Matthew 5:21-48
New Catholic Bible
21 Anger.[a]“You have heard that your ancestors were told: ‘You shall not kill, and anyone who kills will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say this to you: Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever addresses his brother in an insulting way will answer for it before the Sanhedrin, and whoever calls his brother a fool will be liable to the fires of Gehenna.[b]
23 “Therefore, when offering your gift at the altar, if you should remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar and first go to be reconciled with your brother. Then return and offer your gift.
25 “Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. If you fail to do so, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge will put you in the custody of the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Believe the truth of what I tell you: you will not be given your freedom until you have paid your debt down to the last penny.[c]
27 Adultery.[d]“You have heard that it was said of old: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that anyone who looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
31 Divorce.“It has also been said: ‘Whoever divorces his wife shall give her a certificate of dismissal.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except if the marriage was unlawful, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 Oaths.[e]“Again, you have heard that our ancestors were told: ‘Do not swear falsely, but fulfill the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But what I tell you is this: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, since it is God’s throne, 35 or by earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. 36 Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot turn one hair of it white or black. 37 All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 Retaliation.[f]“You have heard that it was said: ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you: Offer no resistance to someone who is wicked. If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other cheek as well. 40 If anyone wishes to sue you to gain possession of your tunic, give him your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him for a second mile. 42 Give to anyone who begs from you, and do not turn your back on anyone who wishes to borrow from you.
43 Love for Enemies.[g]“You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 45 This will make you children of your heavenly Father. For he causes his sun to rise on evil people as well as on those who are good, and his rain falls on both the righteous and the wicked. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward will you receive? Do not even tax collectors[h] do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brethren, what about that is so extraordinary? Even the pagans do as much.
48 Perfection.[i]“Therefore, strive to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 5:21 Murderers must appear before the highest Jewish judicial body, the Sanhedrin, and they deserve death and the fire, symbolized by Gehenna, the valley southwest of Jerusalem that was the center for an idolatrous cult during the monarchy in which children were offered in sacrifice (see 2 Ki 23:10; Jer 7:31). To embrace the kingdom of God is to become a person of reconciliation, to free oneself of all murderous desires. Indeed, even when they suffer offenses but are innocent, the disciples of Jesus must have the courage to take the first step toward establishing peace.
- Matthew 5:22 Gehenna: a little valley southwest of Jerusalem and a popular image of hell because of the refuse that burned there continually.
- Matthew 5:26 Penny: the smallest Roman copper coin.
- Matthew 5:27 At this period, the laws on divorce were tolerant for husbands, intransigent for wives. Jesus rejects this inequality and confronts husbands with their responsibilities by radically condemning divorce. Matthew’s text contains the clause, “except if the marriage was unlawful,” which is lacking in the parallel passages of Luke and Mark, but occurs again in Mt 19:9. The Greek word porneia, “unchastity,” is generic and so has given rise to much discussion. The widely accepted opinion among scholars today is that it was a technical term used by the Jewish Christian community to signify a degree of relationship that constituted an impediment to marriage according to the Law (Lev 18:6-18; Acts 15:29).
- Matthew 5:33 What good is multiplying oaths between God and human beings? Is this not a sign that lying and unbelief have perverted human realities? In the kingdom of God, the dialogue between persons will rediscover its truth and its loyalty.
- Matthew 5:38 The Old Testament commandment of an eye for an eye (see Lev 24:20) was intended to moderate vengeance—seeking to ensure that the punishment not exceed the injury done. Jesus calls for further moderation and liberality by giving suggestions for breaking the infernal circle of hatred and disputation.
- Matthew 5:43 Just as God invites the unrighteous to respond to him through the evidence of his love, so the disciples of Jesus must bear the same love toward their enemies.
- Matthew 5:46 Tax collectors: those who collected taxes on behalf of the occupying authorities; for this reason, and also because they engaged in fraud, they were regarded as public sinners.
- Matthew 5:48 The life of the kingdom is that of children of God; therein lies its secret and its demands (see Lev 11:43; Deut 18:13).
