American Standard Version
Matthew 5:19
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Context of Matthew 5:19
17Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:19 word by word
Ὃς ἐὰν οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν.Read the interlinear
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- breakλύωluō · to looseG3089
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- leastἐλάχιστοςelachistos · leastG1646
- commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
- teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
Cross-references for Matthew 5:19
- Deuteronomy 27:26Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
- Psalms 119:6Then shall I not be put to shame, When I have respect unto all thy commandments.
- Galatians 3:10For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
- James 2:10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.
- Matthew 23:23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
- Deuteronomy 12:32What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
- Luke 11:42But woe unto you Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over justice and the love of God: but these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
- Matthew 15:3And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
- Matthew 23:16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
- Malachi 2:8But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.
- Romans 3:8and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just.
- Romans 6:1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
- 1 Timothy 6:3If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
- Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
- Matthew 11:11Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
- 1 Samuel 2:30Therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Commentaries on Matthew 5:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Whosoever - 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 Matthew 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Whosoever 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 Matthew 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-20Verses 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, till he repents of his evil deeds. The mercy revealed in the gospel leads the believer to still deeper self-abhorrence. The law is the Christian's rule of duty, and he delights therein. If a man, pretending to be Christ's disciple, encourages himself in any allowed disobedience to the holy law…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19The fulfillment of the Law in Christ means that his disciples must obey all of his commands (see Matthew 28:20). commandments: This refers to Old Testament commands (5:18) now fulfilled in Christ's teachings (see 5:21–48). least in the kingdom of heaven: Jesus may mean that such a person will still enter the kingdom, but only barely and with low status. Another view, based on some Jewish evidence, is that he means eternal exclusion or damnation (compare…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Whosoever therefore shall break--rather, "dissolve," "annul," or "make invalid." one of these least commandments--an expression equivalent to "one of the least of these commandments." and shall teach men so--referring to the Pharisees and their teaching, as is plain from Mt 5:20, but of course embracing all similar schools and teaching in the Christian Church. he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven--As the thing spoken of is not the…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries