Mat 5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Matt 5:1-2: 5:1–7:29 This is the first of five lengthy discourses in Matthew (see also 9:35–11:1 ; 13:1-53 ; 18:1–19:2 ; 23:1–26:1 ). The theme of the Sermon on the Mount is the Messiah’s call to righteousness. Paul understood righteousness in terms of God’s saving acts and of a person’s standing before God. Jesus uses the term for moral behavior that conforms to God’s will, as James does. Specifically, righteousness is doing the will of God as Jesus reveals it. This “revelation of righteousness” unifies the entire Sermon.

Summary for Matt 5:1-2: 5:1–7:29 ^a This is the first of five lengthy discourses in Matthew (see also 9:35–11:1 ^b; 13:1-53 ^c; 18:1–19:2 ^d; 23:1–26:1 ^e). The theme of the Sermon on the Mount is the Messiah’s call to righteousness. Paul understood righteousness in terms of God’s saving acts and of a person’s standing before God. Jesus uses the term for moral behavior that conforms to God’s will, as James does. Specifically, righteousness is doing the will of God as Jesus reveals it. This “revelation of righteousness” unifies the entire Sermon.
5:3 ^f poor and realize their need for him (literally poor in spirit; cp. Luke 6:20 ^g, 24 ^h): In the Old Testament, the poor are often depicted as especially pious because oppression by the wealthy leads them to trust in the Lord for salvation and deliverance rather than relying on the power of wealth (Matt 11:5 ⁱ; Pss 37:14-15 ^j; 40:17 ^k; 69:28-33 ^l; Isa 61:1 ^m; 66:2 ⁿ). In both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts, the “poor” are indeed physically poor, but their trust in God, not their poverty, is what makes them blessed (Isa 57:15 ^o; 66:2 ^p).
5:4 ^q Those who mourn were those who lamented the spiritual and national condition of Israel (see 23:37-39 ^r; Isa 61:2-3 ^s; Joel 1:8-13 ^t; 2:12-13 ^u, 18-19 ^v; Rom 9:1-5 ^w; 1 Cor 5:2 ^x; Jas 4:9 ^y). Personal grief, whether caused by sin or tragedy, may also be in view (Mark 16:10 ^z; Rev 18:11 ^aa, 19 ^ab).

• will be comforted: The passive voice is used out of reverence for the holy name of God; the phrase could also be rendered God will comfort them (see also Matt 5:6-7 ^ac, 9 ^ad). Comfort will accompany the fulfillment of all that God has promised (Isa 40:1-2 ^ae; 61:2-3 ^af).
5:5 ^ag those who are humble: See Ps 37:11 ^ah, which Jesus practically quotes here. Elsewhere, Jesus describes himself in similar terms—in contrast to other teachers (Matt 11:29 ^ai) and as one who shuns pride (12:17-21 ^aj; 21:5 ^ak). This trait of Jesus is exemplified in his death on the cross (1 Pet 2:23 ^al; 3:9 ^am).

• The whole earth could also be rendered the land, thus referring to God’s promise of land to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:7 ^an; 17:8 ^ao; see Isa 60:21 ^ap). A wider sense may also be intended, such as God’s reign over the entire earth (Matt 19:28 ^aq; 28:18-20 ^ar; Ps 115:16 ^as).
5:6 ^at those who hunger and thirst for justice (or for righteousness): This refers either to the follower of Jesus whose driving purpose in life is to obey the Lord (cp. 3:15 ^au; 5:10 ^av, 20 ^aw) or to the disciple’s desire to see justice for all people (Pss 11:7 ^ax; 85:10-12 ^ay; Isa 11:1-4 ^az; Jer 23:5-6 ^ba; 33:16 ^bb). One with such a longing often prays, “May your will be done on earth” (Matt 6:10 ^bc).

