John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 5:21 - 5:21

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John Bengel Commentary - Matthew 5:21 - 5:21


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Mat 5:21. Ἠκούσατε, ye have heard) From public readings, to which you have given your assent. In the New Testament the teachers are referred to their reading of the law, the people to their hearing of it. See Joh 12:34; Rom 2:13; Rom 2:18.-ὅτι ἐῤῥέθη, that it has been said) An impersonal form of speech, to which is elegantly opposed, I say. Moses said it truly; the interpreters of Moses said it with altered meaning: the hearers did not distinguish the meaning of Moses from that of his interpreters. The name of Moses occurs, but with a less forcible contrast, in ch. Mat 19:8-9, sc. Moses permitted, but [I] say unto you, where I is not expressed in the original, for there is no contention between Moses and Christ: the Jews had departed from both Moses and Christ. The language of Christ does not exceed the law of Moses (see ch. Mat 7:12); for concupiscence, proscribed in Mat 5:28, is also prohibited by the law: see Rom 7:7. He however restores the truths which the Scribes had taken from the law, and clears away the falsehoods which they had added; see Mat 5:43. The phrase, “But I say,” is an antithetic formula, by which Christ, as if Moses had never existed (for the servant gives place to his Lord), orders all things simply, not in the guise of a Legislator or Interpreter, but as the Son declaring the will of His Father: see ch. Mat 7:21, and cf. ch. Mat 3:17. The law is perfect: whatever the Saviour prohibits or commands in this passage, the law had previously prohibited or commanded: it judges the secrets of the heart (see Rom 7:14); but on account of the hard heart of the people, it more frequently expresses outward acts. Therefore the Lord says, “But I say unto you,” not, “Moses however said unto you.” The Jews were in many things otherwise circumstanced in the time of the Pharisees than in the time of Moses.-τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, to them of old time[197]) sc. the fathers in the time of Moses. The Scribes wished to appear to be in conformity with the ancient and primitive rule. Antiquity should be maintained, but it should be genuine antiquity.[198]-ὑμῖν, to you) This word is antithetic[199] to τοῖς ἀρχαιοῖς, from whence it is evident, that τοῖς ἀρχαίοις (antiquis) is not in the ablative, but in the dative case; and the construction is more easy if we render the passage thus, “it was said TO them of old time, than thus, “it was said BY them of old time.”-οὐ φονεύσεις, thou shalt not kill) Our Lord begins with the clearest precept.-τῇ κρίσει, to the judgment) The Hebrew דִּין, rendered κρίσις, was the inferior tribunal existing in the several towns, and consisted of twenty-three judges, who had the power of life and death. The dative, τῇ κρίσει, signifies, as far as belongs to[200] the judgment, or municipal tribunal: in like manner, in the next verse τῷ συνεδρίῳ signifies as far as belongs to the Sanhedrim: for ἔνοχος, criminal, is here used absolutely.

[197] E. V. by them of old time.-(I. B.)

[198] In fact, it was not in the time of Moses, and to the ancients [“to them of old time”], that the rather lax interpretation of the law was set forth, but in the time of the Scribes and Pharisees, and to the men of that age. The Scribes themselves were the persons who crusted over with the plea of antiquity their own innovations, as generally happens in religious controversies, or when morals are being corrupted.-Vers. Germ.

[199] See Explanation of technical terms in Appendix.-(I. B.)

[200] In the original, “quod ad judicium attinet,” where in the phrase, “quod attinet,” generally rendered “with respect to,” “as regards,” etc., attinet seems to have its own more peculiar and precise force of pertains;-and to signify, “is the province of,” “comes under the jurisdiction of;”-a meaning which appears to coincide with Bengel’s observations on the next verse.-(I. B.)