MATTHEW 5-7. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. This is the first of five blocks in which Mt. collects the greater part of the words of Jesus. He places it here in view of Mark 1:21. Attempts to locate the mountain or the exact time are useless in view of the fact that the sermon is a collection of material,... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW 5:2. OPENED HIS MOUTH: a Semitic redundancy.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEATITUDES (_cf._ Luke 6:20). These nine sayings (eight if we reckon Matthew 5:10 as one, or regard Matthew 5:11 f. as having originally stood elsewhere; seven if we omit Matthew 5:5) have analogies in OT (_e.g._ Psalms 1:1; Psalms 32:1; Psalms 89:15; Proverbs 8:32;... [ Continue Reading ]
Mt. here brings together material (_a)_ found scattered in Lk., (_b)_ peculiar to himself. MATTHEW 5:13. SALT AND LIGHT. Good men are not only rewarded in the coming age, they help the world now and save it from both insipidity and corruption. To appreciate the value of salt one must live in a land... [ Continue Reading ]
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).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FULFILLED LAW IN RELATION TO THE TEACHING OF THE SCRIBES. Matthew 5:21. Murder and Malice. Ye (have) heard: _ i.e._ in the synagogues. The addition to the sixth commandment represents the tradition of the elders; the JUDGEMENT means legal proceedings. Jesus shows that the commandment involves m... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW 5:27 F. ADULTERY. Jesus again extends the scope of the prohibition from actions to thoughts. There is so mething more here than the seventh or even the tenth commandment, where the coveting is only a matter of property (_cf._ Job 31:1; Job 31:7). The papyri show that a married woman is proba... [ Continue Reading ]
OATHS. Jesus sums up several OT passages, _e.g._ Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21. The use of oaths and vows by the Jews was much abused, and the Rabbis were continually discussing whether or no certain vows and oaths were binding. Jesus goes to the root of the matter by... [ Continue Reading ]
RETALIATION (_cf._ Luke 6:29 f.). Like the law of divorce, the law of the _ius talionis_ (Exodus 21:24 f.*) was more restrictive than permissive; it limited revenge by fixing an exact compensation for an injury. Jesus penetrates behind this just principle without abrogating it. His disciples, in vir... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]