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Text -- Matthew 5:19 (NET)

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Context
5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
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Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Robertson , Wesley , JFB , Clarke , Calvin , Defender , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes , Geneva Bible

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , Maclaren , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Barclay , Constable , College , McGarvey , Lapide

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: Mat 5:19 - -- Shall do and teach ( poiēsēi kai didaxēi ). Jesus puts practice before preaching. The teacher must apply the doctrine to himself before he is q...

Shall do and teach ( poiēsēi kai didaxēi ).

Jesus puts practice before preaching. The teacher must apply the doctrine to himself before he is qualified to teach others. The scribes and Pharisees were men who "say and do not"(Mat 23:3), who preach but do not perform. This is Christ’ s test of greatness.

Wesley: Mat 5:19 - -- So accounted by men; and shall teach - Either by word or example; shall be the least - That is, shall have no part therein.

So accounted by men; and shall teach - Either by word or example; shall be the least - That is, shall have no part therein.

JFB: Mat 5:19 - -- Rather, "dissolve," "annul," or make "invalid."

Rather, "dissolve," "annul," or make "invalid."

JFB: Mat 5:19 - -- An expression equivalent to "one of the least of these commandments."

An expression equivalent to "one of the least of these commandments."

JFB: Mat 5:19 - -- Referring to the Pharisees and their teaching, as is plain from Mat 5:20, but of course embracing all similar schools and teaching in the Christian Ch...

Referring to the Pharisees and their teaching, as is plain from Mat 5:20, but of course embracing all similar schools and teaching in the Christian Church.

JFB: Mat 5:19 - -- As the thing spoken of is not the practical breaking, or disobeying, of the law, but annulling or enervating its obligation by a vicious system of int...

As the thing spoken of is not the practical breaking, or disobeying, of the law, but annulling or enervating its obligation by a vicious system of interpretation, and teaching others to do the same; so the thing threatened is not exclusion from heaven, and still less the lowest place in it, but a degraded and contemptuous position in the present stage of the kingdom of God. In other words, they shall be reduced by the retributive providence that overtakes them, to the same condition of dishonor to which, by their system and their teaching, they have brought down those eternal principles of God's law.

JFB: Mat 5:19 - -- Whose principles and teaching go to exalt the authority and honor of God's law, in its lowest as well as highest requirements.

Whose principles and teaching go to exalt the authority and honor of God's law, in its lowest as well as highest requirements.

JFB: Mat 5:19 - -- Shall, by that providence which watches over the honor of God's moral administration, be raised to the same position of authority and honor to which t...

Shall, by that providence which watches over the honor of God's moral administration, be raised to the same position of authority and honor to which they exalt the law.

Clarke: Mat 5:19 - -- Whosoever - shall break one of these least commandments - The Pharisees were remarkable for making a distinction between weightier and lighter matte...

Whosoever - shall break one of these least commandments - The Pharisees were remarkable for making a distinction between weightier and lighter matters in the law, and between what has been called, in a corrupt part of the Christian Church, mortal and venial sins. See on Mat 22:36 (note)

Whosoever shall break. What an awful consideration is this! He who, by his mode of acting, speaking, or explaining the words of God, sets the holy precept aside, or explains away its force and meaning, shall be called least - shall have no place in the kingdom of Christ here, nor in the kingdom of glory above. That this is the meaning of these words is evident enough from the following verse.

Calvin: Mat 5:19 - -- 19.Whoever then shall break Christ here speaks expressly of the commandments of life, or the ten words, which all the children of God ought to take a...

19.Whoever then shall break Christ here speaks expressly of the commandments of life, or the ten words, which all the children of God ought to take as the rule of their life. He therefore declares, that they are false and deceitful teachers, who do not restrain their disciples within obedience to the law, and that they are unworthy to occupy a place in the Church, who weaken, in the slightest degree, the authority of the law; and, on the other hand, that they are honest and faithful ministers of God, who recommend, both by word and by example, the keeping of the law. The least commandments is an expression used in accommodation to the judgment of men: for though they have not all the same weight, (but, when they are compared together, some are less than others,) yet we are not at liberty to think any thing small, on which the heavenly Legislator has been pleased to issue a command. For what sacrilege is it to treat contemptuously any thing which has proceeded from his sacred mouth? This is to sink his majesty to the rank of creatures. Accordingly, when our Lord calls them little commandments, it is a sort of concession. He shall be called the least This is an allusion to what he had just said about the commandments: but the meaning is obvious. Those who shall pour contempt on the doctrine of the law, or on a single syllable of it, will be rejected as the lowest of men. 384

