1
Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος· καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ·
And seeing the crowds he went up onto the mountain; and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
Onto the mountain — this book puts the teaching on a mountain; Luke 6:17 puts it on a level place.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun him = Jesus
2
καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων·
And opening his mouth he was teaching them, saying:
Opening his mouth is a Semitic turn for beginning a formal speech.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun them = the disciples
3
Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
“Blessed, the poor in spirit — because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
Blessed (μακάριος, makarios) is an adjective, not a wish — the Greek has no verb here, so this edition puts none. Poor in spirit — Luke 6:20 says only “the poor”.
pronoun theirs = the poor in spirit
Why this rendering
Matt.5.3 Observation
Syntactic observation
μακάριος comes nine times in a row here (vv.3-11) and never once in Mark. Across the four Gospels it stands at Luke 15, Matthew 13, John 2 and Mark 0: Mark alone is without it. The word stands first and there is no verb — Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί: not blessed are but blessed, the poor. Without a copula this is a declaration, not a wish. τῷ πνεύματι is dative, and the grammar does not fix what it marks: the sphere of the poverty (poor in spirit), its cause, or its means — all stay open. Verses 3 and 10 close on the same refrain (ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν) while the six between end in futures — only the first and last are present, and everything in the middle is still to come. And what has run in the third person turns to the second at v.11 (μακάριοί ἐστε).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “Blessed, the poor in spirit — because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.”
Basis Keeps the copula-less form as a declaration and does not narrow the openness of τῷ πνεύματι.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit”
Basis Supplies a verb to complete the sentence.
Rejected Supplying a verb is near-unavoidable in Korean and English, but rendering πνεῦμα as heart collides with v.8, which actually has καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, pure in heart — two distinct words made one.
Lost in translation
the unresolved dative Greek does not settle whether τῷ πνεύματι marks sphere, cause or means; 영으로 and in spirit each choose.
Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (not this language)
4
μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.
Blessed, those who mourn — because they will be comforted.
Will be comforted is a passive with no named agent, as in the six that follow.
pronoun they = those who mourn
5
μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν.
Blessed, the gentle — because they will inherit the earth.
Gentle (πραΰς, praus) is not weakness; it is strength held in hand.
pronoun they = the gentle
6
μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.
Blessed, those hungering and thirsting for righteousness — because they will be filled.
Filled (χορτάζω, chortazō) is a word first used of feeding animals — it is a full stomach, not a full heart.
pronoun they = those hungering and thirsting
7
μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.
Blessed, the merciful — because they will be shown mercy.
Merciful and shown mercy share one root in Greek; English can keep the join.
pronoun they = the merciful
8
μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται.
Blessed, the pure in heart — because they will see God.
Pure (καθαρός, katharos) is the word used of clean hands and clean cloth.
pronoun they = the pure in heart
9
μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται.
Blessed, the peacemakers — because they will be called sons of God.
Peacemakers renders one Greek compound (εἰρηνοποιοί, eirēnopoioi), used once in the four Gospels.
pronoun they = the peacemakers
10
μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
Blessed, those persecuted because of righteousness — because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
The last blessing returns to the words of the first — the set is closed at both ends.
pronoun theirs = those persecuted because of righteousness
11
μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσιν καὶ εἴπωσιν πᾶν ⸀πονηρὸν καθ’ ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ.
Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say every evil thing against you, lying, because of me.
Blessed are you — the address turns to “you” here, and stays there.
pronoun you = the disciples — every “you” here is the disciples
pronoun they = unnamed
pronoun me = Jesus
12
χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.
Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets before you.
Rejoice and be glad — the second verb (ἀγαλλιάομαι, agalliaomai) is a leaping joy, kept apart from the first.
pronoun your = the disciples
pronoun they = unnamed
pronoun you = the disciples
13
Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἁλισθήσεται; εἰς οὐδὲν ἰσχύει ἔτι εἰ μὴ ⸂βληθὲν ἔξω⸃ καταπατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt becomes foolish, with what will it be salted? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by people.
