Matthew 5-7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:20

For I say unto you ,.... These words are directed, not to the true disciples of Christ in general, or to his apostles in particular, but to the whole multitude of the people; who had in great esteem and admiration the Scribes and Pharisees, for their seeming righteousness and holiness; concerning which Christ says, that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven . He mentions the Scribes, because... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:21

Ye have heard ,.... That is, from the Scriptures being read to them, and the explanations of the ancients, which were called שמעתא , "hearing", being read in the schools, and heard by the scholars F15 Vid. Buxtorf. Lex. Rabbin, fol. 2453. ; so that to "hear", was along with the recital of the text, to receive by tradition, the sense the elders had given of it: of this kind is the instance produced by Christ. Thus Onkelos, and Jonathan ben Uzziel, render the phrase, "him shall ye... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:22

But I say unto you ,.... This is a Rabbinical way of speaking, used when a question is determined, and a false notion is refuted; it is a magisterial form of expression, and well suits with Christ, the great teacher and master in Israel; who spake as one having authority, opposing himself, not to the law of "Moses, thou shalt not kill"; but to the false gloss the ancient doctors had put upon it, with which their later ones agreed. You say, that if one man kills another himself, he is to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:23

Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar ,.... The Jews obliged such who had done any damage to their neighbours, by stealing from them, to make satisfaction before they brought their offering; concerning which they say F3 Misn. Bava Kama, c. 9. sect. 12. , "he that brings what he has stolen, before he brings his trespass offering, is right; he that brings his trespass offering, before he brings that which he has stolen, is not right.' Again F4 Maimon. Hilch. Gezela, c.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:24

Leave there thy gift before the altar ,.... This might easily be done, and the business soon dispatched, at some seasons; particularly, at their public feasts, as the passover, pentecost, and feast of tabernacles, when all the Israelites were together: and go thy way ; make what haste thou canst, first be reconciled to thy brother : use all means to reconcile him; acknowledge the offence; ask his pardon; assure him that thou wishest well to him, and not ill; and then come and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:25

Agree with thine adversary quickly ,.... These words are not to be understood in an allegorical sense, as if "the adversary" was the justice of God, demanding payment of debts; "the way", this present life; "the judge", God himself; "the officer", the devil; "the prison", the pit of hell; and "the uttermost farthing", the least sin, which will never be remitted without satisfaction: but the design of them is to prevent lawsuits about debts, which may be in dispute; it being much better for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:26

Verily, I say unto thee ,.... This may be depended upon, you may assure yourself of it, that thou shalt by no means come out thence , from prison, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing , or "last farthing"; or as the Ethiopic version reads it, "till thou hast exactly paid all"; which seems to express the inexorableness of the creditor, and the impossibility of the debtor's release. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:27

Ye have heard that it was said ,.... These forms of speech, as well as what follows, by them of old time , have been explained, in ver. 21. The law here mentioned, thou shalt not commit adultery , is recorded in Exodus 20:14 and the meaning of our Lord is, not that the then present Jews had heard that such a law had been delivered "to the ancients", their fathers, at Mount Sinai; for that they could read in their Bibles: but they had received it by tradition, that the sense of it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:28

But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman ,.... Many and severe are the prohibitions of the Jews, concerning looking upon a woman, which they aggravate as a very great sin: they say F11 T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 1, 2. , it is not lawful to look upon a beautiful woman, though unmarried; nor upon another man's wife, though deformed; nor upon a woman's coloured garments: they forbid F12 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 24. 1. Sabbat. fol. 64. 2. looking on a woman's little finger,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:29

And if thy right eye offend thee ,.... Or "cause thee to offend", to stumble, and fall into sin. Our Lord has no regard here to near and dear relations seeking to alienate us from God and Christ, and hinder us in the pursuit of divine things; whose solicitations are to be rejected with the utmost indignation, and they themselves to be parted with, and forsaken, rather than complied with; which is the sense some give of the words: for both in this, and the following verse, respect is had only... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:25

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:26

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:27

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:28

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:29

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