• Christ has brought justice and righteousness (Rom 3:21-22 ^bd; 5:1 ^be); the disciples will be satisfied with it (cp. Pss 42:1-2 ^bf; 63:1-2 ^bg).
5:7 ^bh Jesus made a cardinal virtue of being merciful, that is, showing kindness to those in distress (see 6:12 ^bi, 14-15 ^bj; 9:13 ^bk; 12:7 ^bl; 18:23-35 ^bm; 23:23 ^bn; 25:31-46 ^bo). Those who are merciful now will find God’s mercy in the final judgment.
5:8 ^bp Those whose hearts are pure (see Pss 24:3-5 ^bq; 51:7 ^br; Isa 6:5 ^bs) are contrasted with those who thought that they had satisfied God’s will through ceremonial conformity to tradition (Matt 23:25-26 ^bt). Jesus insisted on simple, true heart-righteousness (see 6:1-24 ^bu; 15:1-20 ^bv; 23:23-28 ^bw; Deut 6:5 ^bx).

• They will see God and thereby attain even more than Moses did (see Exod 33:18-23 ^by; 34:5-7 ^bz; see also Ps 73:1 ^ca).
5:9 ^cb This beatitude probably targeted zealots—Jewish revolutionaries who advocated the overthrow of Roman domination through violent resistance. The Messiah’s Kingdom would be established by other means.

• those who work for peace: Jesus is not calling for pacifism per se, but rather a different kind of activism.

• Peace is the absence of enmity and the presence of God’s salvation (Lev 26:6 ^cc; 1 Sam 16:4-5 ^cd; Isa 9:5-6 ^ce; Zech 8:16 ^cf; Eph 2:14 ^cg; Col 1:20 ^ch). Jesus’ disciples are to work for justice, righteousness, reconciliation, and mercy as the effects of God’s salvation through Christ (Matt 5:43-47 ^ci; Luke 10:5-6 ^cj).
Summary for Matt 5:10-11: 5:10-11 ^ck Jesus’ first disciples were persecuted by hostile Jewish leaders who were offended by Jesus’ new and authoritative revelation (see 10:17-23 ^cl; 11:2-6 ^cm; 12:1-8 ^cn; 15:1-20 ^co; 23:34-36 ^cp). Since then, doing right by associating with Jesus and obeying his teachings has often been a source of persecution (10:24-25 ^cq; 2 Tim 3:12 ^cr).
5:12 ^cs The great reward Jesus mentions is not something earned by suffering for doing right; it is God’s blessing to those who have expressed his grace to others (see 10:41-42 ^ct; 20:1-16 ^cu).

• The ancient prophets are closely connected with the New Testament apostles (see also 13:16-17 ^cv; 23:29-36 ^cw; Eph 2:20 ^cx).
Summary for Matt 5:13-16: 5:13-16 ^cy The disciples’ good deeds will have profoundly positive effects on the world around them, to the glory of God. With this comes a warning from Jesus: Do nothing that might jeopardize that positive influence. 5:13 ^cz Salt was used for cleansing and preservation from decay (Ezek 16:4 ^da), in forming covenants (Lev 2:13 ^db; Num 18:19 ^dc; see study note on 2 Chr 13:5), and as flavor (Job 6:6 ^dd; Mark 9:50 ^de).

• Salt that lost its flavor became useless, insipid, or dull (see Mark 9:50 ^df; Luke 14:34 ^dg).
5:14 ^dh light of the world ... city on a hilltop: The attractive quality of the disciples’ lives will draw other people to live similarly and to glorify God (see Isa 2:2-5 ^di; 42:6 ^dj; 49:6 ^dk; 51:4 ^dl; 56:6-8 ^dm; 60:1-3 ^dn; Phil 2:15 ^do).
5:16 ^dp praise your heavenly Father: Religious hypocrites seek praise for themselves; Jesus’ disciples should seek praise for God (see 1 Pet 2:12 ^dq).
5:17 ^dr Abolish would mean to eliminate and replace the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets (i.e., the whole Old Testament) as the revelation of God’s will.

