Matthew 5

Matthew 5:1

Follow me. Already disciples, they were now called to preparation for apostleship.

Matthew 5:2

Straightway left [their] nets. They obeyed at once. Thus Christ ought always to be obeyed. No excuses for delay were offered, or should ever be.

Matthew 5:3

Saw other two brethren. James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were fishermen also, are supposed to have been cousins of Jesus, probably were already disciples (John 1:29-42), but were now called to preparation for their great work. In a ship. A small fishing vessel. The Revised Version says, “boat”, which gives the idea.

Matthew 5:4

They immediately left . . . their father. At once. They had received a higher call. No earthly preference can excuse a rejection of the call of Christ.

Matthew 5:5

Jesus went about all Galilee. In Matthew 4:23-25 are condensed the labors and teaching of a long period, of which a detailed account is given in the following chapters. Teaching in their synagogues. The synagogues, the Jewish houses of worship, where the Jews met every Sabbath, furnished Jesus a congregation and a suitable place for teaching. It was customary to read the Old Testament in course, and after the reading, a teacher or a rabbi, was usually called on to speak. The custom gave Jesus, and his apostles after him, a fine opportunity to declare the New Covenant. THE SYNAGOGUE is so often named in the New Testament that one ought to clearly understand its character. It corresponded to the Christian “congregation”.

Wherever ten Jews were found it was their duty to form a synagogue. It had elders, of whom the president was called the “ruler” of the synagogue. The ruler presided over the worship, and all the elders sat on raised seats. These were “the chief seats” that the Pharisees liked to sit it. There was a set lesson from the Scriptures for each Sabbath, for they were read in order. The reader was appointed by the ruler and might be any member.

On one occasion we learn that Jesus was the reader. After the reading and prayers, there was an opportunity for any Jewish theological teacher to speak. Of this opportunity Jesus, and later, Paul often availed themselves. The service of the synagogue in our times is, in many respects, similar to that of the time of Christ. The officers of the synagogue had the power of scourging, of suspending, or of excommunicating (casting out) offenders. Preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Gospel means “good news”. He announced the good news of the speedy advent of the long expected kingdom of the Messiah. He did not, however, at this time proclaim himself to be the Messiah. Healing all manner of sickness. He sympathized with all human affliction and healed the body in order that he might heal the soul.

Matthew 5:6

His fame went throughout all Syria. The great Roman province north and east of Palestine, and, at the time of our Savior, including the latter. The cities of Damascus and Antioch were in the province. Possessed with devils. Evil spirit. Persons were actually subject to the control of demons. Of this there is the following proof: (1) Supernatural strength (Mr 5:4); (2) “Mind” is not the source of blindness (Matthew 12:22); (3) Insanity cannot “divine” (Acts 16:17); (4) Demons knew Jesus (Mr 1:24); (5) Jesus addresses the demons (Matthew 8:32); (6) Demoniacs confess this control (Mr 5:9); (7) Apostles assert it (Lu 10:17); (8) Jesus admitted it (Matthew 12:28); (9) Peter assures use of it (Acts 10:38). Lunatick. “Epileptic” in the Revised Version.

Matthew 5:7

Great multitudes of people from Galilee. The fame of his teaching and miracles cause great multitudes to gather from all Palestine. Decapolis. A district containing ten cities east of the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Notice, in the ministry of Jesus, (1) He was “active”; (2) He went “where people were”; (3) He went where the “busiest people were”–fisherman, those at work, Simon and Andrew–those preparing to work, James and John; (4) He went where “worshiping people” were; (5) He went where “needy people” were.

Matthew 5:9

The Sermon on the Mount SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 5: The Beatitudes. The Salt of the Earth. The Light of the World. The Relation of Christ to the World. The Law Not to Be Disregarded. The Law Modified. The Law of Murder. The Law of Adultery. The Law of Divorce. The Law of Oaths. The Law of Retaliation. The Law of Love. Seeing the multitudes. We gather from Lu 6:12 that the Lord passed the night in the mountain in prayer; in the morning he chose and ordained the twelve; he then came down to the plain, where he found a vast multitude, whom he taught. Went up into a mountain. Thought to be the “Horns of Hattin”, a mountain about seven miles south of Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee. When he was set. Eastern teachers usually sat while teaching. His disciples came to him. Not the apostles only, but all anxious to learn and follow him. Disciple means a learner.

