1 Who are blessed. 13 The Apostles are the salt and light of the world. 14 The city set on an hill. 15 The candle. 16 Good works. 19 The fulfilling of Christ’s commandments. 21 What killing is. 23 Reconciliation is set before sacrifice. 27 Adultery. 29 The plucking out of the eye. 30 Cutting off of the hand. 31 The bill of divorcement. 33 Not to swear. 44 To love our enemies. 48 Perfectness.

And when he saw the multitude, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came to him.

[a]And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

(A)Blessed are the [b]poor in [c]spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(B)Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

(C)Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

(D)Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the (E)[d]pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they (F)which suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 (G)Blessed shall ye be when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for my sake, falsely.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.

13 (H)Ye [e]are the salt of the [f]earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be [g]salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the [h]light of the world. A city that is set on an hill, cannot be hid.

15 (I)Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 (J)Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.

17 [i]Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy them, but to [j]fulfill them.

18 (K)For truly I say unto you, Till heaven and earth perish, one jot or one tittle of the Law shall not escape, till all things be fulfilled.

19 (L)[k]Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and teach men so, he shall be called the [l]least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall observe and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, except your righteousness (M)exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 [m]Ye have heard that it was said unto them of the old time, (N)Thou shalt not kill: for whosoever killeth shall be culpable of judgment.

22 But I say unto you, whosoever is angry with his brother unadvisedly, shall be [n]culpable [o]of judgment. And whosoever saith unto his brother, Raca, shall be worthy to be punished by the [p]Council. And whosoever shall say, Fool, shall be worthy to be punished with [q]hell [r]fire.

23 [s]If then thou bring thy gift to the [t]altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee,

24 Leave there thine offering before the altar, and go thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 (O)[u]Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest thine adversary deliver thee to the Judge, and the Judge deliver thee to the sergeant, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast [v]paid the utmost farthing.

27 [w]Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, (P)Thou shalt not commit adultery.

28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 (Q)Wherefore if thy [x]right eye cause thee [y]to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for better it is for thee, that one of thy members perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 Also if thy right hand make thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for better it is for thee, that one of thy members perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said also, (R)Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement.

32 But I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife (except it be for fornication) causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.

33 [z]Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, (S)Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform thine oaths to the Lord.

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God:

35 Nor yet by the earth, for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem: for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thine head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 (T)But let your communication be [aa]Yea, yea: Nay, nay. For whatsoever is more than these, cometh of [ab]evil.

38 [ac]Ye have heard that it hath been said, An (U)eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

39 But I say unto you, (V)Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever will compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 (W)Give to him that asketh, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, (X)Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, (Y)Love your enemies: bless them that curse you: do good to them that hate you, (Z)and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you,

45 (AA)[ad]That ye may be the children of your father that is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to arise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust.

