Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, [ Ameen (G281) = 'aameen (H543) legoo (G3004) humin (G5213)]. Here, for the first time, does that august expression occur in our Lord's recorded teaching, with which we have grown so familiar as hardly to reflect on its full import. It is the expression, manifestly, of supreme legislative authority; and as the subject in connection with which it is uttered is the Moral Law, no higher claim to an authority strictly divine could be advanced. For when we observe how jealously Yahweh as...

18._Till heaven and earth pass _Luke expresses it a little differently, but to the same import, that _it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one point of the law to fail _The design of Christ, in both passages, was to teach, that the truth of the law and of every part of it, is secure, and that nothing so durable is to be found in the whole frame of the world. Some persons indulge in ingenious refinements on the word _till, ( _ ἓως ἂ ν _,) _as if _the passing away of the heaven and earth, _which will take place on the last day, the day of judgment, were to put an end to _the law and the prophets _And certainly, as “tongues shall then cease, and prophecies shall be abolished,” (1 Corinthians 13:8,) I think that the written law, as well as the exposi

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 of God, or teaches others to do the same, whatever his station or reputation among men may be, he can be no true disciple. Christ's righteousness, imputed to us by faith alone, is needed by every one that enters the kingdom of grace or of glory; but the new creation of the heart to holiness, produces a thorough change in a man's temper and conduct....

Verse Matthew 5:18. _FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, TILL HEAVEN_] In the very _commencement_ of his ministry, Jesus Christ teaches the _instability_ of all visible things. "The heaven which you see, and which is so glorious, and the earth which you inhabit and love, _shall pass_ _away_; for the things which are seen are temporal, προσκαιρα, _are_ _for a time_; but the things which are not seen are eternal αιωνια, _ever-during_," 2 Corinthians 4:18. And the WORD of the Lord endureth for ever. _ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE_] One yod, (י), the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. One _tittle_ or _point_, κεραια, either meaning those _points_ which serve for vowels in this language, if they then existed; or the seraphs

VERILY - Truly, certainly. A word of strong affirmation. TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS - This expression denotes that the law never would be destroyed until it should be all fulfilled. It is the same as saying everything else may change; the very earth and heaven may pass away, but the law of God shall not be destroyed until its whole design has been accomplished. ONE JOT - The word “jot,” or yod (י y), is the name of the Hebrew letter I, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. ONE TITTLE - The word used here, in the Greek, means literally a little horn, then a point, an extremity. Several of the Hebrew letters were written with small points or apices, as in the Hebrew letter, shin (שׁ sh), or the Hebrew letter, sin (שׂ s), which

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 5:1 AND SEEING THE MULTITUDES; _i.e. _those spoken of in Matthew 4:25—the multitudes who were at that point of time following him. HE WENT UP. From the lower ground by the lake. INTO A MOUNTAIN; Revised Version, _into the mountain _(εἰς τὸ ὄρος);_ i.e. _not any special mountain, but "the mountain nearest the place spoken of—the mountain near by" (Thayer); in contrast to any lower place, whether that was itself fairly high ground (as probably Luke 9:28) or the shore of the lake. The actual spot here referred to may have been far from, or, and more probably ...

FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,.... Or "I Amen say unto you", which is one of the names of Christ; see Revelation 3:14 or the word "Amen" is only used by Christ as an asseveration of what he was about to say; and which, for greater confirmation, is usually doubled in the Evangelist John, "Amen, Amen", or "verily, verily". The word is used by the Jews w for an oath; they swore by it; and it is a rule with them, that whoever answers "Amen" after an oath, it is all one as if he had pronounced the oath itself. The thing so strongly affirmed in this solemn manner is, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED. The ιωτα "or jot", in the Greek language, answers to "jod" in the Hebrew, the least of all the letters in the alphabet; hence a little city is called by this name, and this reason is given for it, x שיוד קט

Matthew 5:1. _And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,-_ Our Saviour soon gathered a congregation. The multitudes perceived in him a love to them, and a willingness to impart blessing to them, and therefore they gathered about him. He chose the mountain and the open air for the delivery of this great discourse, and we should be glad to find such a place for our assemblies; but in this variable climate we cannot often do so. «And when he was set.» The Preacher sat, and the people stood. We might make a helpful change if we were sometimes to adopt a similar plan now. I am afraid that ease of posture may contribute to the creation of slumber of heart in the hearers. There Christ sat, and «his disciples came unto him.» They formed the inner circle that was ever nearest to hi

5. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KING CONCERNING HIS KINGDOM. CHAPTER S 5-7 _ 1. The Characteristics of the heirs of the Kingdom.(Matthew 5:1 .) 2. The Confirmation of the Law and its Expansion.(Matthew 5:17 .)_ CHAPTER 5 In the closing of the last chapter we saw our Lord Jesus Christ surrounded by a great multitude of people, which followed Him and who were attracted by the King's presence, before whom the various diseases had to flee. If we turn to the eighth chapter we find the continuation of these scenes we had in the last half of the fourth chapter. Between these two Chapter s are three very important ones, which are as such found only in this Gospel. The contents of the fifth, sixth and seventh Chapter s are in the form of a continued discourse of our Lord, commonly called “t

MATTHEW 5:17 TO MATTHEW 6:18. RIGHTEOUSNESS, LEGAL AND REAL. After laying down the principle that the Law is not destroyed or annulled, but developed and transcended (Matthew 5:17), Jesus applies it to (_a)_ the teaching of the Scribes (Matthew 5:21), (_b)_ the life of the Pharisees (Matthew 6:1). MATTHEW 5:17. On the attitude of Jesus towards the OT see pp. 663, 666f., also M-' Neile in _Cambridge Biblical Essays,_ pp. 216ff.; Kent, L