Matthew 5

King James Version

Full text for Matthew Chapter 5

1¶ And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3¶ ‹Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.›

4‹Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.›

5‹Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.›

6‹Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.›

7‹Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.›

8‹Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.›

9‹Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.›

10‹Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.›

11‹Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.›

12‹Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.›

13¶ ‹Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.›

14‹Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.›

15‹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‹Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.›

17¶ ‹Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.›

18‹For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.›

19‹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.›

20‹For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.›

21¶ ‹Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:›

22‹But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.›

23‹Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;›

24‹Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.›

25‹Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.›

26‹Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.›

27¶ ‹Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 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‹And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.›

30‹And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.›

31‹It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:›

32‹But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.›

33¶ ‹Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:›

34‹But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:›

35‹Nor 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 thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.›

37‹But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.›

38¶ ‹Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:›

39‹But I say unto you, That ye 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] cloke also.›

41‹And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.›

42‹Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.›

43¶ ‹Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.›

44‹But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;›

45‹That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.›

46‹For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?›

47‹And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?›

48‹Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount by proclaiming blessings upon the poor in spirit, mourners, meek, and those who hunger for righteousness, extending to the merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and the persecuted. He then charges his disciples to be the "salt of the earth" and "light of the world," reflecting God's glory through their good works. Jesus clarifies his mission is to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, not abolish them, demanding a righteousness that exceeds mere external observance. He proceeds to deepen the understanding of various commandments, addressing internal attitudes like anger and lust, and advocating for reconciliation, truthful speech, non-retaliation, and the radical love of enemies.

Medium Summary

In Matthew chapter five, Jesus ascends a mountain and begins to teach his disciples and the multitudes, initiating what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. He first pronounces the Beatitudes, declaring blessedness upon those who are poor in spirit, mourn, are meek, hunger and thirst after righteousness, are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness' sake. Following this, Jesus likens his followers to "salt of the earth" and "light of the world," urging them to live righteously so that others may see their good works and glorify God. He then asserts that he has not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them, stating that every part of the Law will endure until all is accomplished. Jesus emphasizes that true righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, moving beyond external compliance to internal transformation. He illustrates this by reinterpreting several Old Testament commands, such as extending the prohibition against murder to include anger and insults, and the prohibition against adultery to include lustful thoughts. Furthermore, he teaches about the sanctity of marriage, the importance of simple, honest communication instead of oaths, and advocates for non-retaliation and radical love, even for one's enemies. He concludes this section by calling his followers to be perfect, just as their Heavenly Father is perfect.

Long Summary

Matthew chapter five records the commencement of Jesus's seminal discourse, the Sermon on the Mount, delivered to his disciples and the surrounding multitudes from a mountain. Jesus begins with the Beatitudes, a series of pronouncements of blessing upon those possessing specific spiritual qualities: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who suffer persecution for righteousness. He assures them of divine comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, the vision of God, being called children of God, and entrance into the kingdom of heaven, encouraging them to rejoice in their heavenly reward even amidst reviling. Subsequently, Jesus defines the role of his disciples, declaring them the "salt of the earth," tasked with preserving and flavoring, and the "light of the world," called to illuminate through their good works, so that God may be glorified. He then addresses his relationship to the Mosaic Law and the Prophets, unequivocally stating that he did not come to abolish them but to fulfill them, asserting the enduring authority of every "jot and tittle" of the Law until all is accomplished. Jesus warns against diminishing the commandments and stresses that a righteousness surpassing that of the scribes and Pharisees is essential for entry into the kingdom of heaven. He proceeds to present a series of antitheses, contrasting traditional interpretations of the Law with his deeper, more demanding understanding. For instance, he expands the prohibition against murder to include causeless anger, insults, and the need for reconciliation before worship. Regarding adultery, he declares that lustful looking constitutes adultery in the heart, advocating for radical self-denial to avoid sin. He also clarifies the law concerning divorce, permitting it only in cases of fornication, otherwise it leads to adultery. Jesus then instructs against swearing oaths, advocating for simple, truthful communication ("Yea, yea; Nay, nay") as anything beyond this originates from evil. He challenges the principle of "an eye for an eye," instead commanding non-resistance to evil, turning the other cheek, and generosity towards those who demand from them. Finally, Jesus elevates the command to love one's neighbor by extending it to include loving one's enemies, blessing those who curse, doing good to those who hate, and praying for persecutors, thereby emulating God's impartial goodness. This radical call culminates in the exhortation for his followers to be perfect, even as their Father in heaven is perfect.

Core Concepts

  • The BeatitudesJesus's declarations of blessedness upon those who exhibit specific spiritual attitudes and conditions, such as humility, mourning for sin, meekness, and a fervent desire for righteousness, promising them divine rewards.
  • Salt and LightMetaphors used by Jesus to describe the transformative and illuminating role of his disciples in the world, urging them to live righteously and let their good works glorify God.
  • Fulfillment of the LawJesus's assertion that he came not to destroy the Mosaic Law and the Prophets, but to bring them to their intended purpose and completion, emphasizing their enduring authority and the need for a deeper righteousness.
  • Internal RighteousnessJesus's reinterpretation of Old Testament commandments, moving beyond external obedience to address the internal attitudes and intentions of the heart, such as condemning anger and lust.
  • Reconciliation and ForgivenessThe teaching that personal reconciliation with others is paramount, even taking precedence over religious offerings, and the call to non-retaliation and active love towards adversaries.
  • Truthful SpeechJesus's instruction to avoid swearing oaths by any created thing, advocating instead for simple, honest, and straightforward communication ("Yea, yea; Nay, nay").
  • Love for EnemiesA radical command to extend love beyond one's neighbors to include those who persecute or hate, reflecting God's impartial love and aiming for spiritual perfection.