46 For if ye love them, which love you, what reward shall you have? Do not the Publicans even the same?

47 And if ye be friendly to your brethren only, what singular thing do ye? do not even the [ae]Publicans likewise?

48 Ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven, is perfect.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:2 Christ teacheth that the greatest joy and felicity is not in the commodities and pleasures of this life, but is laid up in heaven for them that willingly rest in the good will and pleasure of God, and endeavor to profit all men, although they be cruelly vexed, and troubled of the worldlings, because they will not fashion themselves to their manners.
  2. Matthew 5:3 Under the name of poverty are all such miseries meant, as are joined with poverty.
  3. Matthew 5:3 Whose minds and spirits are brought under, and tamed, and obey God.
  4. Matthew 5:8 Fitly is this word Pure, joined with the heart, for as a bright and shining resemblance or image may be seen plainly in a clear and pure looking glass, even so doth the face (as it were) of the everlasting God, shine forth, and clear appears in a pure heart.
  5. Matthew 5:13 The ministers of the word, especially (unless they will be the most caitiff of all) must needs lead others both by word and deed to this greatest joy and felicity.
  6. Matthew 5:13 Your doctrine must be very sound and good, for if it be not so, it shall be naught set by, and cast away as a thing unsavory and vain.
  7. Matthew 5:13 What shall you have to salt withal? And so are fools in the Latin tongue called saltless, as you would say, men that have no salt, or savor and taste in them.
  8. Matthew 5:14 You shine and give light, by being made partakers of the true light.
  9. Matthew 5:17 Christ came not to bring any new way of righteousness and salvation into the world, but to fulfill that in deed which was shadowed by the figures of the Law, by delivering men through grace from the curse of the Law: and moreover to teach the true use of obedience which the Law appointed, and to engrave in our hearts the force of obedience.
  10. Matthew 5:17 That the prophecies may be accomplished.
  11. Matthew 5:19 He beginneth with the true expounding of the Law, and setteth it against the old (but yet false) glosses of the Scribes: So far is he from abolishing the least commandment of his Father.
  12. Matthew 5:19 He shall have no place in the Church.
  13. Matthew 5:21 The true meaning of the first commandment.
  14. Matthew 5:22 He speaketh of the judgment of God, and of the difference of sins, and therefore applieth his words to the form of civil judgments, which were then used.
  15. Matthew 5:22 Of that judgment which was ruled by three men, who had the hearing and deciding of money matters, and such other small causes.
  16. Matthew 5:22 By that judgment which stood of 23 Judges, who had the hearing and deciding of weighty affairs and matters of life and death: as the highest Judges of all, were to the number of 71, which had the hearing of most weighty affairs, as the matter of a whole tribe or of an high Priest, or of a false prophet.
  17. Matthew 5:22 Whereas we read here, Hell, it is in the text itself, Gehenna, which is an Hebrew word made of two, and is as much to say, as the Valley of Hinnom, which otherwise the Hebrews called Tophet: it was a place where the Israelites were wont most cruelly to sacrifice their children to false gods, whereupon it was taken for a place appointed to torment the reprobates in Jer. 7:31.
  18. Matthew 5:22 The Jews used four kinds of punishments, before their government was taken away by Herod, hanging, heading, stoning, and burning: this is it that Christ shot at, because burning was the greatest punishment, therefore in that he maketh mention of a judgment, a council, and a fire, he showeth that some sins are worse than other sins, but yet they are all such that we must give account for them, and will be punished for them.
  19. Matthew 5:23 The covetous Pharisees taught that God was appeased by the sacrifices appointed in the Law, which they themselves devoured. But Christ on the contrary side denieth that God accepteth any man’s offering, unless he maketh satisfaction to his brother whom he hath offended: and saith moreover, that these stubborn and stiffnecked despisers of their brethren, shall never escape the wrath and curse of God, before they have made full satisfaction to their brethren.
  20. Matthew 5:23 He applieth all this speech to the state of his time, when as there was an altar standing in Jerusalem, and therefore they are very foolish, that gather hereupon, that we must build altars, and use sacrifices: but they are more fools, which draw that to purgatory, which is spoken of peacemaking and atonement one with another.
  21. Matthew 5:25 Cut off all cause for enmity.
  22. Matthew 5:26 Thou shalt be dealt withall to the utmost extremity.
  23. Matthew 5:27 He is taken for an adulterer before God, whatsoever he be, that coveteth a woman: and therefore we must keep our eyes chaste, and all the members we have, yea, and we must eschew all occasions which might move us to evil, how dear soever it cost us.
  24. Matthew 5:29 He nameth the right eye and the right hand, because the parts of the right side of our bodies are the chiefest, and the readiest to commit any wickedness.
  25. Matthew 5:29 Word for word, do cause thee to offend: for sins are stumbling blocks as it were, that is to say, rocks which we are cast upon.
  26. Matthew 5:33 The meaning of the third commandment against the froward opinion and judgment of the Scribes, which excused by oaths or indirect forms of swearing.
  27. Matthew 5:37 Whatsoever you vouch, vouch it barely, and whatsoever you deny, deny it barely without any more words.
  28. Matthew 5:37 From an evil conscience, or from the devil.
  29. Matthew 5:38 He showeth clean contrary to the doctrine of the Scribes, that the sum of the second table must be understood, that we may in no wise render evil for evil, but rather suffer double injury, and do well to them that are our deadly enemies.
  30. Matthew 5:45 A double reason: the one is taken of relatives, that children must be like their father: the other is taken of comparison, The children of God must be better, than the children of this world.
  31. Matthew 5:47 They that were the toll masters, and had the oversight of tributes and customs: a kind of men that the Jews hated to death, both because they served the Romans in these offices, (whose yokeful bondage they could hardly away withall) and also because these toll masters are for the most part given to covetousness.

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes(A)

He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(B)
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.(C)
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.(D)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.(E)
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.(F)
Blessed are the pure in heart,(G)
    for they will see God.(H)
Blessed are the peacemakers,(I)
    for they will be called children of God.(J)
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,(K)
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(L)

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you,(M) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.(N) 12 Rejoice and be glad,(O) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.(P)

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.(Q)

14 “You are the light of the world.(R) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.(S) 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others,(T) that they may see your good deeds(U) and glorify(V) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.(W) 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.(X) 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands(Y) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.(Z)

Murder(AA)

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a](AB) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry(AC) with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment.(AD) Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court.(AE) And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.(AF)

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e](AG) 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(AH) 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble,(AI) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble,(AJ) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f](AK) 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.(AL)

Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,(AM) but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’(AN) 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:(AO) either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;(AP) 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.(AQ) 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;(AR) anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[g](AS)

Eye for Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h](AT) 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.(AU) 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(AV)

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i](AW) and hate your enemy.’(AX) 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(AY) 45 that you may be children(AZ) of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(BA) 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?(BB) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13
  2. Matthew 5:22 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23.
  3. Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts brother or sister without cause
  4. Matthew 5:22 An Aramaic term of contempt
  5. Matthew 5:27 Exodus 20:14
  6. Matthew 5:31 Deut. 24:1
  7. Matthew 5:37 Or from evil
  8. Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21
  9. Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18