New American Standard Bible 2020

Matthew 5:3-48

3“1 2Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 3theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4“Blessed are 4those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5“Blessed are 5the 6gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

6“Blessed are 7those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

7“Blessed are 8the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8“Blessed are 9the pure in heart, for 10they will see God.

9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for 11they will be called sons of God.

10“Blessed are those who have been 12persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for 13theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when people 14insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for 15in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13“You are the salt of the earth; but 16if the salt has become tasteless, how 17can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.

14“You are 18the light of the world. A city set on a 19hill cannot be hidden; 15 20nor do people light a lamp and put it under a 21basket, 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 22see your good works, and 23glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17“Do not presume that I came to abolish the 24Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18For truly I say to you, 25until heaven and earth pass away, not 26the 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 27others to do the same, shall be called least 28in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever 29keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20“For I say to you that unless your 30righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

21“31You have heard that 32the ancients were told, ‘33You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to 34the court.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to 35the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘36You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to 37 38the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the 39 40fiery hell. 23Therefore, if you are 41presenting your 42offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your 43offering there before the altar and go; first be 44reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your 45offering. 25 46 47Come 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, 48you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last 49quadrans.

27“50You have heard that it was said, ‘51You shall not commit adultery’; 28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman 52with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29Now 53if 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, 54than for your whole body to be thrown into 55 56hell. 30And 57if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you 58to lose one of the parts of your body, 59than for your whole body to go into 60 61hell.

31“Now it was said, ‘62Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 63but I say to you that everyone who 64divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a 65divorced woman commits adultery.

33“Again, 66you have heard that 67the ancients were told, ‘68 69You shall not 70make false vows, but shall fulfill your 71vows to the Lord.’ 34But I say to you, 72take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is 73the throne of God, 35nor by the earth, for it is the 74footstool of His feet, nor 75by Jerusalem, for it is 76the 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, ‘77Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is 78of 79evil origin.

38“80You have heard that it was said, ‘81Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but 82whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. 40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your 83tunic, let him have your 84cloak also. 41Whoever 85forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 86Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43“87You have heard that it was said, ‘88You shall love your neighbor 89and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, 90love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may prove yourselves to be 91sons 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 92if 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 93you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Read all of Matthew 5

Notes

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

Notes

Commentaries on Matthew 5