Matthew

5:13. “You are the salt[7] of the Earth: but if the salt would become tasteless, in what way will it become salt again? It is no longer still good except to be thrown outside to be trampled by men. 14. You are the light of the world. A city laid out on a mountain is not able to be hidden: 15. and they do not light a lamp and place it under a peck measure but upon the lamp stand, and it gives light for all those in the house. 16. Your light must continually shine like this before all mankind, so that they would see your good deeds[8] and they would glorify your Father, the One in the heavens.”

5:17. “Do not think that I came to annul, to bring an incorrect interpretation to, the Torah or the Prophets:[10] I did not come to annul but to bring spiritual abundance,[11] for the Torah to be obeyed as it should be and God’s promises to receive fulfillment. 18. For truly I say to you: until the sky and the Earth would pass away, not one yod[12] or one vav[13] could ever pass away from the Torah, until everything would come to pass. (Lk 16:17) 19. Therefore, whoever would break one of the least of these commandments, and would teach people this way, will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens: but whoever would do the commandments and would teach them, will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. 20. For I say to you that unless your righteousness would be present in abundance more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you could not enter the kingdom of the heavens.”

5:21. “You heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder:’ (Ex 20:13) and whoever would murder, that one would be guilty in the judgment. 22. And I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be guilty in the judgment. And whoever would say to his brother ‘Empty-headed,’[14] that one is guilty to the Sanhedrin: whoever would say, ‘Stupid’ is guilty in the Gehenna[15] of the fire. 23. If therefore you would present your gift at the altar and there you would remember that your brother has something against you, 24. you must right away leave your gift there in front of the altar and go. You must first become reconciled with your brother, and then, after you come back, present your gift. 25. You must quickly be of a peaceable spirit with your opponent at law, even while you are with him on the way, lest the opponent would hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the jailer, and you would be cast into prison: 26. truly I say to you, you would not come out from there, until you would have given your last penny.”

5:27. “You heard that it was said, ‘You will not commit adultery.’[16] (Ex 20:14) 28. But I am saying to you that everyone who looks at a woman with desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.[17] 29. And if your right eye causes you to sin, you must tear it out at once and cast it from you: for it is more profitable for you that one of your members would be lost and that your whole body would not be cast into Gehenna.[18] 30. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you: for it is more profitable for you that one of your members would be lost but your whole body would not go over into Gehenna.”

5:31. “And it was said, ‘Whoever would divorce his wife, must immediately give her a certificate of divorce.’ (Dt 24:1) 32. But I am saying to you that everyone who divorces his wife except for grounds of immorality makes her to be an adulteress, and whoever would marry a divorced woman is committing adultery.”

5:33. “Again you heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You will not swear falsely,[19] (Nu 30:3) and you will keep your oaths to the Lord.’ (Dt 23:22) 34. But I say to you not to swear at all: neither by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35. nor by the Earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of the great King, 36. nor by your head may you swear, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37. But your word must consistently be definitely yes, or definitely no:[20] and what goes beyond these is from the evil one.” (Lv 19:12, Nu 30:2 Dt 23:21,22, Ecc 5:4, Ps 76:11, Jas 5:12)

5:38. “You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’[21] (Ex 21:24, Lv 24:20, Dt 19:21) 39. But I say to you to not stand against the evil person: but who strikes you in your right cheek, you must at once also turn the other to him: 40. and to the one who wishes to sue you and to take your tunic, you must also let him have your cloak: 41. and who will force you one mile,[22] you must now go two with him. 42. And to the one who asks you, you must give, and do not resist the one wanting to borrow from you.”

[1] (v.3) The Greek word used throughout the Beatitudes is Makarios, blessed and happy.

[2] (v.3) Literally this is poor in spirit which is a Hebrew idiom for repentant.

[3] (v.5) Humble refers to the faithful remnant. See Humble in Glossary.

[4] (v.6) Righteousness is action, doing the perfect will of God, so this is hungering to do His perfect will. See Righteousness in Glossary.

[5] (v.7) Literally this says to be merciful, which is a Hebrew idiom meaning to be forgiving.

[6] (v.10) This means to walk in all the promises of God. The word heavens is always plural in Hebrew because there are seven levels of heaven in the Tanach, the OT. See Heavens in Glossary.

[7] (v.13) Salt is a preservative and speaks of permanence, see the Covenant of Salt, Numbers 18:18,19.

[8] (v.16) Mitsvot, see Mitsvah in Glossary.

[9] (Caption) This is a reference to the first five books of the Bible. See Torah in Glossary.

[10] (v.17) The Prophetic books are Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings, Isaiah through Malachi excluding Daniel, which is one of the Writings in the Tanach.

[11] (v.17) The abundance must be spiritual because Jesus said “You must continually understand and guard yourselves from all covetousness, because someone’s life is not abundant from his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

[12] (v.18) The yod is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. See Yod in Glossary.

[13] (v.18) The vav is the second smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The yod and the vav are called “soft letters” because they can be left out of a word and the word not be considered misspelled. See Yod in Glossary.

[14] (v.22) The text has Raka, a Hebrew word meaning empty-headed.

[15] (v.22) See Gehenna in Glossary.

[16] (v.27) See Future Tense in Glossary.

[17] (v.28) This was in accordance with rabbinic teaching in Jesus’ day.

[18] (v.29) See Gehenna in Glossary.

[19] (v.33) See Future Tense in Glossary.

[20] (v.37) These are literally “Yes yes and no no.” See Double Yes in Glossary.

[21] (v.38) This does not mean you are to take out the eye of someone who has knocked out an eye. See Torah in Glossary.

[22] (v.41) This is a Roman mile, one thousand paces.

[23] (v.43) “Hate your enemy” was from heathens, since it is not found in either the Tanach (OT) or Rabbinic writing.