The kingdom of heaven means the renovation of the Church, or the prosperous condition of the Church, such as was then beginning to appear by the preaching of the Gospel. In this sense, Christ tells us, that he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John,” (Luk 7:28.) The meaning of that phrase is, that God, restoring the world by the hand of his Son, has completely established his kingdom. Christ declares that, when his Church shall have been renewed, no teachers must be admitted to it, but those who are faithful expounders of the law, and who labor to maintain its doctrine entire. But it is asked, were not ceremonies among the commandments of God, the least of which we are now required to observe? I answer, We must look to the design and object of the Legislator. God enjoined ceremonies, that their outward use might be temporal, and their meaning eternal. That man does not break ceremonies, who omits what is shadowy, but retains their effect. But if Christ banishes from his kingdom all who accustom men to any contempt of the law how monstrous must be their stupidity, who are not ashamed to remit, by a sacrilegious indulgence, what God strictly demands, and, under the pretense of venial sin, to overthrow the righteousness of the law. 385 Again, we must observe the description he gives of good and holy teachers: that not only by words, but chiefly by the example of life, they exhort 386 men to keep the law.

Defender: Mat 5:19 - -- We "in the kingdom" are held accountable (especially when we teach others) for believing and obeying all God's commands. There are no insignificant or...

We "in the kingdom" are held accountable (especially when we teach others) for believing and obeying all God's commands. There are no insignificant or non-inspired statements in the Bible."

TSK: Mat 5:19 - -- shall break : Deu 27:26; Psa 119:6, Psa 119:128; Gal 3:10-13; Jam 2:10,Jam 2:11 these : Mat 23:23; Deu 12:32; Luk 11:42 shall teach : Mat 15:3-6, Mat ...

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Mat 5:19 - -- Whosoever therefore shall break - Shall violate or disobey. One of these least commandments - The Pharisees, it is probable, divided the ...

Whosoever therefore shall break - Shall violate or disobey.

One of these least commandments - The Pharisees, it is probable, divided the precepts of the law into lesser and greater, teaching that they who violated the former were guilty of a trivial offence only. See Mat 23:23. Christ teaches that in his kingdom they who make this distinction, or who taught that any laws of God might be violated with impunity, should be called least; while they should be held in high regard who observed all the laws of God without distinction.

Shall be called least - That is, shall be least. See Mat 5:9. The meaning of this passage seems to be this: in the kingdom of heaven, that is, in the kingdom of the Messiah, or in the church which he is about to establish (see the notes at Mat 3:2), he that breaks the least of these commandments shall be in no esteem, or shall not be regarded as a proper religious teacher. The Pharisees, by dividing the law into greater and lesser precepts, made no small part of it void by their traditions and divisions, Mat 23:23; Mat 15:3-6. Jesus says that in his kingdom all this vain division and tradition would cease. Such divisions and distinctions would be a small matter. He that attempted it should be the least of all. People would be engaged in yielding obedience to all the law of God without any such vain distinctions.

Shall be called great - He that teaches that all the law of God is binding, and that the whole of it should be obeyed, without attempting to specify what is most important, shall be a teacher worthy of his office, and shall be called great. Hence, we learn:

1.\caps1     t\caps0 hat all the law of God is binding on Christians. Compare Jam 2:10.

2.\caps1     t\caps0 hat all the commands of God should be preached, in their proper place, by Christian ministers.

3.\caps1     t\caps0 hat they who pretend that there are any laws of God so small that they need not obey them, are unworthy of his kingdom. And,

4.\caps1     t\caps0 hat true piety has respect to all the commandments of God. Compare Psa 119:6.

Poole: Mat 5:19 - -- Whosoever shall in his practice violate but one of the commandments of God, which the Pharisees judge of the least, and which possible are so compar...

Whosoever shall in his practice violate but one of the commandments of God, which the Pharisees judge of the least, and which possible are so compared with others, and shall teach men that they may do as he doth, making such false interpretations of the law as may warrant such a practice, he shall be accounted of the least value and esteem in the church of God, and shall never come into the kingdom of glory: but he who shall strictly and uniformly obey all the commandments, and teach others to do the like by his doctrine and example, that man shall have a great renown and reputation in the church, which is the kingdom of heaven upon earth, and shall have a great reward in the kingdom of glory hereafter.

Haydock: Mat 5:19 - -- He shall be called; i.e. (by a frequent Hebrew idiom) he shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven; that is, according to St. Augustine he shall ...

