Discovery BoxMatthew 5:17--7:12
Context5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. 1 5:18 I 2 tell you the truth, 3 until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter 4 will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others 5 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. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law 6 and the Pharisees, 7 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 8 ‘Do not murder,’ 9 and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother 10 will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults 11 a brother will be brought before 12 the council, 13 and whoever says ‘Fool’ 14 will be sent 15 to fiery hell. 16 5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement 17 quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, 18 or he 19 may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth, 20 you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 21
5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 22 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 23 5:30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
5:31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ 24 5:32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
5:33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 25 ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 26 5:34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, 27 because it is the city of the great King. 5:36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 5:37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one. 28
5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 29 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. 30 But whoever strikes you on the 31 right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, 32 give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, 33 go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, 34 and do not reject 35 the one who wants to borrow from you.
5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ 36 and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and 37 pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like 38 your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors 39 do the same, don’t they? 5:47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? 5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 40
6:1 “Be 41 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. 42 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, 43 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues 44 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, 45 they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 46
6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues 47 and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, 48 close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 49 6:7 When 50 you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do 51 not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: 52
Our Father 53 in heaven, may your name be honored, 54
6:10 may your kingdom come, 55
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us today our daily bread, 56
6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves 57 have forgiven our debtors.
6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, 58 but deliver us from the evil one. 59
6:14 “For if you forgive others 60 their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
6:16 “When 61 you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive 62 so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, 63 they have their reward. 6:17 When 64 you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 65 and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 6:21 For where your 66 treasure 67 is, there your heart will be also.
6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, 68 your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is diseased, 69 your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate 70 the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 71 the other. You cannot serve God and money. 72
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry 73 about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: 74 They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds 75 them. Aren’t you more valuable 76 than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? 77 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers 78 of the field grow; they do not work 79 or spin. 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, 80 which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, 81 won’t he clothe you even more, 82 you people of little faith? 6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 6:32 For the unconverted 83 pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom 84 and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. 85
7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 86 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 87 7:3 Why 88 do you see the speck 89 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 90 the beam of wood 91 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say 92 to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. 93
7:7 “Ask 94 and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door 95 will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks 96 receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is 97 there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 98 7:11 If you then, although you are evil, 99 know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts 100 to those who ask him! 7:12 In 101 everything, treat others as you would want them 102 to treat you, 103 for this fulfills 104 the law and the prophets.
[5:17] 1 tn Grk “not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Direct objects (“these things,” “them”) were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but have been supplied here to conform to contemporary English style.
[5:18] 2 tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[5:18] 3 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[5:18] 4 tn Grk “Not one iota or one serif.”
[5:19] 5 tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).
[5:20] 6 tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[5:20] 7 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[5:21] 8 tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”
[5:21] 9 sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.
[5:22] 10 tc The majority of
[5:22] 11 tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”
[5:22] 12 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
[5:22] 13 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”
[5:22] 14 tn The meaning of the term μωρός (mwros) is somewhat disputed. Most take it to mean, following the Syriac versions, “you fool,” although some have argued that it represents a transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew term מוֹרֵה (moreh) “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20; cf. BDAG 663 s.v. μωρός c).
[5:22] 15 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
[5:22] 16 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”
[5:25] 17 tn Grk “Make friends.”
[5:25] 18 tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[5:25] 19 tn Grk “the accuser.”
[5:26] 20 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[5:26] 21 tn Here the English word “penny” is used as opposed to the parallel in Luke 12:59 where “cent” appears since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.
[5:27] 22 sn A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17.
[5:29] 23 sn On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.
[5:31] 24 sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
[5:33] 25 tn Grk “the ancient ones.”
[5:33] 26 sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.
[5:35] 27 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:37] 28 tn The term πονηροῦ (ponhrou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified, however, since it is articular (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponhrou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in v. 39, which is the same construction.
[5:38] 29 sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
[5:39] 30 tn The articular πονηρός (ponhro", “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).
[5:39] 31 tc ‡ Many
[5:40] 32 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
[5:41] 33 sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them.
[5:42] 34 sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).
[5:42] 35 tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
[5:43] 36 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[5:44] 37 tc Most
[5:45] 38 tn Grk “be sons of your Father in heaven.” Here, however, the focus is not on attaining a relationship (becoming a child of God) but rather on being the kind of person who shares the characteristics of God himself (a frequent meaning of the Semitic idiom “son of”). See L&N 58.26.
[5:46] 39 sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.
[5:48] 40 sn This remark echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”
[6:1] 41 tc ‡ Several
[6:1] 42 tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”
[6:2] 43 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).