• Accomplish their purpose might mean to obey them perfectly, to complete their teaching, or to bring about the fulfillment of their prophecies (see 1:22 ^ds; 2:15 ^dt, 17 ^du, 23 ^dv). Jesus himself is the realization of all that both the Prophets and the Law taught and expected. Now that Christ, the fulfillment, has come, the Old Testament must be understood in light of him (Luke 24:26 ^dw, 44 ^dx).
5:19 ^dy The realization of the law in Christ means that obedience to all of his commands (see 28:20 ^dz) is the only acceptable response for his disciples.

• Commandment refers to the Old Testament commands (5:18 ^ea) as now fulfilled in Christ’s teaching (see 5:21-48 ^eb).

• the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: Jesus may mean that such an individual will enter the Kingdom, but only barely and with low status; alternatively, some Jewish evidence suggests that he is referring to damnation (cp. 8:12 ^ec, where “those for whom the Kingdom was prepared” are eternally excluded).
5:20 ^ed unless your righteousness is better: Jesus’ disciples must have the substantially new kind of righteousness that Jesus teaches and makes possible (illustrated in 5:21-47 ^ee and summed up in 5:48 ^ef); it is both quantitatively and qualitatively distinct. Just as Jesus is greater than the Temple (12:6 ^eg) and Jonah (12:41 ^eh), so the righteousness of his followers far outstrips that of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees (see 3:7-9 ^ei).
Summary for Matt 5:21-47: 5:21-47 ^ej You have heard. ... But I say: Jesus contrasts his own teaching to six misinterpretations of the law. Each antithesis provides an example of the surpassing righteousness of Jesus. Jesus reveals the will of God as it contrasts with traditions. 5:21 ^ek our ancestors were told: The expression refers to the traditional interpretation of the teachers of religious law and Pharisees. Though their traditions prohibited murder, they did not prohibit hatred. The surpassing righteousness of Jesus demands reconciliation (5:23-24 ^el); merely refraining from committing murder is not sufficient (5:22 ^em).
5:22 ^en judgment ... the court ... hell: The second and third punishments are more severe than would have been typical in Jesus’ day, emphasizing the surpassing righteousness of Jesus and his followers (see 5:20 ^eo). They did not tolerate unreconciled relationships or any devaluation of others.

• If you call someone an idiot: The Aramaic term reqa’ (transliterated as raca) means something like “empty head,” and the clause probably means the same as if you curse someone (literally if you say, ‘You fool’; cp. Jas 2:20 ^ep). Devaluation of people is a sin that manifests itself in various ways.
Summary for Matt 5:23-26: 5:23-26 ^eq Jesus gives two illustrations of reconciliation in community and society.
Summary for Matt 5:27-30: 5:27-30 ^er Jesus’ righteousness uncovers sin at a deeper level than the external; he reveals the true intent of the law.
Summary for Matt 5:29-30: 5:29-30 ^es good eye ... gouge it out ... stronger hand ... cut it off: These graphic images call for radical separation from sin. But even self-mutilation, radical as it would be, cannot stop a lustful mind. Jesus is calling for the surpassing righteousness that only he can bring. 5:29 ^et hell (Greek Gehenna): Gehenna originally referred to a valley outside Jerusalem where some of the kings of Judah worshiped idols and performed human sacrifice by fire (2 Chr 28:3 ^eu; 33:6 ^ev; Jer 7:31 ^ew; 32:35 ^ex). The site was eventually destroyed by Josiah (2 Kgs 23:10 ^ey). In the New Testament, Gehenna describes the place of punishment by God. Unless disciples have surpassing righteousness, they will not enter the Kingdom (Matt 5:20 ^ez) but will be punished eternally (5:22 ^fa; 23:33 ^fb).
Summary for Matt 5:31-32: 5:31-32 ^fc Jesus challenges the misapplication of the Old Testament provision for divorce (see Deut 24:1-4 ^fd; cp. Matt 19:3-9 ^fe): Following the rules does not make divorce acceptable. Jesus allows only one legitimate reason for divorce, sexual infidelity, and forbids casual divorce (see also 1 Cor 7:10-11 ^ff). 5:31 ^fg A notice of divorce is a document stating the legality of a divorce. Evidence suggests that such a document permitted remarriage. “The essential formula in the notice of divorce is, ‘Lo, you are free to marry any man.’ ... The essential formula in a writ of emancipation is, ‘Lo, you are a freedwoman: lo, you belong to yourself’” (Mishnah Gittin 9:3).
5:32 ^fh The exception clause permits but does not demand divorce when one partner has been unfaithful (see also 19:9 ^fi). Notably, Jesus does not demand death for the guilty party (see Deut 22:21-22 ^fj).

