13 – “And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, WOE, WOE, WOE, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Then is described unbelievable destruction and bloodshed. Four chapters later in Revelation 12:12, we read – “WOE to the inhabiters of the earth … for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” As Satan comes to the realization that is he about to lose his war with Jehovah, you can be sure that his fury will intensify to its maximum level. The wrath of Satan will never match the wrath of God, but the world has never yet glimpsed a thimble-full of either. In the last days of Great Tribulation, Satan will do his best to make havoc of God’s creation – including the people left alive. And the word used to describe the condition of those last remnants of humanity will be this word “woe.”
When Christ says, over and over again, “woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,” there may have been no stronger word that He could have used. “You cannot imagine the judgment which is going to fall upon you, for these sins of yours. “You have no understanding of God’s wrath coming upon you for your hypocrisies. “You are going to rue the day that you were born. “It were better for you that a millstone were hanged about your neck, and you were cast into the sea, than for you to die in these sins.”
You’ll find over the next couple of weeks that I will be skipping back and forth in studying this chapter. Some of these verses, are appropriate for evangelistic messages, which I generally like to preach on Sunday mornings. Some of these verses are worthy of entire messages. But some are so short, or obvious, or so clearly 1st Century, that we can look at two or three at a time.
This evening, let’s consider one verse, beginning with the Pharisee’s acts of semi-legal theft.
Verse 14 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses.” It is amazing to me that some of the most populous religions in the world are so thoroughly inhumane. For example, it may not be as common as it once was, but in Hinduism, the third largest religion in the world, when a man died, his wife was often killed because she was considered nothing more than his property. And Islam has more than 1.3 billion followers, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. But how are Muslim women treated in the most fundamental sects of that religion? Like cattle. It is amazing that any woman would encourage her children to follow their doctrines. And 2,000 years ago, in Jewish society, women were not treated as well as they should have been.
It is an historical fact that woman and children are treated relatively well in Western civilization because of the influence of Christianity. There is no other social influence which has done more for the so-called “weaker” segments of society than Christianity. I am talking about the elderly, widows and women in general, and children. And it is a part of the weakness of Christianity that they aren’t treated even better. Even in God’s Word, look at the women and children trying to come to Christ while the unlearned, unspiritual, disciples were pushing them away. It was Christ Jesus who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” He lifted the women of that society higher than they had ever been before.
Let’s say that in Jesus’ day the father, and husband of a family of six, died at an early age. There were some laws in place which were designed to help that family. But if the deceased had no brothers, and if the widow’s family was gone, she was cast upon the charitability of her neighbors. Once the kindness of the neighborhood ran out, through time or poverty, that woman was left almost helpless. Since there were few opportunities for her to earn a living, she would have to sell off the family’s personal possessions. And who would be the first person to consider to buying them? The man who was wealthy. Often that was one of the Pharisees. As the possessions of that widow dwindled in order to buy food for her children, eventually there would be nothing left but to sell the house and to go into servitude.
Of course, that Pharisee had the law behind him. He might even have considered his buying that $100 item for $10 as an act of kindness on his part. He certainly didn’t need it himself, because he already owned a $300 version of that same item. Slowly, but consistently, due to the situation, that Pharisee and his friends, devoured that widow’s house and property. What they should have done was to reach into their pockets, and organized campaigns, and emptied their cupboards to help that woman remain in her home with her children. As hypocrites, they wouldn’t have wanted the same to befall their widows, but like piranas they devoured the widows of their neighbors. And let’s not forget they were prone to do the same to their own parents – “it is corban” – dedicated to God.
When Jesus pronounced the word “woe,” He was implying that the wrath of God was to be poured out on those wicked hypocrites.
And then there was the hypocrisy of the long prayer.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” Are the two parts of this verse connected, or is the Lord just accumulating charges against the Pharisees? To answer that, please turn to James 2:14, where James is talking about the practicality of true faith. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister (or widow) be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
We go back to that widow, destitute of husband and income, but rich in children, debts and responsibilities. Up the hill at the end of street lives a wealthy Pharisee. Instead of providing good and clothing for those growing children, he promises to pray for the family. “Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled.” “Notwithstanding (he) gives them not those things which are needful to the body.” “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.”
The Jewish historian Maimonides says that three times a day the godly Jew went to prayer. But, as he said, “the ancient saints, or good men, used to begin an hour before the designated time, and continue in prayer an hour longer than required.” They had a special word for this which meant “prolonged prayer” or “to hold an hour in prayer.” Because they did this they were considered to be very devout and religious men. Even Maimonides said that through this they “covered all their avarice, rapine, and oppression of the poor, but God will not be mocked.” Generally speaking, who has time to spend two to three hours in prayer in the morning, the middle of the afternoon and then again in the evening? Only the wealthy.
Going back to James, here is a man who apparently has the means of helping this poor widow, but instead of doing anything practical, he promises to pray for her and her children. “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
“Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” The word translated “damnation” is most often rendered “judgment” and sometimes “condemnation.” Christ explains the word “woe” by saying that they shall receive “greater judgement and condemnation.” But what should we make of that word of comparison – “greater.” Greater than what, or greater than whom? Greater judgment than the widow? Greater judgment than the man caused the woman’s widowhood?
Without ever telling us who will receive the more severe judgment, another Biblical doctrine is raised. As Gill says, “Hence it appears, that there are degrees of punishment in hell, and that hypocrites and all such who oppress the poor, under the mask of godliness, supposing gain, will be partakers of the greater degree of it.” Gill then quotes an Hebrew commentary on the Gospels which calls this “greater damnation” a “long judgment,” in contrast to their long prayers. The effect of these long but useless prayers, instead of a long and happy life, shall produce a much more severe damnation for that the hypocrite.
Of course, the Bible teaches that all of us are sinners – all the children of Adam are under the curse of sin. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “There is none righteous, no not one.” For a lack of better expression, although we all deserve damnation because all are sinners, different people have committed different degrees of sin. And as a result, the scriptures teach different degrees of judgment in hell and the Lake of Fire.
I’ve already quoted Matthew 11:20-22, but I’ll do it again with this new thought in mind. “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.” Luke 12:47-48 – “But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” John 19:10 – “Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.” If he had the greater sin, it appears that he shall have the greater judgment. Hebrews 10:29 – “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
If Christ Jesus speaks of greater condemnation for Chorazin and Bethsaida than Tyre and Sidon… If one slave received more punishment than another…. If the one who delivered Jesus to Pilate has the greater sin.… And if a more severe punishment is reserved for those who trample underfoot the Son of God, then doesn’t all this demand that punishment in Hell will be more intense for these people?
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” The hypocrites among the Pharisees have a greater judgment reserved for them than many other Christ-rejecting sinners. And the Pharisees among the church-goers will also be judged more than man others. And how much sorer punishment will fall on the person raised in a church where these truths have been preached, all the while that person rejected them?
The word “woe” suggests something terrifying, and something about which we should greatly fear.