T

they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed the merciful, for they shall find mercy. • Blessed the pure in heart, for they shall • see God. Blessed the peace-makers,

for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed they who [are] persecuted on account of righteousness, for theirs is the 11 kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are you when they shall reproach and persecute you, and say every wicked word 12 against you, lying, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens, for thus have they persecuted the prophets which [were] before you. Ye are the salt of the* earth. If the salt have become insipid, where

18

and for a Jew vice versa. It was not the haughty Pharisee, or the violent, who were to have it: God would give it to the meek of the earth, that waited on Him. In Hebrew is land and earth, asyn is in Greek; the word for world is another, I have put 'earth' with some hesitation as a word of a larger tone of thought, as characteristic, not local only, it is to be remembered that it is earth itself it speaks of. * Or, land.

with shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot by men.

14 Ye are the light of the world:

city situated on the top of a mountain 15 cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but upon the lamp-stand, and it shines for all who 16 [are] in the house. Let your light thus shine before men, so that they may see your upright* works, and glorify your Father which [is] in the heavens.

17 Think not that I am come to make

void the law and the prophets; I have not come to make void, but to fulfil.†

*I do not put good works, because it has acquired the force of benevolent actions, which is not the force of kaλα, but all that is upright and honourable and comely, what ought to be in one who feels aright. Upright does not quite give the whole sense, but the most nearly so of any word I know.

t'Give the fulness of.' πληρωσαι is not to fulfil a command in the way of obedience, nor to complete another thing by adding to it; but to fill up full some system sketched out, or that which is expressed in the thing fulfilled, as a whole. Thus the doctrine of the Church com

18 For verily I say unto you, until the heaven and the earth pass away, one iota

or one tittle shall in no wise pass from 19 the law till all come to pass.* Whoever, then, shall do away with one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever shall practise and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the hea30 vens. For I say to you, that unless your

pleted the word of God, made full what was expressed by it. Christ does not here fulfil what is said, nor adds to what still remained and was perfect itself; but came to make good the whole scope of law and prophets. The passage has nothing to do with obeying the law, though Christ did so perfectly. Nor is it here accomplishing a particular prophecy. He comes as the revealed completeness of God's mind, whatever the law and the prophets had pointed out. Verse 18 forbids the sense of obedience, though 19 proves that He was to be condemned, who being under law broke the commandments spoken of, as not to be maintained. But this is a consequence, Christ speaks of their authority. All was to be fulfilled in some way or another,

not set aside.

21

*

righteousness surpass [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of the hea

vens.

Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not kill; but whosoever shall kill shall be subject to the 22 judgment. But I say unto you, that every one that is lightly angry with his brother shall be subject to the judgment ; but whoever shall say to his brother, Kaca, shall be subject to [be called before] the sanhedrim; but whosoever shall say, Fool, shall be subject to the penalty of 28 the hell of fire. If, therefore, thou shalt offer thy gift at the altar, and there shall remember that thy brother has something against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go be reconciled to thy brother, and then come 25 and offer thy gift. Make friends with

24

* Or, 'excel,' Teploσevon. It is so used by the Septuagint for a Hebrew word signifying excel, but the Tλetov rather disables one from translating it so. But I doubt not it includes the idea of being a better righteousness. (See ver. 47.)

† Gehenna.

thine adverse party quickly whilst thou art in the way with him; lest, some time or other, the adverse party deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into 20 prison. Verily I say to thee, thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the last farthing.*

37

Ye have heard that it has been said,† " Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, that every one who looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her 29 in his heart. But if thy right eye be a snare to thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.‡ And if thy right hand be a snare to thee, cut it off and cast it from thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.‡

20

31 It has been said, too, Whoever shall

* коdраνтην. Quarter of an Assarion.

† T. R. adds, 'to the ancients.'

Gehenna.