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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
Having then signified that they who were trampling on the law could not be justly entitled to blame men for transgressing a command of certain elders, He points out this same thing again from the prophet likewise. Thus, having once laid hold of them severely, He proceeds further: as on every occasion He doth, bringing forward the Scriptures, and so evincing Himself to be in accordance with God. And what saith the prophet? "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Through the voice of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 29:13) Christ shows that the Pharisees and scribes are disposed to Him in the same way that they are to His Father. For they were evil, and by their evil deeds they had distanced themselves from God, and so were speaking the words of God only with their mouth. For it is utterly in vain for those who dishonor God by their deeds to worship Him and to believe that by so doing they honor Him.
Western Saints
Thomas Aquinas
You hypocrites. Properly speaking, hypocrites were those who entered the theater and had one character but simulated another with masks. These therefore are hypocrites, who outwardly pretend to be other than what they are within; hence inwardly they sought profit, but outwardly they moved men to offer to God. Job 36:13: dissemblers and crafty men provoke the wrath of God, nor do they cry out when they are bound.
Rabanus Maurus
Esaias saw before the hypocrisy of the Jews, that they would craftily oppose the Gospel, and therefore he said in the person of the Lord, This people honoureth me with their lips, &c. Also, they honoured Him with their lips when they said, Master, we know that thou art true, (Mat. 22:16.) but their heart was far from Him when they sent spies to entangle Him in His talk.
Remigius of Rheims
Hypocrite signifies dissembler, one who feigus one thing in his outward act, and bears another thing in his heart. These then are well called hypocrites, because under cover of God's honour they sought to heap up for themselves earthly gain.
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