New Living Translation
Matthew 5:18
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.
Matthew 5:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
- New International Version (NIV)For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For 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.
Context of Matthew 5:18
16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 17“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19So 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. 20“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:18 word by word
ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- Tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- ·ἄνan · ifG302
- heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- passπαρέρχομαιparerchomai · to pass byG3928
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- jotἰῶταiōta · iotaG2503
- orἤē · orG2228
- tittleκεραίαkeraia · tittleG2762
- in noοὐou · noG3756
- wiseμήmē · notG3361
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- be fulfilledγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
Cross-references for Matthew 5:18
- Matthew 5:26And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
- Matthew 6:2When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
- Matthew 8:10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
- Matthew 10:15I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
- Matthew 11:11“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!
- Matthew 13:17I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
- Matthew 16:28And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
- Matthew 17:20“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
- Matthew 18:3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Matthew 19:23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Matthew 21:21Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
- Matthew 23:36I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.
- Matthew 24:2But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
- Matthew 25:12“But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
- Matthew 26:13I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
- Mark 3:28“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven,
Commentaries on Matthew 5:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven - In the very commencement of his ministry, Jesus Christ teaches the instability of all visible things. "The heaven which you see, and which is so glorious, and the earth which you inhabit and love, shall pass away; for the things which are seen are temporal, , are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal , ever-during," 2 Corinthians 4:18. And the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. One jot or one…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Verily - Truly, certainly. A word of strong affirmation. Till heaven and earth pass - This expression denotes that the law never would be destroyed until it should be all fulfilled. It is the same as saying everything else may change; the very earth and heaven may pass away, but the law of God shall not be destroyed until its whole design has been accomplished. One jot - The word “jot,” or yod(י y), is the name of the Hebrew letter I, the smallest letter…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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. For verily I say unto you--Here, for the first time, does that august expression occur in our Lord's recorded teaching, with which we have grown so familiar as hardly to reflect on its full import. It is the expression manifestly, of supreme legislative authority; and as the subject in connection with which it is uttered is the Moral Law, no higher claim to an authority strictly divine could be advanced. For when we observe how jealously Jehovah…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:18
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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