00100
 \\That have been persecuted for righteousness' sake\\ (\\hoi\\
 \\dedi“gmenoi heneken dikaiosunˆs\\). Posing as persecuted is a
 favourite stunt. The kingdom of heaven belongs only to those who
 suffer for the sake of goodness, not who are guilty of wrong.

00101
 \\Falsely, for my sake\\ (\\pseudomenoi heneken emou\\). Codex Bezae
 changes the order of these last Beatitudes, but that is
 immaterial. What does matter is that the bad things said of
 Christ's followers shall be untrue and that they are slandered
 for Christ's sake. Both things must be true before one can wear a
 martyr's crown and receive the great reward (\\misthos\\) in heaven.
 No prize awaits one there who deserves all the evil said of him
 and done to him here.

00102
00103
 \\Lost its savour\\ (\\m“ranthˆi\\). The verb is from \\m“ros\\ (dull,
 sluggish, stupid, foolish) and means to play the fool, to become
 foolish, of salt become tasteless, insipid
 # Mr 9:50
 It is common in Syria and Palestine to see salt scattered in
 piles on the ground because it has lost its flavour, "hae tint
 its tang" (_Braid Scots_), the most worthless thing imaginable.
 Jesus may have used here a current proverb.

00104
00105
 \\Under the bushel\\ (\\hupo ton modion\\). Not a bushel. "The figure is
 taken from lowly cottage life. There was a projecting stone in
 the wall on which the lamp was set. The house consisted of a
 single room, so that the tiny light sufficed for all" (Bruce). It
 was not put under the bushel (the only one in the room) save to
 put it out or to hide it. The bushel was an earthenware grain
 measure. "\\The stand\\" (\\tˆn luchnian\\), not "candlestick." It is
 "lamp-stand" in each of the twelve examples in the Bible. There
 was the one lamp-stand for the single room.

00106
 \\Even so\\ (\\hout“s\\). The adverb points backward to the lamp-stand.
 Thus men are to let their light shine, not to glorify themselves,
 but "your Father in heaven." Light shines to see others by, not
 to call attention to itself.

00107
 \\I came not to destroy, but to fulfil\\ (\\ouk ˆlthon katalusai alla\\
 \\plˆr“sai\\). The verb "destroy" means to "loosen down" as of a
 house or tent
 # 2Co 5:1
 Fulfil is to fill full. This Jesus did to the ceremonial law
 which pointed to him and the moral law he kept. "He came to fill
 the law, to reveal the full depth of meaning that it was intended
 to hold" (McNeile).

00108
 \\One jot or one tittle\\ (\\i“ta hen ˆ mia kerea\\). "Not an iota, not a
 comma" (Moffatt), "not the smallest letter, not a particle"
 (Weymouth). The iota is the smallest Greek vowel, which Matthew
 here uses to represent the Hebrew _yod_ (jot), the smallest
 Hebrew letter. "Tittle" is from the Latin _titulus_ which came to
 mean the stroke above an abbreviated word, then any small mark.
 It is not certain here whether \\kerea\\ means a little horn, the
 mere point which distinguishes some Hebrew letters from others or
 the "hook" letter _Vav_. Sometimes _yod_ and _vav_ were hardly
 distinguishable. "In _Vay_. R. 19 the guilt of altering one of
 them is pronounced so great that if it were done the world would
 be destroyed" (McNeile).

00109
 \\Shall do and teach\\ (\\poiˆsˆi kai didaxˆi\\). Jesus puts practice
 before preaching. The teacher must apply the doctrine to himself
 before he is qualified to teach others. The scribes and Pharisees
 were men who "say and do not"
 # Mt 23:3
 who preach but do not perform. This is Christ's test of
 greatness.

00110
 \\Shall exceed\\ (\\perisseusˆi pleion\\). Overflow like a river out of
 its banks and then Jesus adds "more" followed by an unexpressed
 ablative (\\tˆs dikaiosunˆs\\), brachylogy. A daring statement on
 Christ's part that they had to be better than the rabbis. They
 must excel the scribes, the small number of regular teachers
 # 5:21-48
 and the Pharisees in the Pharisaic life
 # 6:1-18
 who were the separated ones, the orthodox pietists.