Matthew 5:10

Opened his mouth, and taught. This wonderful discourse of three chapters is to the New Dispensation what the law given from Sinai was to the Old. That was the moral law of Judaism, this is the moral law of Christianity; that was given from “the Mount that could not be touched”, this from the Mount of blessing. Compare Lu 6:20-49.

Matthew 5:11

Blessed. There follows nine beatitudes, each of which pronounces a blessing upon those who have certain characteristics. The word “blessed” is first applied to God, and means more than “happy”, as it has sometimes been translated. Happiness comes from earthly things; blessedness comes from God. It is not bestowed arbitrarily; a reason follows each beatitude. The poor in spirit. The humble, in contrast with the haughty; those sensible of spiritual destitution. The same state of mind is referred to when he speaks elsewhere of a contrite and broken spirit. Is the kingdom of heaven. Such shall become members of the kingdom that Christ will establish. The Jews rejected from this kingdom on account of their spiritual pride.

Matthew 5:12

Blessed [are] they that mourn. Not all mourners, for there is “a sorrow of this world that worketh death”. Godly sorrow is meant, a mourning over sinfulness. See 2 Corinthians 7:10.

Matthew 5:13

Blessed [are] the meek. The mild, the gentle, opposed to the proud and ambitious, the kind who succeed in such a kingdom as the Jews expected. Shall inherit the earth. The land; Canaan as the type of all blessings. It is the heavenly land especially that is inherited. The especial reference is to the Messiah’s kingdom, of which “the land” of Canaan was a type.

Matthew 5:14

Blessed [are] they which do hunger, etc. This implies the same sense of spiritual needs as verses 3 and 4. Hunger is a felt want, in this case a want of righteousness before God, the righteousness that comes from the forgiveness of sins. See Lu 15:17 Matthew 5:3,4.

Matthew 5:15

Blessed [are] the merciful. The merciful, those who, instead of resenting injury, are ready to forgive, shall obtain the divine mercy. The fifth petition of the Lord’s prayer implies that we must forgive if we expect to be forgiven (Matthew 6:12).

Matthew 5:16

Blessed [are] the pure in heart. The Jew, under the tuition of the Pharisees, cared little for the state of the heart, so that outward forms were duly kept. Jesus, however, demands that the heart, the affections, the mind, shall be purified, as the fountain from whence flows the moral and religious life. A pure heart begets a pure life; an impure heart, a corrupt life. They shall see God. Not with the natural eye, but the spiritual vision; by faith. In the pure heart the Lord will dwell and his presence will be recognized. See John 14:23.

Matthew 5:17

Blessed [are] the peacemakers. Not the soldiers of a warrior king, such as the Jews expected but the men who, in the name of the Prince of Peace, go forth to proclaim peace and good will among men. Christ is the great Peacemaker.

Matthew 5:18

Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The Jews expected a conquering kingdom, and its citizens to be lords among the nations, but Christ pronounces a blessing on those who are persecuted, not for misdeeds, but for righteousness. These shall have the kingdom. Doubtless these words have sustained and cheered many a martyr.

Matthew 5:19

Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you. This is a personal application of what has just preceded. Some of those who listened were reviled by the Jews, and persecuted unto death. For my sake. In Matthew 5:10 it is said “for righteousness’ sake”. The two expressions mean the same.

Matthew 5:20

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad. On account of persecution. The reason why they may justly rejoice is given: “Great is your reward in heaven”. So they persecuted the prophets. Isaiah is said to have been sawed asunder; Jeremiah was thrown into a dungeon and threatened with death; Elijah was hunted by Ahab and Jezebel.

Matthew 5:21

Ye are the salt of the earth. Salt preserves from corruption. The disciples of Christ preserve the world from general corruption. Whatever becomes utterly corrupted is doomed to be destroyed. But if the salt have lost its savour. Salt is worthless if it has lost its qualities. It preserves no longer. It is fit only to be cast out and trodden under foot. So, too, if those who are the salt of the earth cease to communicate saving power, they are fit only to be cast out, and Christ will cast such out of his mouth. See Revelation 3:16.

