*5:2 This appears to be a Hebrew idiom indicating a formal or serious pronouncement.

†5:5 ‘Meek’ is not ‘weak’, it is power under control. It was said of Moses that he was the meekest man in his time, precisely because he was also the most powerful. Jesus said of Himself that He was ‘meek’, and He was also powerful.

‡5:7 In James 2:12-13 we read: “Speak and act as being those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty (the judgment will be without mercy to the one not showing mercy). That law exalts mercy over judgment.” This accords with the description that Jehovah gave of Himself to Moses, on that rarest of occasions: “Jehovah, God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth; keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children unto the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7). He keeps mercy to the 1000th generation, He punishes to the 4th; the proportion is 250:1. That is why it is important that we show mercy.

§5:10 These ‘beatitudes’ are in the third person and so presumably of general application. From verse 11 on Jesus uses the second person and so the specific application is presumably to His disciples. The first and last of these ‘beatitudes’ say, “theirs is the kingdom of the heavens”. In Matthew 18:3 the Lord will say we have to become like little children to enter the Kingdom—that is being ‘poor in spirit’. To face persecution, you must be committed.

*5:13 ‘Christians’ who have caved in to the world's values and life style are like insipid salt—good for nothing except to be thrown out. (Insipid salt was thrown on the road, where it helped to keep down the dust.) The implications of this have become increasingly serious in today's world.

†5:16 Nowadays if you stand up for Biblical values you will probably be persecuted, not praised; but the darker the night, the farther a light can be seen.

‡5:18 The Lord here makes an impressively strong statement about the preservation through time of the precise form of the Sacred Text. Since our only access to the meaning is through the form, any alteration in the form will alter the meaning. One of the most effective ways of annulling a commandment is to corrupt the Text—something Satan understands quite well.

§5:20 Did you get that? If you are like the scribes and Pharisees what are your chances?

*5:21 The scribes had diluted the Text—the Law demands the death penalty (Exodus 21:12).

†5:22 God hates injustice and will judge it. Less than 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit “without cause” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). NIV, NASB and LB favor us with a footnote informing us that “some manuscripts” add ‘without cause’—by “some” they mean 98% of them!! More serious, the shorter text has the effect of forbidding anger, which would contradict other Scriptures (Ephesians 4:26, Psalm 4:4) and the Lord's own example (Mark 3:5).

‡5:22 The Greek text has a transliteration of the Aramaic term, raka. The idea seems to be that this was an offensive epithet that could lead to a court case, for defamation of character (or whatever).

§5:22 This presumably involves an offense against God, denigrating His image, disparaging His work. However, note that the Lord is talking about saying this to a brother. He Himself applied this term to the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23. Verses 22-24 deal with how we treat ‘brothers’. Consider James 4:11-12: “Brothers, do not speak evil of one another. Because the one speaking against a brother and judging his brother speaks against a law and judges a law. So if you judge a law you are not a law-doer but a judge. The Lawgiver and Judge is One, the One who is able to save and to destroy. So who are you (sg) to be judging someone who is different?” I was surprised to find the Greek ετερος here, which usually refers to a different kind. I personally do not enjoy dealing with ‘brothers’ who are too different; I would rather question whether they are really ‘brothers’ at all! But James tells me not to do that. Each person is different (background, experiences, personality, training) and we must recognize that God can and will deal differently with different people. He uses one ‘law’ with me, another ‘law’ with you, and so on. A law is a set of rules or demands, so when I judge a brother I am questioning the way (‘law’) that God is working on him. As He is both Lawgiver and Judge, I will have to answer to Him for how I judged my ‘brothers’. (For ‘different one’ the eclectic text currently in vogue has ‘neighbor’, following some 12% of the Greek manuscripts [as in NIV, TEV, LB, NASB, etc.].)

*5:23 Verse 23 is linked to 22; insult or injury is involved—an overt action, an unpleasant scene that will presumably be alive in your memory.

†5:24 Verses 23-24 refer to moral debt, through abusive language.

‡5:26 Verses 25-26 refer to financial debt, through property damage, a loan, etc. There is no doubt about the fact of the debt, and the time limit has expired; and you are on the way to court—at that point the only way out is to humble yourself and throw yourself on the mercy of the creditor.

§5:27 Perhaps 10% of the Greek manuscripts add ‘to those of old’ (as in AV and NKJV).

*5:28 If he had the courage and the opportunity, he would do it.

†5:29 This is literal, but mostly theoretical, since by the time people realize they are in trouble it is usually too late; they are already trapped. Perhaps this is why Hebrews 3:13 tells us to “exhort one another daily… lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”. Sometimes others see that we are in trouble before we do.

‡5:32 Presumably a reference to premarital sex, where a groom discovers that his bride is no longer a virgin (like the situation that Joseph faced in 1:18-19). See Matthew 19:3-12.

§5:32 In that culture such a woman would look for another man as a matter of physical survival.

*5:37 Presumably this precludes any and all exaggeration, putting a ‘spin’ on things, etc.

†5:37 Do we really believe this? If not, we had better go back to the drawing board.

‡5:38 The reference is to Exodus 21:24, but verse 22 makes clear that it is “as the judges determine”—we are not to take the law into our own hands.

§5:39 Do not use physical violence to respond to physical violence—but we can use our spiritual authority. Animals must resort to force, but Adam was given dominion over the animals, which presumably was not exercised with physical force—we should not lower ourselves to the animal level; but Satan tries to trick us into doing so. If someone lashes out in anger, turning the other cheek should shame him.

*5:40 Do not use legal action to respond to legal action—but we can use our spiritual authority. If they are resorting to legal action they presumably do not want to talk it over, they are trying to impose something on us; so turning the other cheek could shame them.

†5:41 A Roman imposition on subjugated peoples—any Roman soldier could compel a local non-Roman citizen to carry his pack one mile. A cheerful response to this humiliating situation could at least deprive the soldier of sadistic satisfaction, and maybe even shame him into carrying his own pack.

‡5:42 Presumably this does not refer to professional beggars (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but to someone overtaken by adversity who needs temporary help, someone you know who is part of the community.

§5:43 Leviticus 19:18 says to “love your neighbor”, but not “hate your enemy”. The scribes had added an unwarranted inference.

*5:44 Less than 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, offer a truncated form of this verse (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

†5:47 Perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘brothers’, as in many versions.

‡5:47 The reference to “reward” and “extra” suggests that the procedures previously enjoined are demonstrations of practical righteousness—we are to be examples, rise above the level of the surrounding society. Tax collectors were Jews, part of the community, but despised as traitors.

§5:48 “Perfect”—the Father is our point of reference; we are to be like He is. A standard is a standard; it is not invalidated just because we may feel that it is unattainable. Comparing this passage with texts like Deuteronomy 7:10, “He repays those who hate Him to their face”, and Psalm 5:5-6, “You hate all workers of iniquity”, I take it that we must distinguish between personal enemies (those who oppose us for personal reasons) and enemies of God and His truth. To be like the Father we also must hate workers of iniquity (because of the consequences to others).