00111
00112
 \\But I say unto you\\ (\\eg“ de leg“ humin\\). Jesus thus assumes a tone
 of superiority over the Mosaic regulations and proves it in each
 of the six examples. He goes further than the Law into the very
 heart. "\\Raca\\" (\\Raka\\) and "\\Thou fool\\" (\\M“re\\). The first is
 probably an Aramaic word meaning "Empty," a frequent word for
 contempt. The second word is Greek (dull, stupid) and is a fair
 equivalent of "raca." It is urged by some that \\m“re\\ is a Hebrew
 word, but Field (_Otium Norvicense_) objects to that idea.
 "_Raca_ expresses contempt for a man's head=you stupid! _M“re_
 expresses contempt for his heart and character=you scoundrel"
 (Bruce).  "\\The hell of fire\\" (\\tˆn geennan tou puros\\), "the
 Gehenna of fire," the genitive case (\\tou puros\\) as the genus case
 describing Gehenna as marked by fire. Gehenna is the Valley of
 Hinnom where the fire burned continually. Here idolatrous Jews
 once offered their children to Molech
 # 2Ki 23:10
 Jesus finds one cause of murder to be abusive language. Gehenna
 "should be carefully distinguished from Hades (\\hƒidˆs\\) which is
 never used for the place of punishment, but for the _place of
 departed spirits_, without reference to their moral condition"
 (Vincent). The place of torment is in Hades
 # Lu 16:23
 but so is heaven.

00113
00114
 \\First be reconciled\\ (\\pr“ton diallagˆthi\\). Second aorist passive
 imperative. Get reconciled (ingressive aorist, take the
 initiative). Only example of this compound in the New Testament
 where usually \\katallass“\\ occurs. Deissmann (_Light from the
 Ancient East_, p. 187, New Ed.) gives a papyrus example second
 century A.D. A prodigal son, Longinus, writes to his mother
 Nilus: "I beseech thee, mother, be reconciled (\\dialagˆti\\) with
 me." The boy is a poor speller, but with a broken heart he uses
 the identical form that Jesus does. "The verb denotes mutual
 concession after mutual hostility, an idea absent from
 \\katallass“\\" (Lightfoot). This because of \\dia\\ (two, between two).

00115
 \\Agree with\\ (\\isthi euno“n\\). A present periphrastic active
 imperative. The verb is from \\eunoos\\ (friendly, kindly disposed).
 "Mak up wi' yere enemy" (_Braid Scots_). Compromise is better
 than prison where no principle is involved, but only personal
 interest. It is so easy to see principle where pride is involved.
 \\The officer\\ (\\t“i hupˆretˆi\\). This word means "under rower" on the
 ship with several ranks of rowers, the bottom rower (\\hupo\\ under
 and \\ˆress“\\, to row), the galley-slave, then any servant, the
 attendant in the synagogue
 # Lu 4:20
 Luke so describes John Mark in his relation to Barnabas and Saul
 # Ac 13:5
 Then it is applied to the "ministers of the word"
 # Lu 1:2

00116
 \\The last farthing\\ (\\ton eschaton kodrantˆn\\). A Latin word,
 _quadrans, 1/4 of an _as_ (\\assarion\\) or two mites
 # Mr 12:42
 a vivid picture of inevitable punishment for debt. This is
 emphasized by the strong double negative \\ou mˆ\\ with the aorist
 subjunctive.

00117
 \\Thou shalt not commit adultery\\ (\\ou moicheuseis\\). These quotations
 (verses
 # 21,27,33
 from the Decalogue
 # Ex 20
 and
 # De 5
 are from the Septuagint and use \\ou\\ and the future indicative
 (volitive future, common Greek idiom). In
 # 5:43
 the positive form, volitive future, occurs (\\agapˆseis\\). In
 # 5:41
 the third person (\\dot“\\) singular second aorist active imperative
 is used. In
 # 5:38
 no verb occurs.