Matthew 5:22

Ye are the light of the world. The business of the church is not only to save, but to enlighten. Christ is light, and his disciples must be light. A city that is set on an hill. Anciently cities, for the sake of defense, were placed on hills. Such cities are seen from afar. So must the church give forth its light.

Matthew 5:23

Light a candle, and put it under a bushel. It would be foolishness to light a lamp and put it under a bushel measure.

Matthew 5:24

Let your light so shine. Like the city set on a hill, or the lighted lamp on a stand. We are told, (1) To let our light shine. (2) Before men. (3) By good works. (4) That they may glorify the Father in heaven. Christ is the Light; we will shine reflected light if we walk in his light. If we give forth light it will honor God.

Matthew 5:25

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. The preceding verses were so opposed to the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees that some might assert that he was a destroyer of the law. He replies that he has not come to destroy it, but to fulfill. He does not say that he has come to perpetuate it. To fulfill. To complete its purpose. He was the end of the law. It was a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ”, but “after faith is come we are no longer under the schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24,25).

Matthew 5:26

Verily I say unto you. This formula always introduces a very emphatic saying. It occurs thirty times in Matthew. See notes on Mr 3:28 Lu 4:24 John 3:3. One jot or one tittle. “Jot” means the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, while “tittle” refers to a simple turn by which one letter is distinguished from another. The expression, “jot or tittle”, was proverbial for the smallest part. Till all be fulfilled. Says Dr. Schaff, ``“Till” implies that after the great events of Christ’s life, and the establishment of his kingdom, the old dispensation, as a dispensation of the letter and yoke of bondage, as a system of types and shadows, will pass away, and has passed away (Ephesians 2:15 Colossians 2:14 Hebrews 8:13); while the spirit and substance of the law, i.e., love to God and man, will last forever.''

Matthew 5:27

Shall break one of the least of these least commandments. The Pharisees taught that some commands were more important than others, and that it was a trivial matter to break the smallest commands. The papists still divide sin into “mortal” and “venial”. Christ shows that the spirit of obedience does not seek to make such distinction. Shall be called the least. He may get into the kingdom, possibly, but such a spirit will give him a very low spiritual rank.

Matthew 5:28

Your righteousness shall exceed. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees has just been referred to. See Matthew 3:7. They claimed to be the teachers and examples of righteousness, but they lacked the humble spirit of true obedience.

Matthew 5:29

Ye have heard. Jesus now gives the law a new form to adapt it to his kingdom. It takes a new, a deeper, a more spiritual shape and meaning. By them of old time. In this case, Moses. See Exodus 20:13 Deuteronomy 5:17. Thou shalt not kill. One of the ten commandments. Christ, the Divine Lawgiver, modifies it. In danger of the judgment. The civil courts. The law provided in every city a court of seven judges, who could sentence a criminal to death. See Deuteronomy 16:18.

Matthew 5:30

But I say unto you. Jehovah had spoken the Decalogue to Israel. Christ assumes the right to amend it. Such a claim is based on a claim of divinity. Whosoever is angry with his brother. Jesus goes back of the murderous act, and forbids the anger and the reproachful words that precede it and are likely to lead it. He places the murderous heart on the level of actual murder. Raca. An epithet of contempt; “empty head”, or “spit out”, that is, a heretic. The council. The Sanhedrin, the highest court of Israel. It corresponded to our Supreme Court, and had seventy members. Thou fool. The original implies a stupid, wicked fool. Of hell fire. The Greek is “the Gehenna of fire”. The term “Gehenna” arose from the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the Canaanites burned human sacrifices to Moloch. After the return of the Jews from the Captivity they made it a place of defilement, where the refuse of the city was thrown and burned. The name was applied to the place of future punishment by the Jews. The word is often used in the New Testament (Matthew 23:33 5:29 10:28 18:9 Mr 9:43), and always denotes a place of future punishment.

Matthew 5:31

Therefore if thou shalt bring thy gift to the altar. This springs immediately out of the modification of the law, Thou shalt not kill, which required that there should be no anger with a brother. If about to offer a gift on the altar, and the remembrance comes that a brother hath aught against thee, leave the gift, go and make it right with him, and then offer thy gift. This shows that one guilty of wrongs to his fellow-man cannot offer acceptable worship of God.

