Jesus began seven of the eight woes with, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” What is significant about His calling the Pharisees hypocrites?

In pronouncing the eight woes, Jesus addressed many of the doctrinal and practical errors that illustrated what deplorable hypocrites the Pharisees were. These included their pretentious praying (Matthew 23:14); their misguided motives for “ministry” to others (Matthew 23:15); their tendency to swear casually by things that are holy, plus the corresponding habit of playing fast and loose with their vows (Matthew 23:18–22); their upside-down approach to priorities, by which they had elevated obscure ceremonial precepts over the moral law (Matthew 23:23–24); and above all, their blithe toleration of many gross, often ludicrous, manifestations of hypocrisy (Matthew 23:27–31).