00118
 \\In his heart\\ (\\en tˆi kardiƒi autou\\). Not just the centre of the
 blood circulation though it means that. Not just the emotional
 part of man's nature, but here the inner man including the
 intellect, the affections, the will. This word is exceedingly
 common in the New Testament and repays careful study always. It
 is from a root that means to quiver or palpitate. Jesus locates
 adultery in the eye and heart before the outward act. Wunsche
 (_Beitrage_) quotes two pertinent rabbinical sayings as
 translated by Bruce: "The eye and the heart are the two brokers
 of sin." "Passions lodge only in him who sees." Hence the peril
 of lewd pictures and plays to the pure.

00119
 \\Causeth thee to stumble\\ (\\skandalizei se\\). This is far better than
 the Authorized Version "_Offend thee_."  _Braid Scots_ has it
 rightly "ensnare ye." It is not the notion of giving offence or
 provoking, but of setting a trap or snare for one. The
 substantive (\\skandalon\\, from \\skandalˆthron\\) means the stick in
 the trap that springs and closes the trap when the animal touches
 it. Pluck out the eye when it is a snare, cut off the hand, even
 the right hand. These vivid pictures are not to be taken
 literally, but powerfully plead for self-mastery. Bengel says:
 _Non oculum, sed scandalizentem oculum_. It is not mutilating of
 the body that Christ enjoins, but control of the body against
 sin. The man who plays with fire will get burnt. Modern surgery
 finely illustrates the teaching of Jesus. The tonsils, the teeth,
 the appendix, to go no further, if left diseased, will destroy
 the whole body. Cut them out in time and the life will be saved.
 Vincent notes that "the words scandal and slander are both
 derived from \\skandalon\\. And Wyc. renders, 'if thy right eye
 _slander_ thee.'" Certainly slander is a scandal and a
 stumbling-block, a trap, and a snare.

00120
00121
 \\A writing of divorcement\\ (\\apostasion\\), "a divorce certificate"
 (Moffatt), "a written notice of divorce" (Weymouth). The Greek is
 an abbreviation of \\biblion apostasiou\\
 # Ma 19:7; Mr 10:4
 Vulgate has here _libellum repudii_. The papyri use \\suggraphˆ\\
 \\apostasiou\\ in commercial transactions as "a bond of release" (see
 Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_, etc.) The written notice
 (\\biblion\\) was a protection to the wife against an angry whim of
 the husband who might send her away with no paper to show for it.

00122
 \\Saving for the cause of fornication\\ (\\parektos logou porneias\\). An
 unusual phrase that perhaps means "except for a matter of
 unchastity." "Except on the ground of unchastity" (Weymouth),
 "except unfaithfulness" (Goodspeed), and is equivalent to \\mˆ epi\\
 \\porneiƒi\\ in
 # Mt 19:9
 McNeile denies that Jesus made this exception because Mark and
 Luke do not give it. He claims that the early Christians made the
 exception to meet a pressing need, but one fails to see the force
 of this charge against Matthew's report of the words of Jesus. It
 looks like criticism to meet modern needs.

00123
00124
 \\Swear not at all\\ (\\mˆ omosai hol“s\\). More exactly "not to swear at
 all" (indirect command, and aorist infinitive). Certainly Jesus
 does not prohibit oaths in a court of justice for he himself
 answered Caiaphas on oath. Paul made solemn appeals to God
 # 1Th 5:27; 1Co 15:31
 Jesus prohibits all forms of profanity. The Jews were
 past-masters in the art of splitting hairs about allowable and
 forbidden oaths or forms of profanity just as modern Christians
 employ a great variety of vernacular "cuss-words" and excuse
 themselves because they do not use the more flagrant forms.

00125
00126
00127
00128
 \\An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth\\ (\\ophthalmon anti\\
 \\ophthalmou kai odonta anti odontos\\). Note \\anti\\ with the notion of
 exchange or substitution. The quotation is from
 # Ex 21:24; De 19:21; Le 24:20
 Like divorce this _jus talionis_ is a restriction upon
 unrestrained vengeance. "It limited revenge by fixing an exact
 compensation for an injury" (McNeile). A money payment is allowed
 in the Mishna. The law of retaliation exists in Arabia today.