He shall be called; i.e. (by a frequent Hebrew idiom) he shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven; that is, according to St. Augustine he shall not be there at all; for none but the great in sanctity and virtue shall find admittance into heaven. (Witham) ---

Do not then imitate the Scribes and Pharisees, who content themselves with instructing other in the precepts of the law, without practising them themselves, or if they observe the letter, neglect the spirit of the law, performing what it ordain, not to please God, but to satisfy their vanity. (Calmet)

Gill: Mat 5:19 - -- Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,.... Which are to be understood not of the beatitudes in the preceding verses, for the...

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,.... Which are to be understood not of the beatitudes in the preceding verses, for these were not delivered by Christ under the form of commandments; nor of any of the peculiar commands of Christ under the Gospel dispensation; but of the precepts of the law, of which some were comparatively lesser than others; and might be said to be broke, loosed, or dissolved, as the word here used signifies, when men acted contrary to them.

And shall teach men so; not only teach them by their example to break the commandments, but by express orders: for however gross and absurd this may seem to be, that there should be any such teachers, and they should have any hearers, yet such there were among the Jews; and our Lord here manifestly strikes at them: for notwithstanding the great and excellent things they say of the law, yet they tell us, that the doctors of the sanhedrim had power to root anything out of the law; to loose or make void any of its commands, for a time, excepting in the case of idolatry; and so might any true prophet, or wise man; which they pretend is sometimes necessary for the glory of God, and the good of men; and they are to be heard and obeyed, when they say, transgress anyone of all the commands which are in the law h. Maimonides says i, that the sanhedrim had power, when it was convenient, for the time present, to make void an affirmative command, and to transgress a negative one, in order to return many to their religion; or to deliver many of the Israelites from stumbling at other things, they may do whatsoever the present time makes necessary: for so, adds he, the former wise men say, a man may profane one sabbath, in order to keep many sabbaths. And elsewhere k he affirms,

"if a prophet, whom we know to be a prophet, should order us לעבור על אחת מכל מצות, "to transgress anyone of the commands", which are mentioned in the law, or many commands, whether light or heavy, for a time, we are ordered to hearken to him; and so we learn from the former wise men, by tradition, that in everything a prophet shall say to thee עבור על דברי תורה, "transgress the words of the law", as Elias on Mount Carmel, hear him, except in the case of idolatry.''

And another of their writers says l,

"it is lawful sometimes to make void the law, and to do that which appears to be forbidden.''

Nay, they even m say, that if a Gentile should bid an Israelite transgress anyone of the commands mentioned in the law, excepting idolatry, adultery, and murder, he may transgress with impunity, provided it is done privately. You see what reason Christ had to express himself in the manner he does, and that with resentment, saying,

he shall be called, or be

the least in the kingdom of heaven; meaning either the church of God, where he shall have neither a name, nor place; he shall not be in the least esteemed, but shall be cast out as a worthless man; or the ultimate state of happiness and glory, in the other world, where he shall not enter, as is said in the next verse; but, on the other hand,

whosoever shall do and teach; whose doctrine and conversation, principles and practices agree together; who both teach obedience to the law, and perform it themselves: where again he glances at the masters in Israel, and tacitly reproves them who said, but did not; taught the people what they themselves did not practise; and so were unworthy of the honour, which he that both teaches and does shall have: for

the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven; he shall be highly esteemed of in the church here, and be honoured hereafter in the world to come. The Jews have a saying somewhat like this;

"he that lessens himself for the words of the law in this world, נעשה גדול, "he shall become great" in the world to come n,''

or days of the Messiah.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Mat 5:19 Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).

Geneva Bible: Mat 5:19 ( 4 ) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the ( h ) least in the kingdom of he...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Mat 5:1-48 - --1 Christ's sermon on the mount.3 Who are blessed;13 the salt of the earth;14 the light of the world.17 He came to fulfil the law.21 What it is to kill...

Maclaren: Mat 5:17-26 - --The New Form Of The Old Law Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18. For verily I sa...

MHCC: Mat 5:17-20 - --Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with any commands of God's holy law. No sinner partakes of Christ's justifying righteousness,...

Matthew Henry: Mat 5:17-20 - -- Those to whom Christ preached, and for whose use he gave these instructions to his disciples, were such as in their religion had an eye, 1. To the ...

Barclay: Mat 5:17-20 - --At a first reading it might well be held that this is the most astonishing statement that Jesus made in the whole Sermon on the Mount. In this statem...

Barclay: Mat 5:17-20 - --What then did Jesus mean by the Law? He said that he had not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfil the Law. That is to say, he came really to bri...

Barclay: Mat 5:17-20 - --When Jesus spoke as he did about the Law and the Gospel, he was implicitly laying down certain broad principles. (i) He was saying that there is a de...

