Tree of Life Version
Matthew 5:20
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven!
Matthew 5:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For 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.
Context of Matthew 5:20
18Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven! 21“You have heard it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever commits murder shall be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca’ shall be subject to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be subject to fiery Gehenna.
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:20 word by word
λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- Thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- righteousnessὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
- shall exceedπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
- ·πλείων, πλεῖονpleiōn pleion pleon · greaterG4119
- of the scribesγραμματεύςgrammateus · scribeG1122
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- PhariseesΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
- ye shallεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- in noοὐou · noG3756
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
Cross-references for Matthew 5:20
- Matthew 23:2saying, “The Torah scholars and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses.
- Luke 11:39But the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
- Luke 12:1Meanwhile, when thousands of people had gathered, so many that they were trampling one another, Yeshua began speaking first to His disciples, “Be on guard yourselves against the hametz of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- Luke 16:14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and sneering at Yeshua.
- Luke 18:10“Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
- Luke 20:46“Beware of the Torah scholars, who like to walk around in long robes. They love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at feasts.
- Romans 9:30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness—that is, a righteousness of faith.
- Romans 10:2For I testify about them that they have zeal for God—but not based on knowledge.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- Philippians 3:9and be found in Him not having my righteousness derived from Torah, but one that is through trusting in Messiah—the righteousness from God based on trust.
- Matthew 3:10Already the axe is laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire!
- Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
- Matthew 18:5And whoever welcomes one such child in My name, welcomes Me.
- Mark 10:15Amen, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it!”
- Luke 18:17Amen, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
- John 3:3Yeshua answered him, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Commentaries on Matthew 5:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Except your righteousness shall exceed - , Unless your righteousness abound more - unless it take in, not only the letter, but the spirit and design of the moral and ritual precept; the one directing you how to walk so as to please God; the other pointing out Christ, the great Atonement, through and by which a sinner is enabled to do so - more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, who only attend to the letter of the law, and had indeed made even that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Your righteousness - Your holiness; your views of the nature of righteousness, and your conduct and lives. Unless you are more holy than they are, you cannot be saved. Shall exceed - Shall excel, or abound more. The righteousness of true Christians is seated in the heart, and is therefore genuine. Jesus means that unless they had more real holiness of character than the scribes and Pharisees, they could not be saved. The righteousness of the scribes and…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. 20Unless your righteousness exceeds: The disciples of Jesus need a new kind of righteousness that only he teaches and makes possible. Matthew 5:21–47 shows this and 5:48 summarizes what it is. This righteousness is different in amount and quality. Jesus is greater than the temple (12:6) and Jonah (12:41). So, the righteousness of his disciples must greatly surpass that of the Jewish religious teachers and Pharisees (see 3:7–9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees--The superiority to the Pharisaic righteousness here required is plainly in kind, not degree; for all Scripture teaches that entrance into God's kingdom, whether in its present or future stage, depends, not on the degree of our excellence in anything, but solely on our having the character itself which God demands. Our righteousness, then--if…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:20
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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