Becomes foolish renders μωραίνω (mōrainō) — the same root as fool in verse 22. Salt that loses its taste is called foolish, and English cannot keep the join without spelling it out.
pronoun You = the disciples
pronoun it = the salt
pronoun It = the salt
Why this rendering
Matt.5.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
For salt going bad Matthew writes μωρανθῇ — μωραίνω, to become foolish. Mark 9:50, in the same figure, has ἄναλον γένηται, if it becomes saltless — ἄναλος occurs nowhere else in the four Gospels. Luke 14:34 has Matthew's μωρανθῇ but follows it with ἀρτυθήσεται, with what will it be seasoned, which is Mark's seasoning verb — one verse holding a word from each book. All three books are in the four Gospels, so the difference is verifiable: Mark speaks of taste, Matthew and Luke of sense. And Matthew's word echoes inside this chapter — at v.22 calling a brother Μωρέ, fool, is grounds for judgement, and that μωρός is the root of the verb in v.13. μωρός occurs in Matthew alone (six times), so even where Luke uses the same verb the echo holds only in Matthew. Salt turning μωρός and a person being called μωρός stand nine verses apart. ἁλισθήσεται, shall it be salted, is the verb of Mark 9:49 (πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται) — Mark says everyone will be salted with fire; Matthew asks with what the salt shall be salted. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂βληθὲν ἔξω⸃).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “if the salt becomes foolish” — sharing the root of the fool at v.22
Basis Renders the word Matthew chose, keeping its echo with v.22 and its difference from Mark 9:50.
“if the salt loses its taste”
Basis Uses the natural expression for salt.
Rejected Natural as it is, it becomes Mark's word, and the fact that the two books chose different verbs disappears, along with the root-link to v.22 — what the salt loses in Matthew is not taste but sense.
14
Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη·
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
A city set on a mountain — the mountain of verse 1 comes back as a picture.
pronoun You = the disciples
15
οὐδὲ καίουσιν λύχνον καὶ τιθέασιν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, καὶ λάμπει πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the modios, but on the lampstand, and it shines for all in the house.
Modios is a Roman dry measure kept as sound. They light — the Greek plural has no named subject.
pronoun they = unnamed
pronoun it = the lamp
16
οὕτως λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα καὶ δοξάσωσιν τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
So let your light shine before people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in the heavens.
Your Father in the heavens — the address this book uses again and again, and it is plural “heavens”.
pronoun your = the disciples — both times
pronoun they = people
17
Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι·
Do not think that I came to tear down the law or the prophets; I did not come to tear down but to fulfil.
Tear down (καταλύω, katalyō) is the verb used of the temple at 26:61. Fulfil is set against it and is not explained.
pronoun I = Jesus — both times
18
ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται.
For Amen I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or one stroke will pass from the law until all comes to be.
Iota is the smallest Greek letter, kept as sound; stroke (κεραία, keraia) is a little horn on a letter.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
Why this rendering
Matt.5.18 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἰῶτα is the name of a Greek letter; κεραία is a horn or projection — the small stroke on a letter. ἰῶτα occurs once in all four Gospels — here. κεραία occurs twice, here and at Luke 16:17, and Luke's verse — another form of the same saying — names the stroke but not the letter: only Matthew measures by a letter. The sentence takes writing itself as its unit — not a commandment, not a verse, but one letter and one stroke. And the verb of passing comes twice in the same word: until heaven and earth παρέλθῃ, not one stroke shall παρέλθῃ from the law. Mark 13:31 has the same verb across heaven, earth and words (ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρελεύσονται) — Matthew hangs the parallel on the law, Mark on his own words. Luke does both: 16:17 on the law, 21:33 on the words. The πληρῶσαι of v.17 is the verb of Jesus' first words at 3:15, and shares its root with the πληρωθῇ of the fulfilment citations in ch. 2.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “not one iota or one stroke”
Basis Keeps the letter's name transliterated; the point is that the sentence measures by writing, so the unit is not erased.
“not one jot or tittle”
Basis Uses the settled idiom.
Rejected 일점 says a dot, but ἰῶτα is not a dot — it is the name of a letter. As the idiom hardened, what unit the Greek invoked stopped being visible.