Matthew 5:33

Agree with thine adversary quickly. By adversary is meant an opponent in a lawsuit who is supposed to have a just claim, in this case a creditor. Officer. The same as our sheriff. Under all the old laws debt could be punished with imprisonment.

Matthew 5:34

Thou shalt by no means come out from thence. After the debtor was cast into prison he was held until the debt was paid, and if it were not, he remained in prison until he died. Farthing. A small, insignificant copper coin. The warning against lawsuits is clear, but there is a higher idea still. The Lord would warn us to make everything right before it is too late. Before the judgment there is a chance; after it there is nothing but payment.

Matthew 5:35

Thou shalt not commit adultery. The Jewish rabbis held that a man was guiltless who did not commit the act. Christ, as he always did, lays the laws upon the heart. If it is impure, full of unholy desires, one is guilty. It is our duty to keep the heart pure.

Matthew 5:37

If thy right eye offend thee. The eye that giveth a lustful look. A licentious passion, or anything that tempts to sin, whether thoughts within, friends, or surroundings. Pluck it out. Cast far from you what would lead to sin. It is profitable. Better to suffer deep mortification by self-denial than to be judged worthy of hell. Thy whole body. Used for the whole man.

Matthew 5:38

If thy right hand. The same thought as in Matthew 5:29, with a new illustration.

Matthew 5:39

Whosoever shall put away his wife. The divorce laws were very lax among the Jews. A man could put away his wife “for any cause” (Matthew 19:8). Moses directed a legal letter of divorcement (Deuteronomy 24:1). Christ positively forbids divorce except for unchastity. Marriage is a divine institution, and the obligation is for life (Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 7:1-3 1 Corinthians 7:10-17).

Matthew 5:41

Thou shalt not forswear thyself. See Leviticus 19:12 Numbers 25:2. The Jews held that this only prohibited swearing falsely and by the name of God.

Matthew 5:42

Swear not at all. Christ does not forbid judicial oaths. Note, (1) God sometimes swears by himself (Genesis 22:16,17); (2) Jesus made oath before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:63); (3) Paul made oath to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:23). He does forbid all profanity and idle oaths, such as were common among the Jews, and still so defile the mouths of men. Neither by heaven. The Jews held that it was impious to swear by the name of God, but that one could swear “by heaven”, “by the earth”, “by Jerusalem”. One was God’s throne, the second his footstool, Jerusalem the city of the Messiah King, all too holy for profanation.

Matthew 5:44

By thy head. Senseless, since the oath could have no meaning. Dr. Thompson (“The Land and the Book”) says the Orientals are still terribly profane, swearing continually by the head, the beard, the heart, the temple, the church.

Matthew 5:45

Let your communication be, Yea, yea. All foolish appeals are forbidden. A simple statement is all Christ permits. Whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Indeed, it makes one doubt the truth of him who was to confirm every assertion by oath.

Matthew 5:46

An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The law quoted is found in Exodus 21:23-25 Leviticus 24:18-20. Moses intended it to protect person and property by prescribing what punishment the law should inflict. He who took a life should lose his life; he who robbed another of an eye should be punished by the loss of an eye. The Jews perverted it to justify private retaliation.

Matthew 5:47

Resist not evil. Jesus does not forbid the judicial application of the law, but personal revenge, such as was common among the Jews. Instead of turning upon those who injure us, and becoming a party to personal broils, it is the duty of Christians to suffer meekly. Turn to him the other. This must be the Christian spirit, the great law of love, which “endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). This is not a code to be slavishly observed in the letter, but its spirit must always be preserved. For the application, see John 18:22 Acts 23:3.

Matthew 5:48

If any man will sue. That is, is about to sue thee. Take away thy coat. The inner garment, the tunic or shirt. Cloke. The outer garment, the covering at night. It could not be held by a creditor (Exodus 22:26-27). Better to give it up, too, than to engage in litigation. Many a poor soul has realized this when it was too late, and the lawyers had divided his property. Avoid lawsuits.