Matthew 5:47

And if ye salute your brethren only what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? AND IF YE SALUTE YOUR BRETHREN ONLY - of the same nation and religion with yourselves -- WHAT DO YE MORE [THAN OTHERS]? [ ti (G5100) perisson (G4053)] - what do ye uncommon' or 'extraordinary?' that is, wherein do ye excel? DO NOT EVEN THE PUBLICANS SO? The true reading here appears to be, 'Do not even the pagans the same?' [ ethnikoi (G1482).] Compare Mat...

43-48 The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect. It is the duty of Christians to desire, and aim at, and press towards perfection in grace and holiness. And therein we must study to conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father, 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Peter 1:16. Surely more is to be expected from the followers of C...

Verse Matthew 5:47. _AND IF YE SALUTE YOUR BRETHREN ONLY_] Instead of αδελφους _brethren_, upwards of one hundred MSS., and several of them of great authority and antiquity, have φιλους _friends_. The _Armenian Slavonic_, and _Gothic_ versions, with the later _Syriac_, and some of the _primitive fathers_, agree in this reading. I scarcely know which to prefer; as _brother_ is more conformable to the Jewish mode of address, it should be retained in the text: the other reading, however, tends to confirm that of the _Codex Graevii_ on Matthew 5:43. On the subject of giving and receiving _salutations_ in Asiatic countries, Mr. _Harmer_, Observat. vol. ii. p. 327, c., edit. 1808, has collected much valuable information: the following extra

AND IF YOU SALUTE YOUR BRETHREN ... - The word “salute” here means to show the customary tokens of civility, or to treat with the common marks of friendship. See the notes at Luke 10:4. The Saviour says that the worst men, the very publicans, would do this. Christians should do more; they should show that they have a different spirit; they should treat their “enemies” as well as wicked people do their “friends.” This should be done: * Because it is “right;” it is the only really amiable spirit; and, * We should show that religion is not selfish, and is superior to all other principles of action....

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 ...

AND IF YOU SALUTE YOUR BRETHREN ONLY,.... This does not mean salutation by embraces or kisses, but by words, asking of each other's welfare, and wishing prosperity and happiness to one another. "The manner of salutation among the wise men was this e; he that salutes says, a good day to my lord; and he replies, saying, a good, and long day to my lord: always he that replies doubles the salutation.'' The persons they usually gave their salutations to were those of their own nation, their countrymen, relations, and friends; and who are here designed by "brethren"; meaning, not brethren in the strict sense, but any kindred, acquaintance, or any of their own nation. Some copies read it "friends", who, generally speaking, only partook of such favours. "A man, (says Maimonides f,) might not salute his master, nor return a salutation to him in the manner they gave a salutation לרעים, to "frie...

Matthew 5:17. _Think not that I am came to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill._ The life, work, and words of Christ are not an emendation of the Old Testament, or an abrogation of it. It stands fast and firm, fulfilled, carried to perfection, filled to the full in Christ. 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven._ It is vain to teach the commandments without first doing them. The doi

MATTHEW 5:47 evqnikoi, {B} In later witnesses, followed by the Textus Receptus, the reading telw/nai appears to have been substituted for evqnikoi, in order to bring the statement into closer parallelism with the preceding sentence. The Armenian version conflates the reading with the Lukan form of the saying ( Luke 6:32-34)....

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

LOVING ONE'S NEIGHBOUR (_cf._ Luke 6:27 f., Matthew 5:32).Thou shalt love thy neighbour (_i.e._ fellow Israelite) is the precept of the Law (Leviticus 19:18); and hate thine enemy is a Rabbinic inference from, _e.g._ Deuteronomy 23:3, which found much support in apocalyptic writings (_cf._ pp. 623f.). As in the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus sweeps away all distinctions. The additions to Matthew 5:44 in AV are due to Luke 6:27 f....