Constable: Mat 5:1--8:1 - --B. Jesus' revelations concerning participation in His kingdom 5:1-7:29 The Sermon on the Mount is the fi...

Constable: Mat 5:17--7:13 - --3. The importance of true righteousness 5:17-7:12 Jesus had just been speaking about the importa...

Constable: Mat 5:17-48 - --Righteousness and the Scriptures 5:17-48 In His discussion of righteousness (character a...

Constable: Mat 5:17-20 - --Jesus' view of the Old Testament 5:17-20 It was natural for Jesus to explain His view of the Old Testament since He would shortly proceed to interpret...

College: Mat 5:1-48 - --MATTHEW 5 D. SERMON ON THE MOUNT: MINISTRY IN WORD (5:1-7:29) The Sermon on the Mount (= SM ) is the first of five major discourses in Matthew, each...

McGarvey: Mat 5:17-48 - -- XLII. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. (A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum.) Subdivision D. RELATION OF MESSIANIC TEACHING TO OLD TESTAMENT AND TRADIT...

Lapide: Mat 5:1-48 - --CHAPTER 5 Went up into a mountain. Let us inquire what mountain this was? "Some simple brethren," says S. Jerome, "think that Christ taught the Beat...

Lapide: Mat 5:13-47 - --ye are the salt, &c. That is, you, 0 ye Apostles, who are sitting here next to Me, to whom I have spoken primarily the eight Beatitudes—ye are, by M...

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Introduction / Outline

Robertson: Matthew (Book Introduction) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW By Way of Introduction The passing years do not make it any plainer who actually wrote our Greek Matthew. Papias r...

JFB: Matthew (Book Introduction) THE author of this Gospel was a publican or tax gatherer, residing at Capernaum, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. As to his identity with t...

JFB: Matthew (Outline) GENEALOGY OF CHRIST. ( = Luke 3:23-38). (Mat. 1:1-17) BIRTH OF CHRIST. (Mat 1:18-25) VISIT OF THE MAGI TO JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM. (Mat 2:1-12) THE F...

TSK: Matthew (Book Introduction) Matthew, being one of the twelve apostles, and early called to the apostleship, and from the time of his call a constant attendant on our Saviour, was...

TSK: Matthew 5 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Mat 5:1, Christ’s sermon on the mount; Mat 5:3, Who are blessed; Mat 5:13, the salt of the earth; Mat 5:14, the light of the world; Mat...

Poole: Matthew 5 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 5

MHCC: Matthew (Book Introduction) Matthew, surnamed Levi, before his conversion was a publican, or tax-gatherer under the Romans at Capernaum. He is generally allowed to have written h...

MHCC: Matthew 5 (Chapter Introduction) (Mat 5:1, Mat 5:2) Christ's sermon on the mount. (Mat 5:3-12) Who are blessed. (Mat 5:13-16) Exhortations and warnings. (Mat 5:17-20) Christ came t...

Matthew Henry: Matthew (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Gospel According to St. Matthew We have now before us, I. The New Testament of our Lord and Savior...

Matthew Henry: Matthew 5 (Chapter Introduction) This chapter, and the two that follow it, are a sermon; a famous sermon; the sermon upon the mount. It is the longest and fullest continued discour...

Barclay: Matthew (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW The Synoptic Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke are usually known as the Synoptic Gospels. Synopt...

Barclay: Matthew 5 (Chapter Introduction) The Sermon On The Mount (Mat_5:1-48) As we have already seen, Matthew has a careful pattern in his gospel. In his story of the baptism of Jesus he s...

Constable: Matthew (Book Introduction) Introduction The Synoptic Problem The synoptic problem is intrinsic to all study of th...

Constable: Matthew (Outline) Outline I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11 A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17 ...

Constable: Matthew Matthew Bibliography Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Cl...

Haydock: Matthew (Book Introduction) THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW INTRODUCTION. THIS and other titles, with the names of those that wrote the Gospels,...

Gill: Matthew (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO MATTHEW The subject of this book, and indeed of all the writings of the New Testament, is the Gospel. The Greek word ευαγγελ...

College: Matthew (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION It may surprise the modern reader to realize that for the first two centuries of the Christian era, Matthew's...

College: Matthew (Outline) OUTLINE I. ESTABLISHING THE IDENTITY AND ROLE OF JESUS THE CHRIST - Matt 1:1-4:16 A. Genealogy of Jesus - 1:1-17 B. The Annunciation to Joseph...

Lapide: Matthew (Book Introduction) PREFACE. —————— IN presenting to the reader the Second Volume [Matt X to XXI] of this Translation of the great work of Cornelius à Lapi...

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