δεσμεύουσιν γὰρ φορτία βαρέα καὶ ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τῷ δὲ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσι κινῆσαι αὐτά.
Introduction with Causal Particle and Present Verbs: δεσμεύουσιν γὰρ φορτία βαρέα
– δεσμεύουσιν: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural of δεσμεύω, “they tie up,” “they bind.”
– Present tense implies habitual or ongoing action.
– γάρ: Causal particle—”for,” introducing an explanation for a previous statement (e.g., Jesus’ accusation in v. 3).
– φορτία: Accusative plural neuter noun—”burdens,” “loads.”
– βαρέα: Accusative plural neuter adjective—”heavy.”
– Modifies φορτία; emphasizes the oppressive weight.
– Together: “For they bind heavy burdens…”
Coordinated Verb and Spatial Image: καὶ ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων
– καὶ: Coordinating conjunction—”and.”
– ἐπιτιθέασιν: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural of ἐπιτίθημι, “they place upon,” “lay on.”
– Another present-tense verb expressing continuous religious behavior.
– ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους: Preposition ἐπί with accusative—”on” or “upon the shoulders.”
– τῶν ἀνθρώπων: Genitive plural of ἄνθρωπος, “of people” or “of men.”
– Genitive modifies ὤμους—”the shoulders of people.”
– This phrase paints a vivid image of oppressive religious demands literally “loaded” onto others.
Contrasting Refusal: τῷ δὲ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσι κινῆσαι αὐτά
– τῷ δὲ δακτύλῳ: Dative singular with article—”with the finger.”
– Dative of means or instrument.
– δὲ: Contrastive particle—”but.”
– αὐτῶν: Genitive plural pronoun—”of them,” modifying δακτύλῳ.
– οὐ θέλουσι: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural of θέλω, “they do not wish.”
– κινῆσαι: Aorist active infinitive of κινέω, “to move.”
– Complement of θέλουσι: “they are not willing to move.”
– αὐτά: Accusative plural neuter pronoun—”them,” referring to the burdens.
– Translation: “But with their finger they are not willing to move them.”
Religious Hypocrisy Through Grammatical Contrast
The verse exposes the religious leaders’ hypocrisy through syntactic balance and ironic contrast. The double present indicative verbs (δεσμεύουσιν and ἐπιτιθέασιν) emphasize the imposing nature of their leadership: they lay burdens on others’ shoulders. The burdens (φορτία βαρέα) are not physical but refer to heavy, legalistic demands.
In striking contrast, the second half introduces τῷ δὲ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν—a delicate image of minimal effort. They are not even willing to use a single finger to lighten the load they themselves enforce. The grammar highlights the total asymmetry: maximal expectation imposed, minimal compassion expressed.
Theologically, this reflects a misuse of authority and a perversion of the law, transforming covenant into control. The infinitive κινῆσαι shows how little would be required to relieve others—yet their refusal is absolute (οὐ θέλουσι).
The structure and vocabulary reflect Jesus’ broader critique of religious performance without mercy. The Greek syntax does not simply narrate—it accuses, through parallelism and irony, the failure of spiritual leadership to reflect the character of God.
