matthew-5:38

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

The reception of injuries. The Law inculcated that the injured should obtain from those who did the wrong exact compensation. Our Lord inculcates giving up of all in-sistance upon one's rights as an injured person, and entire submission to injuries, even as far as proffering the opportunity for fresh wrongs. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

Non-resistance. The difficulty with this, as with similar passages in the teachings of our Lord, is to see how to carry out the precept in the fulness of the intention of the great Teacher. Are we to take it quite literally? If so, Count Tolstoi is right, and we have not yet begun to be Christian. Are we to take it 'metaphorically,' or even as a hyperbolical expression? Then we shall be in great danger of watering it down to suit our own convenience. Plainly our Lord meant something very... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

The Christian type of fulfilling of the Law: Christ's fifth illustration. The precept or permission of the Law here instanced was not a precept or permission of revenge, but of equal justice. It was intended to operate, not to the encouragement, but to the discouragement, of revenge; and rather simply as the equitable admeasurer of just punishment and restraint of the more natural instinct of revenge. Christ, however, thus early forewarns his disciples of what his eye saw so clearly, his... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

Retaliation. Of this we have here two sorts, viz. the retaliation of kind and that of kindness. These are not necessarily inconsistent. For Christ came not to destroy but to fulfil the Law. Properly understood, "Eye for eye and tooth for tooth" is the co-relative of "Do unto others as you would they should do unto you." We propose to view the lea talionis — I. AS A DIRECTION TO THE MAGISTRATE . 1 . The spirit of its teaching to him is to minister judgment in equity. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-48

The two remaining examples of the current teaching of the Law are very closely connected together, and, in fact, our Lord's corrections of them are intermingled in Luke 6:27-36 . Yet the subjects are really distinct. In the first ( Luke 6:38-42 ) our Lord speaks of the reception of injuries, in the second ( Luke 6:43-48 ) of the treatment of those who do them. Godet's remarks (in his summary of Luke 6:27-45 ) on the use made by St. Luke of these examples are especially instructive.... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Matthew 5:38-41

An eye for an eye ... - This command is found in Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. In these places it was given as a rule to regulate the decisions of judges. They were to take eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, and to inflict burning for burning. As a judicial rule it is not unjust. Christ finds no fault with the rule as applied to magistrates, and does not take upon himself to repeal it. But instead of confining it to magistrates, the Jews had extended it to private... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 5:38-42

Matthew 5:38-42 . Ye have heard, &c. Our Lord proceeds to enforce such meekness and love toward their enemies, on those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, as were utterly unknown to the scribes and Pharisees. And this subject he pursues to the end of the chapter. It hath been said, viz., in the law, Deuteronomy 19:21, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth Though this statute was only intended as a direction to judges, with regard to the penalties to be inflicted in... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:21-48

40. Legal obedience is not enough (Matthew 5:21-48; Luke 6:27-36; Luke 12:57-59)After his explanation concerning right and wrong attitudes to the law, Jesus gives a number of examples. He introduces these examples with statements such as ‘You have heard that it was said in the past’. This is not the same as ‘It is written’. Jesus is not quoting from the Old Testament but from the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees. He is not contradicting the law but the interpretations of the law that the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 5:38

THE LAW OF RETALIATION. it hath been said = it was said. Quoted from Exodus 21:24 . Compare Lev 24:24 .Deuteronomy 19:21 . See App-107 .:2 and 117. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Matthew 5:38

Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.THE OTHER TEACHINGS CONTRASTED WITH JEWISH LAW (MATT. 5:38-48)Passages which contain this injunction are Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; and Deuteronomy 19:21. Harsh and demanding as such a principle appears to enlightened people of our day, it should be remembered that it was a tremendously significant advance above and beyond the primitive thinking of the untrained people who first heard it. The law of the jungle was... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-42

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:38-48

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Matthew 5:38-41

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 5:38-42

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:21-48

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 5:38

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Matthew 5:38

Verse of the Day

Daily Devotional

Group of Brands