Matthew 5:19

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 King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Matthew 5:19

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. 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. 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. 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! 21“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’

Matthew 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 anyone who does not affirm and obey the terms of these instructions.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
• Psalms 119:6Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.
• Galatians 3:10But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
• James 2:10For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
• Matthew 23:23“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
• Deuteronomy 12:32“So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.
• Luke 11:42“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
• Matthew 15:3Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?
• Matthew 23:16“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’
• Malachi 2:8But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Romans 3:8And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
• Romans 6:1Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
• 1 Timothy 6:3Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life.
• Revelation 2:14“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.
• 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!
• 1 Samuel 2:30“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.

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

• Church
• Doctrines
• Instruction
• Judaism
• Law
• Minister, Christian
• Obedience
• Religion
• Teachers
• Temptation
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Communication
• Decalogue
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit

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