Darby Bible
Matthew 5:48
48Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
- New International Version (NIV)Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Context of Matthew 5:48
46For if ye should love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not also the tax-gatherers the same? 47And if ye should salute your brethren only, what do ye extraordinary? Do not also the Gentiles the same? Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:48 word by word
ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 5:48
- Genesis 17:1And Abram was ninety-nine years old, when Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said to him, I [am] the Almighty God: walk before my face, and be perfect.
- Leviticus 11:44For I am Jehovah your God; and ye shall hallow yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy; and ye shall not make yourselves unclean through any manner of crawling thing which creepeth on the earth.
- Leviticus 19:2Speak unto all the assembly of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Holy shall ye be, for I Jehovah your God am holy.
- Leviticus 20:26And ye shall be holy unto me; for I Jehovah am holy, and have separated you from the peoples to be mine.
- Deuteronomy 18:13Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.
- Job 1:1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil.
- Psalms 37:37Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of [that] man is peace;
- Luke 6:36Be ye therefore merciful, even as your Father also is merciful.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God's fear.
- 2 Corinthians 13:9For we rejoice when we may be weak and ye may be powerful. But this also we pray for, your perfecting.
- Philippians 3:12Not that I have already obtained [the prize], or am already perfected; but I pursue, if also I may get possession [of it], seeing that also I have been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus].
- Colossians 1:28whom we announce, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, to the end that we may present every man perfect in Christ.
- Colossians 4:12Epaphras, who is [one] of you, [the] bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you, always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all [the] will of God.
- James 1:4But let endurance have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
- 1 Peter 1:15but as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all [your] conversation;
- Matthew 5:16Let your light thus shine before men, so that they may see your upright works, and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.
Commentaries on Matthew 5:48
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 48Be ye therefore perfect - as your Father - God himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which he recommends to his children. The words are very emphatic, , Ye shall be therefore perfect - ye shall be filled with the spirit of that God whose name is Mercy, and whose nature is love. God has many imitators of his power, independence, justice, etc., but few of his love, condescension, and kindness. He calls himself Love, to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 48Be ye therefore perfect - The Saviour concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be “perfect.” This word commonly means “finished, complete, pure, holy.” Originally, it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to people, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, where no part is defective or wanting. Thus, Job Job 1:1 is said to be “perfect;” that is, not holy as God, or…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 43-48Verses 43-48 The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 48This verse connects 5:20–48 as a single unit (see study note on Matthew 4:23–25). be perfect: The word “perfect” means maturity, wholeness, and full devotion to God. It describes a complete response to the message of Jesus about the kingdom (19:21; Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 3:15; Colossians 1:28; 4:12; 1 John 4:18). True perfection has love at its center (see Luke 6:36).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4848. Be ye therefore--rather, "Ye shall therefore be," or "Ye are therefore to be," as My disciples and in My kingdom. perfect--or complete. Manifestly, our Lord here speaks, not of degrees of excellence, but of the kind of excellence which was to distinguish His disciples and characterize His kingdom. When therefore He adds, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect--He refers to that full-orbed glorious completeness which is in the great Divine…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:48
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
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