00129
 \\Resist not him that is evil\\ (\\me antistˆnai t“i ponˆr“i\\). Here
 again it is the infinitive (second aorist active) in indirect
 command. But is it "the evil man" or the "evil deed"? The dative
 case is the same form for masculine and neuter. Weymouth puts it
 "not to resist a (the) wicked man," Moffatt "not to resist an
 injury," Goodspeed "not to resist injury." The examples will go
 with either view. Jesus protested when smitten on the cheek
 # Joh 18:22
 And Jesus denounced the Pharisees
 # Mt 23
 and fought the devil always. The language of Jesus is bold and
 picturesque and is not to be pressed too literally. Paradoxes
 startle and make us think. We are expected to fill in the other
 side of the picture. One thing certainly is meant by Jesus and
 that is that personal revenge is taken out of our hands, and that
 applies to "lynch-law." Aggressive or offensive war by nations is
 also condemned, but not necessarily defensive war or defence
 against robbery and murder. Professional pacifism may be mere
 cowardice.

00130
 \\Thy coat ... thy cloke also\\ (\\ton chit“na sou kai to himation\\).
 The "coat" is really a sort of shirt or undergarment and would be
 demanded at law. A robber would seize first the outer garment or
 cloke (one coat). If one loses the undergarment at law, the outer
 one goes also (the more valuable one).

00131
 \\Shall compel thee\\ (\\aggareusei\\). The Vulgate has _angariaverit_.
 The word is of Persian origin and means public couriers or
 mounted messengers (\\aggaroi\\) who were stationed by the King of
 Persia at fixed localities, with horses ready for use, to send
 royal messages from one to another. So if a man is passing such a
 post-station, an official may rush out and compel him to go back
 to another station to do an errand for the king. This was called
 impressment into service. This very thing was done to Simon of
 Cyrene who was thus compelled to carry the cross of Christ
 # Mt 27:32
 \\ˆggareusan\\).

00132
 \\Turn not thou away\\ (\\mˆ apostraphˆis\\). Second aorist passive
 subjunctive in prohibition. "This is one of the clearest
 instances of the necessity of accepting the spirit and not the
 letter of the Lord's commands (see vv.
 # 32,34,38
 Not only does indiscriminate almsgiving do little but injury to
 society, but the words must embrace far more than almsgiving"
 (McNeile). Recall again that Jesus is a popular teacher and
 expects men to understand his paradoxes. In the organized
 charities of modern life we are in danger of letting the milk of
 human kindness dry up.

00133
 \\And hate thine enemy\\ (\\kai misˆseis\\). This phrase is not in
 # Le 19:18
 but is a rabbinical inference which Jesus repudiates bluntly. The
 Talmud says nothing of love to enemies. Paul in
 # Ro 12:20
 quotes
 # Pr 25:22
 to prove that we ought to treat our enemies kindly. Jesus taught
 us to pray for our enemies and did it himself even when he hung
 upon the cross. Our word "neighbour" is "nigh-bor," one who is
 nigh or near like the Greek word \\plˆsion\\ here. But proximity
 often means strife and not love. Those who have adjoining farms
 or homes may be positively hostile in spirit. The Jews came to
 look on members of the same tribe as neighbours as even Jews
 everywhere. But they hated the Samaritans who were half Jews and
 lived between Judea and Galilee. Jesus taught men how to act as
 neighbours by the parable of the Good Samaritan
 # Lu 10:29

