Matthew 5

  1. The Sermon on the Mount
    • The Beatitudes
  2. Salt & Light
  3. Fulfillment of Old Testament Law & Writings
    • Moses & the Prophets
  4. Anger (Begins in the Heart)
    • Reconcile & Restore Harmony
  5. Lust & Adultery (Begins in the Heart)
  6. Throw Away What Causes You to Stumble
  7. Divorce
  8. Oaths & Promises:
    • Do not make False Vows or Swear
  9. Eye for an Eye (Revenge & Retaliation)
  10. Go the Second Mile
  11. Love for Enemies

Matthew 4   †   Matthew 6

The Sermon on the Mount

1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

  • The Beatitudes

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [a]
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted. [b]
5 Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth. [c] [d]
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt & Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Fulfillment of Old Testament Law & Writings
  • Moses & the Prophets

17 “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets [u]. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter [e] or one tiny pen stroke [f] shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. 19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Anger (Begins in the Heart)

21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ [g] and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause [h] will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ [i] will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. [j]

  • Reconcile & Restore Harmony

23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny. [k]

Lust & Adultery (Begins in the Heart)

27 “You have heard that it was said, [l] ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ [m] 28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Throw Away What Causes You to Stumble

29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. [n] 30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. [o]

Divorce

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ [p] 32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

Oaths & Promises:
  • Do not make False Vows or Swear

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

Eye for an Eye (Revenge & Retaliation)

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ [q] 39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Go the Second Mile

40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor [r] and hate your enemy.’ [s] 44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors [t] do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Footnotes:

  • [a]  Matthew 5:3   Isaiah 57:15 [a-1]; Isaiah 66:2 [a-2]
  • [b]  Matthew 5:4   Isaiah 61:2 [b-1];  Isaiah 66:10,13 [b-2]
  • [c]  Matthew 5:5 or, land.
  • [d]  Matthew 5:5    Psalm 37:11 [d-1]
  • [e]  Matthew 5:18 literally, iota
  • [f]  Matthew 5:18 or, serif
  • [g]  Matthew 5:21    Exodus 20:13 [g-1]
  • [h]  Matthew 5:22 NU omits “without a cause”.
  • [i]  Matthew 5:22 “Raca” is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for “empty” and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.
  • [j]  Matthew 5:22 or, Hell
  • [k]  Matthew 5:26 literally, kodrantes. A kodrantes was a small copper coin worth about 2 lepta (widow’s mites)—not enough to buy very much of anything.
  • [l]  Matthew 5:27 TR adds “to the ancients”.
  • [m]  Matthew 5:27    Exodus 20:14 [m-1]
  • [n]  Matthew 5:29 or, Hell
  • [o]  Matthew 5:30 or, Hell
  • [p]  Matthew 5:31   Deuteronomy 24:1 [p-1]
  • [q]  Matthew 5:38    Exodus 21:24 [q-1];   Leviticus 24:20 [q-2];   Deuteronomy 19:21 [q-3]
  • [r]  Matthew 5:43    Leviticus 19:18 [r-1]
  • [s]  Matthew 5:43 not in the Bible, but see Qumran Manual of Discipline Ix, 21-26
  • [t]  Matthew 5:47 NU reads “Gentiles” instead of “tax collectors”.
  • [u] Law and the Prophets:   Two major divisions of the Old Testament. The Law, or Law of Moses, consists of the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah in Hebrew and the Pentateuch in Greek. The Prophets consists of several books grouped into different arrangements according to Jewish or Christian tradition. The groupings include: (a) Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, and I and II Kings; (b) Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; and (c) Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Old Testament Footnotes:

[a-1] Isaiah 57:15

15 For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity,
whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.

[a-2] Isaiah 66:2

2 For my hand has made all these things,
and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh:
“but to this man will I look,
even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and who trembles at my word.

[b-1] Isaiah 61:2

2 to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;

[b-2] Isaiah 66:10,13

10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her.
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;

[d-1] Psalm 37:11

11 But the humble shall inherit the land,
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

[g-1] Exodus 20:13 13 “You shall not murder.

[m-1] Exodus 20:14 14 “You shall not commit adultery.

[p-1] Deuteronomy 24:1 1 When a man takes a wife and marries her, then it shall be, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorce, and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

[q-1] Exodus 21:24 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

[q-2] Leviticus 24:20 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him.

[q-3] Deuteronomy 19:21 21 Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

[r-1] Leviticus 19:18 18 “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.

Matthew 4   †   Matthew 6

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