New King James Version
Matthew 5:19
19Whoever 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Context of Matthew 5:19
17“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 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. 20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Whosoeverὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- ·ἐάνean · ifG1437
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- shall breakλύωluō · to looseG3089
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- of theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- leastἐλάχιστοςelachistos · leastG1646
- commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- shall teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- shall be calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- butδέde · thenG1161
- ·ἄνan · ifG302
- shall doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
Cross-references for Matthew 5:19
- Deuteronomy 27:26‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
- Psalms 119:6Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.
- Galatians 3:10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
- James 2:10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
- Matthew 23:23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
- Deuteronomy 12:32“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
- Luke 11:42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
- Matthew 15:3He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
- Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’
- Malachi 2:8But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the Lord of hosts.
- Romans 3:8And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
- Romans 6:1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
- 1 Timothy 6:3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
- Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
- Matthew 11:11“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
- 1 Samuel 2:30Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries