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Mat_5:20. Γάρ ] Unnecessary difficulties have been raised on account of this connection (Ritschl and Bleek, who even declare δέ to be more appropriate), and the obvious sense passed over (de Wette, who, as well as Hilgenfeld, refers back to Mat_5:17). Jesus does not state any ground for recognizing why there must be distinctions of rank in the kingdom (Ritschl), which must be understood as a matter of course; but He assigns the reason—and how important was that for the vocation of the disciples!—for the ποιήσῃ κ . διδάξῃ which He had just uttered, in accordance with its necessary connection: “For if ye do not unite acting with teaching, then can ye not enter into the kingdom, being upon the same stage of righteousness as the scribes and Pharisees” (Mat_23:2 f., 14).
περισς . πλεῖον is to be rendered: shall have been more abundant than.[405] Comp. περοσσεύειν ὑπέρ τινα , 1Ma_3:30.
ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν ] your moral righteousness, as in Mat_5:6; Mat_5:10, not the justitia fidei (Calovius), although the truly moral life rests upon the latter.
τῶν γραμματ . κ . Φαρις .] well-known comparatio compendiaria for τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῶν , κ . τ . λ ., Kühner, II. p. 847. It is understood, besides, as a matter of course, that Jesus here has in view the false righteousness of the Pharisees in general, so that nobler manifestations, like Gamaliel, Nicodemus, and others, do not determine His general judgment.
[405] These men thought and appeared to make themselves prominent by abundant acts of δικαιοσύνη , whilst they “ceremonialem et forensem morali missa tutati sunt” (Bengel). An abounding in righteousness on the part of His disciples in a higher degree and measure of morality, which πλεῖον , however, in accordance with the actual relation of the thing compared, contains in itself an essentially quite different kind of δικαιοσύνη , is required by Christ on the ground of faith in Him. That external righteousness, whilst the heart is impure, “does not belong to heaven, but to hell” (Luther).