[6:2] 44 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[6:2] 45 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[6:4] 46 tc L W Θ 0250 Ï it read ἐν τῷ φανερῷ (en tw fanerw, “openly”) at the end of this verse, giving a counterweight to what is done in secret. But this reading is suspect because of the obvious literary balance, because of detouring the point of the passage (the focus of vv. 1-4 is not on two kinds of public rewards but on human vs. divine approbation), and because of superior external testimony that lacks this reading (א B D Z Ë1,13 33 al).
[6:5] 47 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
[6:6] 48 sn The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).
[6:6] 49 tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.
[6:7] 50 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:8] 51 tn Grk “So do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[6:9] 52 sn Pray this way. What follows, although traditionally known as the Lord’s prayer, is really the disciples’ prayer. It represents how they are to approach God, by acknowledging his uniqueness and their need for his provision and protection.
[6:9] 53 sn God is addressed in terms of intimacy (Father). The original Semitic term here was probably Abba. The term is a little unusual in a personal prayer, especially as it lacks qualification. It is not the exact equivalent of “daddy” (as is sometimes popularly suggested), but it does suggest a close, familial relationship.
[6:9] 54 tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”
[6:10] 55 sn Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God’s promised rule.
[6:11] 56 tn Or “Give us bread today for the coming day,” or “Give us today the bread we need for today.” The term ἐπιούσιος (epiousio") does not occur outside of early Christian literature (other occurrences are in Luke 11:3 and Didache 8:2), so its meaning is difficult to determine. Various suggestions include “daily,” “the coming day,” and “for existence.” See BDAG 376-77 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.
[6:12] 57 tn Or “as even we.” The phrase ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes ἡμεῖς emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.
[6:13] 58 tn Or “into a time of testing.”
[6:13] 59 tc Most
[6:14] 60 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”
[6:16] 61 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:16] 62 tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”
[6:16] 63 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[6:17] 64 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:19] 65 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
[6:21] 66 tn The pronouns in this verse are singular while the pronouns in vv. 19-20 are plural. The change to singular emphasizes personal responsibility as opposed to corporate responsibility; even if others do not listen, the one who hears Jesus’ commands should obey.
[6:21] 67 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so.
[6:22] 68 tn Or “sound” (so L&N 23.132 and most scholars). A few scholars take this word to mean something like “generous” here (L&N 57.107). partly due to the immediate context concerning money, in which case the “eye” is a metonymy for the entire person (“if you are generous”).
[6:23] 69 tn Or “if your eye is sick” (L&N 23.149).
[6:24] 70 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
[6:24] 71 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
[6:24] 72 tn Grk “God and mammon.”
[6:25] 73 tn Or “do not be anxious,” and so throughout the rest of this paragraph.
[6:26] 74 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[6:26] 75 tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”
[6:26] 76 tn Grk “of more value.”
[6:27] 77 tn Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, “hour” is usually used [BDAG 812 s.v.] although “day” has been suggested [L&N 67.151]). The term ἡλικία (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as πῆχυς (phcus). Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BDAG 436 s.v. 3 for discussion). Worry about length of life seems a more natural figure than worry about height. However, the point either way is clear: Worrying adds nothing to life span or height.
[6:28] 78 tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.
[6:28] 79 tn Or, traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English reads better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.
[6:30] 80 tn Grk “grass of the field.”
[6:30] 81 tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.
[6:30] 82 sn The phrase even more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.
[6:32] 83 tn Or “unbelievers”; Grk “Gentiles.”
[6:33] 84 tc ‡ Most
[6:34] 85 tn Grk “Sufficient for the day is its evil.”
[7:1] 86 sn The point of the statement do not judge so that you will not be judged is that the standards we apply to others God applies to us. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.
[7:2] 87 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
[7:3] 88 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[7:3] 89 sn The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see L&N 3.66.
[7:3] 90 tn Or “do not notice.”
[7:3] 91 sn The term beam of wood refers to a very big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (L&N 7.78).
[7:4] 92 tn Grk “how will you say?”
[7:6] 93 tn Or “otherwise the latter will trample them under their feet and the former will turn around and tear you to pieces.” This verse is sometimes understood as a chiasm of the pattern a-b-b-a, in which the first and last clauses belong together (“dogs…turn around and tear you to pieces”) and the second and third clauses belong together (“pigs…trample them under their feet”).
[7:7] 94 sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
[7:7] 95 tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.
[7:8] 96 sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
[7:9] 97 tn Grk “Or is there.”
[7:10] 98 sn The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”
[7:11] 99 tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.
[7:11] 100 sn The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.
[7:12] 101 tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
[7:12] 102 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
[7:12] 103 sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.