00134
00135
00136
00137
00138
 \\Perfect\\ (\\teleioi\\). The word comes from \\telos\\, end, goal, limit.
 Here it is the goal set before us, the absolute standard of our
 Heavenly Father. The word is used also for relative perfection as
 of adults compared with children.
00139
 \\Take heed\\ (\\prosechete\\). The Greek idiom includes "mind" (\\noun\\)
 which is often expressed in ancient Greek and once in the
 Septuagint
 # Job 7:17
 In the New Testament the substantive \\nous\\ is understood. It means
 to "hold the mind on a matter," take pains, take heed.
 "Righteousness" (\\dikaiosunˆn\\) is the correct text in this verse.
 Three specimens of the Pharisaic "righteousness" are given (alms,
 prayer, fasting). \\To be seen\\ (\\theathˆnai\\). First aorist passive
 infinitive of purpose. Our word _theatrical_ is this very word,
 spectacular performance. \\With your Father\\ (\\para t“i patri hum“n\\).
 Literally "beside your Father," standing by his side, as he looks
 at it.

00140
 \\Sound not a trumpet\\ (\\mˆ salpisˆis\\). Is this literal or
 metaphorical? No actual instance of such conduct has been found
 in the Jewish writings. McNeile suggests that it may refer to the
 blowing of trumpets in the streets on the occasion of public
 fasts. Vincent suggests the thirteen trumpet-shaped chests of the
 temple treasury to receive contributions
 # Lu 21:2
 But at Winona Lake one summer a missionary from India named
 Levering stated to me that he had seen Hindu priests do precisely
 this very thing to get a crowd to see their beneficences. So it
 looks as if the rabbis could do it also. Certainly it was in
 keeping with their love of praise. And Jesus expressly says that
 "the hypocrites" (\\hoi hupokritai\\) do this very thing. This is an
 old word for actor, interpreter, one who personates another, from
 \\hupokrinomai\\ to answer in reply like the Attic \\apokrinomai\\. Then
 to pretend, to feign, to dissemble, to act the hypocrite, to wear
 a mask. This is the hardest word that Jesus has for any class of
 people and he employs it for these pious pretenders who pose as
 perfect. \\They have received their reward\\ (\\apechousin ton misthon\\
 \\aut“n\\). This verb is common in the papyri for receiving a
 receipt, "they have their receipt in full," all the reward that
 they will get, this public notoriety. "They can sign the receipt
 of their reward" (Deissmann, _Bible Studies_, p. 229). So _Light
 from the Ancient East_, pp. 110f. \\Apochˆ\\ means "receipt." So also
 in
 # 6:5

00141
00142
 \\In secret\\ (\\t“i krupt“i\\). The Textus Receptus added the words \\en\\
 \\t“i phaner“i\\ (openly) here and in
 # 6:6
 but they are not genuine. Jesus does not promise a _public_
 reward for private piety.

00143
 \\In the synagogues and in the corners of the streets\\ (\\en tais\\
 \\sunag“gais kai en tais g“niais t“n platei“n\\). These were the
 usual places of prayer (synagogues) and the street corners where
 crowds stopped for business or talk. If the hour of prayer
 overtook a Pharisee here, he would strike his attitude of prayer
 like a modern Moslem that men might see that he was pious.

00144
 \\Into thy closet\\ (\\eis to tameion\\). The word is a late syncopated
 form of \\tamieion\\ from \\tamias\\ (steward) and the root \\tam-\\ from
 \\temn“\\, to cut. So it is a store-house, a separate apartment,
 one's private chamber, closet, or "den" where he can withdraw
 from the world and shut the world out and commune with God.

00145
 \\Use not vain repetitions\\ (\\mˆ battalogˆsˆte\\). Used of stammerers
 who repeat the words, then mere babbling or chattering, empty
 repetition. The etymology is uncertain, but it is probably
 onomatopoetic like "babble." The worshippers of Baal on Mount
 Carmel
 # 1Ki 8:26
 and of Diana in the amphitheatre at Ephesus who yelled for two
 hours
 # Ac 19:34
 are examples. The Mohammedans may also be cited who seem to think
 that they "will be heard for their much speaking" (\\en tˆi\\
 \\polulogiƒi\\). Vincent adds "and the Romanists with their
 _paternosters_ and _avast_." The Syriac Sinaitic has it: "Do not
 be saying idle things." Certainly Jesus does not mean to condemn
 all repetition in prayer since he himself prayed three times in
 Gethsemane "saying the same words again"
 # Mt 26:44
 "As the Gentiles do," says Jesus. "The Pagans thought that by
 endless repetitions and many words they would inform their gods
 as to their needs and weary them ('_fatigare deos_') into
 granting their requests" (Bruce).

