Who were the Pharisees?
BREAKDOWN
The Pharisees were a prominent Jewish religious and political party that flourished in Judea during the Second Temple period, roughly from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. Their name, derived from the Aramaic word 'Perisha' (פְּרִישָׁא), meaning "separated ones," likely referred to their commitment to ritual purity and strict adherence to the Law, separating themselves from perceived laxity among the common people and other Jewish factions. Unlike the Sadducees, who were largely aristocratic priests focused on Temple rituals and rejected the oral traditions, the Pharisees emphasized the study and meticulous application of the written Torah (God's Law) and a vast body of oral traditions, which they believed were given to Moses at Sinai alongside the written law and passed down through generations. They believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and divine providence, doctrines often debated with the Sadducees, as seen in Acts 23:6-8 where Paul exploits this division: "But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, 'Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!' When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all." Their influence extended beyond the Temple cult into synagogues and daily life, making them influential among the populace. While often depicted critically in the New Testament Gospels for their perceived hypocrisy and legalism by Jesus (e.g., Matthew 23), it is crucial to recognize that this critique targeted certain aspects and individuals, not the entirety of the movement. Many Pharisees were earnest in their faith, striving to live according to God's commandments. Nicodemus, a "ruler of the Jews" and clearly identified as a Pharisee in John 3:1, came to Jesus by night seeking understanding. The Apostle Paul, a former zealous Pharisee himself (Philippians 3:5-6), attested to their devotion: "If anyone else thinks that he has reasons to trust in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless." After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the Pharisaic movement, with its emphasis on scriptural interpretation, ethical living, and synagogue worship, became the foundational stream for what developed into Rabbinic Judaism, shaping Jewish religious thought and practice for millennia.
KEY TERMS
Pharisees
A prominent Jewish religious and political party in Judea during the Second Temple period, known for their strict adherence to the Law and oral traditions.
Oral Law
A body of unwritten traditions and interpretations believed by the Pharisees to have been given by God to Moses alongside the written Torah, guiding the application of divine law.
Sadducees
Another prominent Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, primarily composed of the priestly aristocracy, who rejected the oral law and denied doctrines such as resurrection.
Second Temple period
The period in Jewish history between the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (c. 516 BCE) and its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE.
Rabbinic Judaism
The form of Judaism that developed after the destruction of the Second Temple, largely based on the traditions and teachings of the Pharisees, emphasizing Torah study and the authority of rabbis.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Matthew 23
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do; but don’t do as they do, for they say, and don’t do. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love the chief place at feasts, and the best seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. Don’t call anyone on earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice more a son of Gehenna than yourselves. "Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ You foolish and blind ones! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’ You foolish and blind ones! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who lives 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 tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside of them may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’"
Matthew 3:7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Acts 23:6-8
But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!" When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
John 3:1
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Philippians 3:5-6
circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
Φαρισαῖος
Pharisees
DefinitionPharisee, a member of a Jewish religious sect.
פְּרִישָׁא
Perisha
DefinitionSeparated ones, those who separate.
תּוֹרָה
Torah
DefinitionInstruction, law, teaching.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The Pharisees emerged as a distinct group during the Hasmonean dynasty (2nd century BCE), a period following the Maccabean Revolt against Hellenistic Seleucid rule. This era saw a significant struggle within Jewish society between those who embraced Hellenistic culture and those who sought to preserve Jewish distinctiveness. The Pharisees represented a popular movement among the common people, reacting against the perceived corruption and Hellenizing tendencies of the priestly aristocracy (Sadducees) who controlled the Temple. They emphasized personal piety, the rigorous study of the Torah, and the authority of their oral traditions, which provided a framework for applying God's Law to all aspects of daily life. During the subsequent Roman occupation of Judea, the Pharisees maintained significant influence among the Jewish populace, distinct from the political and military efforts of groups like the Zealots. Their commitment to the Law and traditions ensured the continuity of Jewish identity, especially after the catastrophic destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE by the Romans. The Pharisaic emphasis on synagogue worship, prayer, and study over Temple sacrifices proved vital, allowing Judaism to adapt and survive, ultimately giving rise to Rabbinic Judaism.
THEOLOGICAL INSIGHT
Theologically, the Pharisees represented a profound commitment to God's Law (Torah) as the blueprint for righteous living, seeking to apply its principles meticulously to every facet of life through their developed Oral Law. This devotion, while commendable in its zeal, sometimes led to a focus on external conformity at the expense of internal transformation, a tension frequently highlighted by Jesus. His critique centered not on the Law itself, which he upheld (Matthew 5:17), but on hypocrisy and a legalistic spirit that prioritized human traditions over divine intent and genuine love for God and neighbor. However, their theological contributions, particularly their belief in resurrection, angels, and the importance of individual accountability before God, resonate deeply with New Testament teachings and later Christian theology. Their emphasis on personal piety and the study of scripture also set a precedent for devotional practices that transcend sacrificial cults, demonstrating a way of worship accessible to all, not just the priesthood.
COMMENTARY SYNTHESIS
Rashi (Jewish)
Rashi, in his commentaries on the Talmud, often elucidates the development of the Oral Law, known as Torah she-be'al peh. While not directly commenting on the *identity* of the Pharisees as a group in the same way Christian commentators might, his work represents the continuation and codification of the very traditions the Pharisees championed. He would see their commitment to interpreting and applying the written law through oral traditions as essential for Jewish life.
Maimonides (Rambam) (Jewish)
Maimonides, particularly in his Mishneh Torah, would affirm the Pharisaic tradition as the authentic lineage of Jewish legal transmission. He systemized the Oral Law, which was the core of the Pharisaic enterprise, thereby validating their role in establishing normative Judaism. He would view their meticulous adherence to halakha (Jewish law) as divinely mandated and passed down from Moses, forming the bedrock of Jewish practice.
John Calvin (Christian)
Calvin, from a Reformed Christian perspective, frequently uses the Pharisees as an example of self-righteousness and external religiosity without true inward faith. In his commentaries on the Gospels, he highlights Jesus' condemnation of their hypocrisy (Matthew 23) to contrast human efforts to earn salvation through works with the free grace offered through Christ, arguing that their legalism obscured the true spiritual demands of God's law.
Matthew Henry (Christian)
Matthew Henry's commentary often emphasizes the contrast between the Pharisees' outward show of piety and their inward spiritual barrenness. He views their attachment to traditions of men, tithing, and ritual purity as a means to gain human applause rather than genuine devotion to God. He frequently draws moral lessons from Jesus' encounters with them, urging believers to seek true humility and heartfelt obedience.
Augustine of Hippo (Christian)
Augustine, in his moral and theological writings, often points to the Pharisees as an example of pride and spiritual blindness. He contrasts their self-justifying legalism with the need for God's grace and humility, seeing their inability to recognize Christ as a consequence of their hardened hearts and reliance on their own righteousness rather than divine mercy.