New American Standard Bible 2020

Matthew 5:14-48

14“You are 1the light of the world. A city set on a 2hill cannot be hidden; 15 3nor do people light a lamp and put it under a 4basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may 5see your good works, and 6glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17“Do not presume that I came to abolish the 7Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18For truly I say to you, 8until heaven and earth pass away, not 9the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! 19Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches 10others to do the same, shall be called least 11in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever 12keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20“For I say to you that unless your 13righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

21“14You have heard that 15the ancients were told, ‘16You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to 17the court.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to 18the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘19You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to 20 21the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the 22 23fiery hell. 23Therefore, if you are 24presenting your 25offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your 26offering there before the altar and go; first be 27reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your 28offering. 25 29 30Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. 26Truly I say to you, 31you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last 32quadrans.

27“33You have heard that it was said, ‘34You shall not commit adultery’; 28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman 35with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29Now 36if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, 37than for your whole body to be thrown into 38 39hell. 30And 40if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you 41to lose one of the parts of your body, 42than for your whole body to go into 43 44hell.

31“Now it was said, ‘45Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 46but I say to you that everyone who 47divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a 48divorced woman commits adultery.

33“Again, 49you have heard that 50the ancients were told, ‘51 52You shall not 53make false vows, but shall fulfill your 54vows to the Lord.’ 34But I say to you, 55take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is 56the throne of God, 35nor by the earth, for it is the 57footstool of His feet, nor 58by Jerusalem, for it is 59the city of the great King. 36Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37But make sure your statement is, ‘60Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is 61of 62evil origin.

38“63You have heard that it was said, ‘64Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but 65whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. 40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your 66tunic, let him have your 67cloak also. 41Whoever 68forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 69Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43“70You have heard that it was said, ‘71You shall love your neighbor 72and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, 73love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may prove yourselves to be 74sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46For 75if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? 48Therefore 76you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Read all of Matthew 5

Notes

1. Matthew 5:14 Prov 4:18; John 8:12; 9:5; 12:36 ↩
2. Matthew 5:14 Or mountain ↩
3. Matthew 5:15 Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33; Phil 2:15 ↩
4. Matthew 5:15 Lit peck-measure ↩
5. Matthew 5:16 1 Pet 2:12 ↩
6. Matthew 5:16 Matt 9:8 ↩
7. Matthew 5:17 Matt 7:12 ↩
8. Matthew 5:18 Matt 24:35; Luke 16:17 ↩
9. Matthew 5:18 Lit one iota (Heb yodh) or one projection (serif) ↩
10. Matthew 5:19 Lit people ↩
11. Matthew 5:19 Matt 11:11 ↩
12. Matthew 5:19 Lit does ↩
13. Matthew 5:20 Luke 18:11, 12 ↩
14. Matthew 5:21 Matt 5:27, 33, 38, 43 ↩
15. Matthew 5:21 Lit it was said to the ancients ↩
16. Matthew 5:21 Ex 20:13; Deut 5:17 ↩
17. Matthew 5:21 Deut 16:18; 2 Chr 19:5f ↩
18. Matthew 5:22 Deut 16:18; 2 Chr 19:5f ↩
19. Matthew 5:22 Or You empty-head; Gr Raka (Raca) from Aramaic reqa ↩
20. Matthew 5:22 Lit the Sanhedrin; i.e., Jewish High Court ↩
21. Matthew 5:22 Matt 10:17; 26:59; Mark 13:9; 14:55; 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47; Acts 4:15; 5:21; 6:12; 22:30; 23:1; 24:20 ↩
22. Matthew 5:22 Lit Gehenna of fire ↩
23. Matthew 5:22 Matt 5:29f; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43ff; Luke 12:5; James 3:6 ↩
24. Matthew 5:23 Matt 5:24 ↩
25. Matthew 5:23 Or gift ↩
26. Matthew 5:24 Or gift ↩
27. Matthew 5:24 Rom 12:17, 18 ↩
28. Matthew 5:24 Or gift ↩
29. Matthew 5:25 I.e., settle the case ↩
30. Matthew 5:25 Prov 25:8f; Luke 12:58 ↩
31. Matthew 5:26 Luke 12:59 ↩
32. Matthew 5:26 A small Roman copper coin, worth about 1/64 of a laborer’s daily wage ↩
33. Matthew 5:27 Matt 5:21, 33, 38, 43 ↩
34. Matthew 5:27 Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18 ↩
35. Matthew 5:28 2 Sam 11:2-5; Job 31:1; Matt 15:19; James 1:14, 15 ↩
36. Matthew 5:29 Matt 18:9; Mark 9:47 ↩
37. Matthew 5:29 Lit and that your whole body not be ↩
38. Matthew 5:29 Gr Gehenna ↩
39. Matthew 5:29 Matt 5:22 ↩
40. Matthew 5:30 Matt 18:8; Mark 9:43 ↩
41. Matthew 5:30 Lit that one...be lost ↩
42. Matthew 5:30 Lit and not your whole body ↩
43. Matthew 5:30 Gr Gehenna ↩
44. Matthew 5:30 Matt 5:22 ↩
45. Matthew 5:31 Deut 24:1, 3; Jer 3:1; Matt 19:7; Mark 10:4 ↩
46. Matthew 5:32 Matt 19:9; Mark 10:11f; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor 7:11f ↩
47. Matthew 5:32 Lit sends away, the Heb term for divorce ↩
48. Matthew 5:32 Lit woman sent away ↩
49. Matthew 5:33 Matt 5:21, 27, 38, 43; 23:16ff ↩
50. Matthew 5:33 Lit it was said to the ancients ↩
51. Matthew 5:33 you and your are singular here ↩
52. Matthew 5:33 Lev 19:12; Num 30:2; Deut 23:21, 23 ↩
53. Matthew 5:33 Or break your vows ↩
54. Matthew 5:33 Lit oaths ↩
55. Matthew 5:34 James 5:12 ↩
56. Matthew 5:34 Is 66:1; Matt 23:22 ↩
57. Matthew 5:35 Is 66:1; Acts 7:49 ↩
58. Matthew 5:35 Or toward ↩
59. Matthew 5:35 Ps 48:2 ↩
60. Matthew 5:37 I.e., a clear “yes” or “no” ↩
61. Matthew 5:37 Or from the evil one ↩
62. Matthew 5:37 Matt 6:13; 13:19, 38; John 17:15; 2 Thess 3:3; 1 John 2:13f; 3:12; 5:18f ↩
63. Matthew 5:38 Matt 5:21, 27, 33, 43 ↩
64. Matthew 5:38 Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21 ↩
65. Matthew 5:39 Matt 5:39-42: Luke 6:29, 30; 1 Cor 6:7 ↩
66. Matthew 5:40 A long shirt worn next to the skin ↩
67. Matthew 5:40 Or outer garment ↩
68. Matthew 5:41 Lit will force ↩
69. Matthew 5:42 Deut 15:7-11; Luke 6:34f; 1 Tim 6:18 ↩
70. Matthew 5:43 Matt 5:21, 27, 33, 38 ↩
71. Matthew 5:43 Lev 19:18 ↩
72. Matthew 5:43 Deut 23:3-6 ↩
73. Matthew 5:44 Luke 6:27f; 23:34; Acts 7:60; Rom 12:20 ↩
74. Matthew 5:45 Matt 5:9; Luke 6:35; Acts 14:17 ↩
75. Matthew 5:46 Luke 6:32 ↩
76. Matthew 5:48 Lev 19:2; Deut 18:13; 2 Cor 7:1; Phil 3:12-15 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Matthew 5