Moses’ seat is mentioned in Matthew 23:2:The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat;
In its notes on this verse
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew (Ignatius Press: 2000), page 57, says:
Moses’ seat: This may be an actual “chair”, like those used in later synagogues, or only a symbol of teaching authority. The Pharisees thus preach the Mosaic law with authority, but their failure to practice its “weightier matters” (23:23) should not be followed by others.
In its notes on this verse *A Commentary on the New Testament *(The Catholic Biblical Association: 1942), page 156, says:This may be understood literally, for there was a certain seat in the synagogue know as
the chair of Moses; but it is more probably meant in a figurative sense, “they have taught in the name of Moses.”
The
Haydock Catholic Bible commentary says:
Ver. 2.
The Scribes. They, who professed the greatest zeal for the law of Moses, and gloried in being the interpreters of it, sat upon the chair of Moses, succeeded to his authority of governing the people of God, of instructing them in his law, and of disclosing to them his will. Such, therefore, as did not depart from the letter of the law, were called Scribes. But such as professed something higher, and separated themselves from the crowd, as better than the ordinary class of men, were called
Pharisees, which signifies, separated. (Origen) — God preserveth the truth of the Christian religion in the apostolic See of Rome, which in the new law answers to the chair of Moses, notwithstanding the disedifying conduct of some few of its bishops. Yes, though a traitor, as vile as Judas himself, were a bishop thereof, it would not be prejudicial to the integrity of the faith of God’s Church, or to the ready obedience and perfect submission of sincere good Christians, for whom our Lord has made this provision, when he says:
do that which they say, but do not as they do. (St. Augustine, Ep. clxv.)