00146
00147
 \\After this manner therefore pray ye\\ (\\hout“s oun proseuchesthe\\
 \\humeis\\). "You" expressed in contrast with "the Gentiles." It
 should be called "The Model Prayer" rather than "The Lord's
 Prayer." "Thus" pray as he gives them a model. He himself did not
 use it as a liturgy (cf.
 # Joh 17
 There is no evidence that Jesus meant it for liturgical use by
 others. In
 # Lu 11:2-4
 practically the same prayer though briefer is given at a later
 time by Jesus to the apostles in response to a request that he
 teach them how to pray. McNeile argues that the form in Luke is
 the original to which Matthew has made additions: "The tendency
 of liturgical formulas is towards enrichment rather than
 abbreviation." But there is no evidence whatever that Jesus
 designed it as a set formula. There is no real harm in a
 liturgical formula if one likes it, but no one sticks to just one
 formula in prayer. There is good and not harm in children
 learning and saying this noble prayer. Some people are disturbed
 over the words "Our Father" and say that no one has a right to
 call God Father who has not been "born again." But that is to say
 that an unconverted sinner cannot pray until he is converted, an
 absurd contradiction. God is the Father of all men in one sense;
 the recognition of Him as the Father in the full sense is the
 first step in coming back to him in regeneration and conversion.

 \\Hallowed be thy name\\ (\\hagiasthˆt“ to onoma sou\\). In the Greek the
 verb comes first as in the petitions in verse
 # 10
 They are all aorist imperatives, punctiliar action expressing
 urgency.

00148
00149
 \\Our daily bread\\ (\\ton arton hˆm“n ton epiousion\\). This adjective
 "daily" (\\epiousion\\) coming after "Give us this day" (\\dos hˆmŒn\\
 \\sˆmeron\\) has given expositors a great deal of trouble. The effort
 has been made to derive it from \\epi\\ and \\“n\\ (\\ousa\\). It clearly
 comes from \\epi\\ and \\i“n\\ (\\epi\\ and \\eimi\\) like \\tˆi epiousˆi\\
 ("on the coming day," "the next day,"
 # Ac 16:12
 But the adjective \\epiousios\\ is rare and Origen said it was made
 by the Evangelists Matthew and Luke to reproduce the idea of an
 Aramaic original. Moulton and Milligan, _Vocabulary_ say: "The
 papyri have as yet shed no clear light upon this difficult word
 # Mt 6:11; Lu 11:3
 which was in all probability a new coinage by the author of the
 Greek Q to render his Aramaic Original" (this in 1919). Deissmann
 claims that only about fifty purely New Testament or "Christian"
 words can be admitted out of the more than 5,000 used. "But when
 a word is not recognizable at sight as a Jewish or Christian new
 formation, we must consider it as an ordinary Greek word until
 the contrary is proved. \\Epiousios\\ has all the appearance of a
 word that originated in trade and traffic of the everyday life of
 the people (cf. my hints in _Neutestamentliche Studien Georg
 Heinrici dargebracht_, Leipzig, 1914, pp. 118f.). The opinion
 here expressed has been confirmed by A. Debrunner's discovery
 (_Theol. Lit. Ztg_. 1925, Col. 119) of \\epiousios\\ in an ancient
 housekeeping book" (_Light from the Ancient East_, New ed. 1927,
 p. 78 and note 1). So then it is not a word coined by the
 Evangelist or by Q to express an Aramaic original. The word
 occurs also in three late MSS. after 2Macc. 1:8, \\tous epiousious\\
 after \\tous artous\\. The meaning, in view of the kindred participle
 (\\epiousˆi\\) in
 # Ac 16:12
 seems to be "for the coming day," a daily prayer for the needs of
 the next day as every housekeeper understands like the
 housekeeping book discovered by Debrunner.