Lost in translation
Hebrew letters and a Greek one The law is written in Hebrew letters, but the sentence names a Greek one. The mismatch is inside the text, and no rendering marks it.
Survives in · Peshitta / this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
19
ὃς ἐὰν οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· ὃς δ’ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν.
So whoever looses one of the least of these commandments and teaches people so will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, this one will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.
Looses (λύω, lyō) — the verb of untying, set against keeps without being softened to “breaks”.
pronoun these = the commandments
pronoun them = the commandments
pronoun this one = whoever does and teaches them
20
λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ⸂ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη⸃ πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.
For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of the heavens.
Exceeds (περισσεύω, perisseuō) is to overflow past a measure.
first here Pharisee Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun your = the disciples
21
Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις· Οὐ φονεύσεις· ὃς δ’ ἂν φονεύσῃ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει.
You heard that it was said to the ancients: ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to the judgement.'
You heard that it was said — the first of six such openings in this chapter.
pronoun You = the disciples
22
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ ⸀αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ· Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός.
But I say to you that everyone angry with his brother will be liable to the judgement; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raka,' will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘Fool,' will be liable to the Gehenna of fire.
Raka is Aramaic, kept as sound; its sense is something like “empty head”. Gehenna is a place-name kept as sound, not turned into “hell”.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun his = everyone angry — both times
Why this rendering
Matt.5.22 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ῥακά is an Aramaic transliteration, and Matthew supplies no gloss — unlike Talitha koum at Mark 5:41 or Immanuel at 1:23, this word gets no which means. Beside it stands Μωρέ, Greek, in the vocative: fool. So one sentence sets an unglossed Aramaic insult next to a Greek one. Three steps climb: anger → the judgement; Ῥακά → the council; Μωρέ → the Gehenna of fire. Whether the words get harsher as the penalties rise the text does not say — since Ῥακά is left unglossed, nothing inside the text weighs the two insults against each other. Ῥακά occurs once in all four Gospels — here. γέεννα stands at seven in Matthew, three in Mark (9:43, 45, 47) and one in Luke (12:5), and here it takes τοῦ πυρός, of fire. The root of μωρανθῇ in v.13 arrives here as a name for a person. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀αὐτοῦ).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “Raka” kept transliterated and unglossed; “Fool” sharing the root of v.13
Basis What Matthew does not gloss stays unglossed (a fixed rule of this edition); the Greek insult is rendered by sense, keeping the root of v.13.
Render both by sense, e.g. “idiot” and “fool”
Basis Conveys both insults in current speech.
Rejected Rendering Ῥακά requires fixing its sense, and Matthew supplies none — there is no ground in the text for fixing it. And the shape itself, Aramaic set beside Greek, disappears.
Lost in translation
the weight of the insults How harsh Ῥακά is can only be guessed from outside the text. Transliteration keeps the not-knowing; rendering it makes the translator fix the weight.
Survives in · this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
23
ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ,
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
There remember — the memory comes at the altar, not before it.
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
pronoun your = the hearer — both times
24
ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ὕπαγε πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου.
leave your gift there before the altar and go — first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Be reconciled (διαλλάσσομαι, diallassomai) is used once in the four Gospels.
pronoun your = the hearer — both times
25
ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχὺ ἕως ὅτου εἶ ⸂μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ⸃, μήποτέ σε παραδῷ ὁ ἀντίδικος τῷ κριτῇ, καὶ ὁ ⸀κριτὴς τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ, καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν βληθήσῃ·
Be well disposed to your opponent at law quickly, while you are with him on the way, lest the opponent at law hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Officer (ὑπηρέτης, hypēretēs) is a court servant; this edition keeps it apart from the table-servant word.
pronoun you = the hearer — every “you” here is the hearer
pronoun your = the hearer
pronoun him = your opponent at law
26
ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃς ἐκεῖθεν ἕως ἂν ἀποδῷς τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην.
Amen I say to you, you will certainly not come out from there until you have paid the last kodrantes.
