Openai/69452168-d7c8-8000-83e6-4c6d1a60994e

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User: How many times is hypocrisy mentioned by Jesus?

How many times is hypocrisy mentioned by Jesus?

Assistant: Short answer:

Short answer: Jesus uses the word “hypocrite(s)” and “hypocrisy” roughly 15–20 times in the Gospels, depending on the translation, with Matthew containing the largest concentration—especially in the famous “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” speeches.

Because English translations vary (KJV, NIV, NRSV, ESV, etc.), the exact count can differ slightly. But the core set of passages is stable.

📖 Where Jesus Mentions “Hypocrite(s)” or “Hypocrisy”

Below is a consolidated list of the times Jesus uses the term. (Grouped by Gospel.)

Matthew (most occurrences)

Jesus uses “hypocrites” repeatedly in Matthew—far more than in any other Gospel.

1. Matthew 6:2 – Giving alms to be seen
2. Matthew 6:5 – Praying to be seen
3. Matthew 6:16 – Fasting to be seen
4. Matthew 7:5 – “First take the log out of your own eye…”
5. Matthew 15:7 – “You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly…”
6. Matthew 16:3 – Reading the sky but not the times
7. Matthew 22:18 – About the Pharisees testing him
8. Matthew 23:13 – Woe #1
9. Matthew 23:14 – (In some manuscripts/translations)
10. Matthew 23:15
11. Matthew 23:23
12. Matthew 23:25
13. Matthew 23:27
14. Matthew 23:29
15. Matthew 24:51 – Parable of the wicked servant

👉 Depending on translation, Matthew alone ranges from 13 to 15 uses.

Mark

Much fewer than in Matthew.

1. Mark 7:6 – Quoting Isaiah: “You hypocrites…”
2. Mark 12:15 – About the Pharisees testing him

Luke

Similar to Mark but adds a few unique uses.

1. Luke 6:42 – Parallel to removing the log
2. Luke 12:1 – “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
3. Luke 12:56 – Interpreting the times
4. Luke 13:15 – “You hypocrites! Does not each of you untie his ox…?”

📌 Total Count

Approximate occurrences by Jesus himself:

| Gospel | Count | | ------- | ---------------------------------------- | | Matthew | 13–15 | | Mark | 2 | | Luke | 4 | | John | 0 (word never appears from Jesus’ mouth) |

➡️ Overall total: ~18–21 times, depending on translation and whether Matthew 23:14 is included (it appears in some manuscripts but not others).

📌 Why Matthew Has So Many

Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ confrontation with religious leaders and his teaching on inner vs. outer righteousness. The “Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees” discourse (Matthew 23) contains the bulk of all Gospel uses.

If you'd like, I can also provide:

✅ A table of every verse with side-by-side translations ✅ Analysis of what “hypocrisy” meant in 1st-century Judaism ✅ A thematic breakdown (performative piety, legalism, moral blindness, etc.)

Would you like a verse table or a deeper analysis?