• The implication seems to be that by divorcing his wife for illegitimate reasons, the man causes her to commit adultery by wrongly putting her in a situation where she remarries and so breaks the law.

• anyone who marries a divorced woman: It is not clear whether Jesus is referring to any woman who is divorced, regardless of the reason, or only to a woman who is divorced without an acceptable reason (unfaithfulness). The underlying assumption in Jewish divorce law was simple: Legitimate divorces permitted remarriage.
Summary for Matt 5:33-37: 5:33-37 ^fk Jesus here summarizes the Old Testament teaching on oaths (Lev 19:12 ^fl; Num 30:2-4 ^fm; Deut 23:21-23 ^fn; Ps 50:14 ^fo; Zech 8:17 ^fp). The Pharisees had degrees of commitment for oaths—for example, ones that did not mention God were not as binding. Jesus shows that because God is related to all things (heaven, earth, Jerusalem, my head; see also Matt 23:16-22 ^fq), breaking any oath breaks God’s command (see Exod 20:7 ^fr). The point is that one must be altogether truthful. Jesus’ righteousness elevates the disciple’s everyday yes and no to the level of binding oath. Oaths become superfluous to the honest person (Jas 5:12 ^fs).
Summary for Matt 5:38-42: 5:38-42 ^ft The Old Testament permitted proportionate retribution (Exod 21:24-25 ^fu; Deut 19:16-21 ^fv), which was to prevent punishments from far exceeding the severity of the offense. Jesus, however, does not permit personal retaliation at all among his followers. Jesus’ way is not to insist on justice but to find victory through suffering and the cross (1 Pet 2:23 ^fw). Some have taken this passage as a guide for all of life (including politics). Others understand it merely as the willingness to forgo one’s personal rights and to forgive as God has forgiven (see Matt 5:48 ^fx; 18:23-35 ^fy). Like the servant in Isa 50:4-9 ^fz and 53:7 ^ga (see also Matt 12:15-21 ^gb), Jesus’ followers are to apply the same virtue to honor, possessions, time, or property. Righteousness does not insist on its own way.
5:41 ^gc Forced labor was a humiliating fact of Roman occupation (see 27:32 ^gd); Jesus turned it into an occasion for exuberant service to God. This saying shows Jesus’ opposition to Jewish revolutionaries, who advocated violent resistance (see 5:9 ^ge).
5:42 ^gf See Deut 15:7-11 ^gg.
Summary for Matt 5:43-47: 5:43-47 ^gh hate your enemy: Jesus is opposing not the Old Testament, but a traditional, though mistaken (cp. Exod 23:4-5 ^gi), interpretation of the Old Testament. The “hate” clause is not in the Old Testament (but see Ps 139:21-22 ^gj).
5:45 ^gk By loving all people, Jesus’ followers would not become children of God; they would show by their actions that they are indeed God’s true children, according to his nature and will (see Deut 10:18-19 ^gl).
5:47 ^gm If you are kind only to your friends (literally, If you greet only your brothers): Jews were instructed to greet Gentiles for the sake of maintaining peaceful relations, but such greetings were not the same as those for “brothers”—i.e., fellow Jews.
5:48 ^gn This verse ties 5:20-48 ^go together as a unit (see study note on 4:23-25).

• you are to be perfect: The term rendered “perfect” means maturity and wholeness in response to Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom, and complete consecration to God (19:21 ^gp; Eph 4:13 ^gq; Phil 3:15 ^gr; Col 1:28 ^gs; 4:12 ^gt; 1 Jn 4:18 ^gu). Perfection has love at its core (see Luke 6:36 ^gv).