Kodrantes is a Roman coin kept as sound — the smallest named in this book.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
27
Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη· Οὐ μοιχεύσεις.
You heard that it was said: ‘You shall not commit adultery.'
The second of the six openings.
pronoun You = the disciples
28
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ βλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτὴν ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman so as to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
So as to desire her — the Greek marks purpose, not a passing thought.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun her = a woman — both times
pronoun his = everyone looking
29
εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ, συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν.
And if your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of your members be lost than that your whole body be thrown into Gehenna.
Causes to stumble renders σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), from the stick of a trap.
pronoun your = the hearer — both times
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
pronoun it = your right eye
30
καὶ εἰ ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὴν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ, συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου ⸂εἰς γέενναν ἀπέλθῃ⸃.
And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of your members be lost than that your whole body go into Gehenna.
Right hand — the right of a pair is named both times, as the more valued.
pronoun your = the hearer — both times
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
pronoun it = your right hand
31
Ἐρρέθη ⸀δέ· Ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, δότω αὐτῇ ἀποστάσιον.
And it was said: ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'
The third opening is shortened — only it was said.
pronoun his = whoever divorces
pronoun him = whoever divorces
pronoun her = his wife
32
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ⸂πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων⸃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας ποιεῖ αὐτὴν ⸀μοιχευθῆναι, καὶ ὃς ἐὰν ἀπολελυμένην γαμήσῃ μοιχᾶται.
But I say to you that everyone divorcing his wife, apart from a matter of sexual immorality, makes her be adulterated; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Apart from a matter of sexual immorality — this exception stands in this book (also at 19:9) and not in Mark 10:11 or Luke 16:18. Makes her be adulterated keeps a Greek passive that English usually turns active.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun his = everyone divorcing
pronoun her = his wife
Why this rendering
Matt.5.32 Observation
Syntactic observation
Matthew attaches an exception to the prohibition of divorce — παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, apart from a matter of sexual immorality. Mark 10:11 has no such clause: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and it ends unconditioned. Luke 16:18 ends unconditioned too. All three books are in the four Gospels, so the difference is verifiable — only Matthew attaches an exception. Matthew himself has it twice, in different forms: 5:32 παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, 19:9 μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ — the first inserting λόγος, a matter or word, the second using only the preposition. πορνεία occurs three times in Matthew (5:32, 15:19, 19:9), once in Mark (7:21), once in John (8:41), and not at all in Luke. And the verb differs from Mark's too: in Mark the man μοιχᾶται, commits adultery; in Matthew the man makes the woman μοιχευθῆναι, be adulterated — a passive infinitive that shifts who does and who undergoes. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂πᾶς ἀπολύων⸃ ⸀μοιχευθῆναι,).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “apart from a matter of sexual immorality” — kept distinct from 19:9's except for immorality
Basis The two forms differ, so the renderings differ and λόγος is not dropped; and since the clause is absent from Mark it is rendered as written, keeping the difference between the books.
Level both to “except for sexual immorality”
Basis Lets one exception read as one clause.
Rejected Matthew wrote the two places differently. That λόγος stands only at 5:32 is a countable fact, and levelling makes it uncountable.
Lost in translation
the range of πορνεία How far this word reaches varies between lexica and the text does not define it. 음행 and sexual immorality are the settled renderings, but whether they narrow or widen it cannot be settled from the text.
this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)
33
Πάλιν ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις· Οὐκ ἐπιορκήσεις, ἀποδώσεις δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ τοὺς ὅρκους σου.
Again, you heard that it was said to the ancients: ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall render to the Lord your oaths.'
Render (ἀποδίδωμι, apodidōmi) is to give back what is owed.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun You = the hearer of the commandment
pronoun your = the hearer of the commandment
34
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως· μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅτι θρόνος ἐστὶν τοῦ θεοῦ·
But I say to you: do not swear at all — neither by heaven, because it is God's throne;
Do not swear at all — the Greek is absolute, and this edition does not soften it.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun it = heaven
35
μήτε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ὑποπόδιόν ἐστιν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ· μήτε εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ὅτι πόλις ἐστὶν τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως·
nor by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet; nor toward Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king.
