Matthew 5:27-48

New English Translation

Adultery

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’^[a] ²⁸But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.^[b] ³⁰If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

³¹“It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’^[c] ³²But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality,^[d] makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³“Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation,^[e] ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’^[f] ³⁴But I say to you, do not take oaths at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, ³⁵not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.^[g] ³⁶Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. ³⁷Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.^[h]

Retaliation

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’^[i] ³⁹But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer.^[j] But whoever strikes you on the^[k] right cheek, turn the other to him as well. ⁴⁰And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic,^[l] let him have your coat also. ⁴¹And if anyone forces you to go one mile,^[m] go with him two. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you,^[n] and do not reject^[o] the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’^[p] and ‘hate your enemy.’^[q] ⁴⁴But I say to you, love your enemy and^[r] pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be like^[s] your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors^[t] do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁷And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁸So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.^[u]

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Footnotes

Matthew 5:27 sn A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18 (5:17 LXX).
Matthew 5:29 sn On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.
Matthew 5:31 tn Or “a written notice of divorce.”sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
Matthew 5:32 sn The phrase except for immorality (often referred to as the “exception clause”) has been the subject of much debate. One of the best and most comprehensive recent studies which pays particular attention to historical background material, especially Jewish material, is that of D. Instone-Brewer, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context (Eerdmans, 2002).
Matthew 5:33 tn Grk “the ancient ones.”
Matthew 5:33 sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.
Matthew 5:35 sn The final clause is an allusion to Ps 48:2. In light of Ps 48:1-2 most understand the great King as a reference to God in this context (thus the capitalization).
Matthew 5:37 tn The term πονηροῦ (ponērou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified, however, since it is articular and how it fits into the surrounding context (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponērou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in v. 39, which is the same construction.
Matthew 5:38 sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
Matthew 5:39 tn The articular πονηρός (ponēros, “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).
Matthew 5:39 tc ‡ Many mss (B D K L Δ Θ ƒ¹³ 565 579 700 1424 pm; SBL) have σου (sou) here (“your right cheek”), but many others lack the pronoun (א W ƒ¹ 33 892 1241 pm). The pronoun was probably added by way of clarification, as is evident by the fact that it floats in the verse: it is found both before and after “cheek.” NA²⁸ has σου in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.
Matthew 5:40 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
Matthew 5:41 sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them. The Greek verb is a semi-technical term and its only other NT uses are in Matt 27:32 and Mark 15:21, both of which refer to Simon of Cyrene being forced to carry Jesus’ cross.
Matthew 5:42 sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).
Matthew 5:42 tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
Matthew 5:43 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
Matthew 5:43 sn The phrase hate your enemy does not occur explicitly in the OT, but was commonly inferred from passages like Deut 7:2; 30:7; Ps 26:5; Ps 139:21-22. Jesus’ hearers (and Matthew’s readers) would not have been surprised by the statement. It is the antithesis Jesus gives in the following verses that would have shocked them.
Matthew 5:44 tc Most mss (D L W Δ Θ ƒ¹³ 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat sy^(p),h) read “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you,” before “those who persecute you.” But this is surely a motivated reading, importing the longer form of this aphorism from Luke 6:27-28. The shorter text is found in א B ƒ¹ sy^s,c sa bo^pt mae, as well as several fathers.
Matthew 5:45 tn Grk “be sons of your Father in heaven.” Here, however, the focus is not on attaining a relationship (becoming a child of God) but rather on being the kind of person who shares the characteristics of God himself (a frequent meaning of the Semitic idiom “son of”). See L&N 58.26.
Matthew 5:46 sn The Roman system of taxation was frequently characterized by “tax farming” where an individual would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government throughout an entire district and then add a surcharge or commission (often exorbitant) which they kept for themselves as their profit. The tax collectors referred to in the NT were generally not the holders of these tax contracts themselves, but hired subordinates who were often local residents. Since these tax collectors worked for Rome (even indirectly), they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked. In addition, the system offered many opportunities for dishonesty and greed, both of which were often associated with local tax collectors.
Matthew 5:48 sn This remark echoes OT statements in Lev 11:44-45 and Lev 19:2: “you must be holy as I am holy.”

New English Translation (NET)