That is a simple question with a rather long answer. But the first thing to note is that, as far as I am aware, the King James Version is the practically the only translation to include this verse. Those who swear by KJV often accuse modern translations of tampering with the “Authorized Version” because of their liberal leanings and desire to remove passages which do not fit into their particular theological views. In this case, the accusation is absurd since this “missing verse” is readily found in the parallel passages in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47, and there has been absolutely no move to delete those verses.
Several lines of evidence lead to the deletion of this dubious verse from Matthew's version, the first three below cited by Metzger in his commentary on the Greek text of the NT:
1. The very fact that the “woe” appears in the parallel passages cited above provides the motive for some scribes to have inserted it in Matthew's Gospel as well as a means of harmonizing the three accounts, whereas there is no obvious motive for deleting it if it were authentically placed there.
2. Verse 14 is not found in the earliest and best manuscripts of any of the three major manuscript types (differing in the geographical regions in which they arose): the Alexandrian, Western, and Caesarean. In addition, Blomberg notes that it is also missing in old Italic, Syriac and Coptic translations.
3. Those manuscripts which do contain this verse are actually undecided as to where to place it, before or after verse v. 13. This sort of variation in placement is usually a tip-off that a verse has come from another source.
4. Not only have practically all translators reached the conclusion that v. 14 does not belong in Matthew, the same is true for the commentators I have consulted, with one exception. Writing in the very conservative (some would say fundamentalist) Bible Knowledge Commentary, Barbieri is not willing to pronounce a totally negative judgment on the authenticity of the problem verse: “The NIV and some Greek manuscripts omit this verse. It may have been added because of Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47. If it is authentic here, the number of woes is eight.” However, his comment regarding the total number of woes in the passage (7 or 8) does bring up the next piece of evidence.
5. Years ago Edersheim argued in favor of the authenticity of v. 14 because it would provide eight woes to balance the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Ellison labels that idea as “far-fetched.” And, by at least one count, there are only seven Beatitudes, not eight (see notes in The Jerusalem Bible, for example). And even if one does consider that there are eight Beatitudes, that mere fact is far outweighed by the many appearances of the number seven and its multiples in Matthew's Gospel.
Many have noted the importance of numbers to Matthew, perhaps fitting with his profession as tax collector. Especially significant is the number seven, which appears twelve times in his gospel. There are also three appearances of “fourteen;” and one use of “seventy” (14 x 5). Matthew’s is the only Gospel to utilize these last two numbers directly. “Righteousness,” “Isaiah,” “my Father in heaven,” “Spirit” and “last” appear seven times each. Seven times in the gospel, OT prophecies are said to have been “fulfilled.”
The seven occurrences of “righteousness” are particularly of interesting since their appearances seem to form a symmetrical pattern:
John's ministry of baptism for repentance (3:15)
The need to hunger and thirst after righteousness (5:6)
The reward for those who are persecuted in this life (5:10)
Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (5:20)
No heavenly reward for those who get admiration in this life (6:1)
The need to strive first for the kingdom of God (6:33)
John's ministry of baptism for repentance (21:32)
The genealogy that begins Matthew's Gospel contains three groups of fourteen names each, perhaps an example of the mystical Jewish system of gematria since the numerical values of the letters in David's name total fourteen. In addition, the Gospel contains fourteen appearances each of “Father in heaven,” “people (referring to Israel),” “repent” and “hypocrite.” The phrase “your Father” appears fourteen times in the Sermon on the Mount (as two groups of seven interrupted by one “our Father” at 5:9). Within the Sermon are fourteen teachings, each structured the same. There are seven petitions in the Lord's Prayer. One can find fourteen references to Jeremiah's prophecies in the book. Also, the phrase “I tell you the truth” (without gar) is present 28 (4x7) times in the gospel.
The result of the above is that one is far more likely to expect only seven woes in Matthew 23 than than the eight found in KJV.
6. The final set of arguments centers around literary considerations in the text. Look at the arrangement below for the seven definitely authentic woes:
A. They lock others out of the kingdom of God (v. 13)
A'. They lead others to hell (v. 15)
B. They teach nitpicking requirements (vv. 16-22)
B'. They teach nitpicking requirements (vv. 23-24)
C. They are hypocrites (vv. 25-26)
C'. They are hypocrites (vv. 27-28)
D. Conclusion (vv. 29-36)
As confirmation of the above organization,
A and A' share the theme of the negative effect the scribes and Pharisees have on the spiritual fate of their followers. There is the contrast between “heaven” in v. 13 and “hell” in v. 15.
B and B' also both deal with similar themes. In addition, the designation of the scribes and Pharisees as “blind guides” in verses 16 and 24 acts as a framework for the combined sections.
C and C' both describe the dichotomy between the surface holiness of the scribes and Pharisees and the inward reality of their true spiritual state. This theme is emphasized by the alternation between the words “outside – inside – outside” found in that same order in both C and C'.
The long conclusion D is tied to what has proceeded in two ways: (1) the key words “righteous” and “tombs” are found in D as well as the preceding woe C' and (2) it is also tied in to the other extended passage in the set (Section B) by the following repeated words:
“altar” in vv. 18, 20, and 35.
“sanctuary” in vv. 16, 17, 21, and 35.
In addition, “hell” appears in vv. 13 and 33 to link Section D with the first set of woes.
The final literary consideration in favor of deleting v. 14 comes from the fact that without it one can see a symmetrical pattern of three woes both before and after the center woe (vv. 23-24) which contain the designation “hypocrites” in its description of the scribes and Pharisees. By contrast, that key word is missing in the center woe.
If one considers the dubious woe in v. 14 in detail, it becomes obvious that (1) its inclusion either before or after v. 13 will disrupt the pattern above and (2) it contains no key words in common with any of the authentic seven woes other than the opening words “woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” which have been attached to the one woe found in Mark 12:40 and its parallel in Luke 20:47.
So in conclusion, the decision not to include this verse was not made for any frivolous or theological reason whatsoever.
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