Footstool of his feet keeps the Greek doubling.
pronoun it = the earth — the second “it” is Jerusalem
pronoun his = God
36
μήτε ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ σου ὀμόσῃς, ὅτι οὐ δύνασαι μίαν τρίχα λευκὴν ⸂ποιῆσαι ἢ μέλαιναν⸃.
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
Your head — the last thing sworn by is oneself.
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
pronoun your = the hearer
37
ἔστω δὲ ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ναὶ ναί, οὒ οὔ· τὸ δὲ περισσὸν τούτων ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐστιν.
Let your word be ‘Yes, yes,' ‘No, no'; and what exceeds these is from the evil one.
From the evil one may also be read “from evil” — Greek does not settle which.
pronoun your = the disciples
pronoun these = yes and no
38
Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη· Ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ καὶ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος.
You heard that it was said: ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
The fifth opening; the quotation is the law of measured recompense.
pronoun You = the disciples
39
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ· ἀλλ’ ὅστις σε ⸀ῥαπίζει ⸀εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν ⸀σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην·
But I say to you: do not resist the evil one; rather, whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Do not resist (ἀνθίστημι, anthistēmi) is to stand against.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples — the later “you” is the hearer struck
pronoun him = whoever strikes you
40
καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον·
And to the one wanting to go to law with you and take your tunic, let him have the garment as well.
Tunic is the inner garment, cloak the outer — giving the cloak too leaves nothing.
pronoun you = the hearer
pronoun your = the hearer
pronoun him = the one wanting to go to law
41
καὶ ὅστις σε ἀγγαρεύσει μίλιον ἕν, ὕπαγε μετ’ αὐτοῦ δύο.
And whoever conscripts you for one milion, go with him two.
Conscripts (ἀγγαρεύω, angareuō) is a Persian loan-word for compulsory carrying — the verb used of Simon of Cyrene at 27:32. Milion is a Roman mile, kept as sound.
pronoun you = the hearer
pronoun him = whoever conscripts you
42
τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε ⸀δός, καὶ τὸν θέλοντα ἀπὸ σοῦ δανίσασθαι μὴ ἀποστραφῇς.
Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from the one wanting to borrow from you.
Turn away (ἀποστρέφω, apostrephō) is to turn one's face from.
pronoun you = the hearer — both times
43
Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου καὶ μισήσεις τὸν ἐχθρόν σου.
You heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'
Hate your enemy stands nowhere in the law; the text gives it as something heard.
pronoun You = the disciples
pronoun your = the hearer — both times
44
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ⸀ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ ⸀τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς·
But I say to you: love your enemies and pray for those persecuting you,
The shortest of the six answers, and the widest.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples — “persecuting you” is the disciples as well
pronoun your = the disciples
45
ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ⸀ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους.
so that you may become sons of your Father in the heavens; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
His sun — the Greek says the sun is his, and lets it fall on both kinds.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun your = the disciples
pronoun he = your Father
pronoun his = your Father
46
ἐὰν γὰρ ἀγαπήσητε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, τίνα μισθὸν ἔχετε; οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ τελῶναι ⸂τὸ αὐτὸ⸃ ποιοῦσιν;
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
Tax collectors are named as the low measure, and gentiles in verse 47.
pronoun you = the disciples — both times
47
καὶ ἐὰν ἀσπάσησθε τοὺς ⸀ἀδελφοὺς ὑμῶν μόνον, τί περισσὸν ποιεῖτε; οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ ⸀ἐθνικοὶ ⸂τὸ αὐτὸ⸃ ποιοῦσιν;
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing? Do not the gentiles do the same?
Gentiles renders ἐθνικοί (ethnikoi), those of the nations.
pronoun you = the disciples — both times
pronoun your = the disciples
48
Ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι ⸀ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ⸀οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν.
So you shall be complete, as your heavenly Father is complete.”
Complete renders τέλειος (teleios) — brought to its end, not morally faultless. Luke 6:36 has “merciful” here instead.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun your = the disciples