2 

2:6 Yet we speak wisdom - Yea, the truest and most excellent wisdom. Among the perfect - Adult, experienced Christians. By wisdom here he seems to mean, not the whole Christian doctrine, but the most sublime and abstruse parts of it. But not the wisdom admired and taught by the men of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, Jewish or heathen, that come to nought - Both they and their wisdom, and the world itself.

2:7 But we speak the mysterious wisdom of God, which was hidden for many ages from all the world, and is still hidden even from "babes in Christ;" much more from all unbelievers.Which God ordained before the world - So far is this from coming to nought, like worldly wisdom. For our glory - Arising from the glory of our Lord, and then to be revealed when all worldly glory vanishes.

2:8 Had they known it - That wisdom. They would not have crucified - Punished as a slave. The Lord of glory - The giving Christ this august title, peculiar to the great Jehovah, plainly shows him to be the supreme God. In like manner the Father is styled, "the Father of glory," Eph 1:17; and the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of glory," Pe1 4:14. The application of this title to all the three, shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are "the God of glory;" as the only true God is called, Psa 29:3, and Act 7:2.

2:9 But this ignorance of theirs fulfils what is written concerning the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. No natural man hath either seen, heard, or known, the things which God hath prepared, saith the prophet, for them that love him. Isa 64:4

2:10 But God hath revealed - Yea, and "freely given," Co1 2:12.Them to us - Even inconceivable peace, and joy unspeakable.By his Spirit - Who intimately and fully knows them.For the Spirit searcheth even the deep things of God - Be they ever so hidden and mysterious; the depths both of his nature and his kingdom.

5 

5:17 Think not - Do not imagine, fear, hope, that I am come - Like your teachers, to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy - The moral law, but to fulfil - To establish, illustrate, and explain its highest meaning, both by my life and doctrine.

5:18 Till all things shall be effected - Which it either requires or foretells. For the law has its effect, when the rewards are given, and the punishments annexed to it inflicted, as well as when its precepts are obeyed. Luk 16:17; Luk 21:33.

5:19 One of the least - So accounted by men; and shall teach - Either by word or example; shall be the least - That is, shall have no part therein.

5:20 The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees - Described in the sequel of this discourse.

5:21 Ye have heard - From the scribes reciting the law; Thou shalt do no murder - And they interpreted this, as all the other commandments, barely of the outward act. The judgement - The Jews had in every city a court of twenty - three men, who could sentence a criminal to be strangled. But the sanhedrim only (the great council which sat at Jerusalem, consisting of seventy - two men,) could sentence to the more terrible death of stoning. That was called the judgment, this the council. Exo 20:13.

5:22 But I say unto you - Which of the prophets ever spake thus?Their language is, Thus saith the Lord. Who hath authority to use this language, but the one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Whosoever is angry with his brother - Some copies add, without a cause - But this is utterly foreign to the whole scope and tenor of our Lord's discourse. If he had only forbidden the being angry without a cause, there was no manner of need of that solemn declaration, I say unto you; for the scribes and Pharisees themselves said as much as this. Even they taught, men ought not to be angry without a cause. So that this righteousness does not exceed theirs. But Christ teaches, that we ought not, for any cause, to be so angry as to call any man Raca, or fool. We ought not, for any cause, to be angry at the person of the sinner, but at his sins only. Happy world, were this plain and necessary distinction thoroughly understood, remembered, practised! Raca means, a silly man, a trifler. Whosoever shall say, Thou fool - Shall revile, or seriously reproach any man. Our Lord specifiedthree degrees of murder, each liable to a sorer punishment than the other: not indeed from men, but from God. Hell fire - In the valley of Hinnom (whence the word in the original is taken) the children were used to be burnt alive to Moloch. It was afterward made a receptacle for the filth of the city, where continual fires were kept to consume it. And it is probable, if any criminals were burnt alive, it was in this accursed and horrible place. Therefore both as to its former and latter state, it was a fit emblem of hell. It must here signify a degree of future punishment, as much more dreadful than those incurred in the two former cases, as burning alive is more dreadful than either strangling or stoning.

5:23 Thy brother hath aught against thee - On any of the preceding accounts: for any unkind thought or word: any that did not spring from love.

5:24 Leaving thy gift, go - For neither thy gift nor thy prayer will atone for thy want of love: but this will make them both an abomination before God.

5:25 Agree with thine adversary - With any against whom thou hast thus offended: while thou art in the way - Instantly, on the spot; before you part. Lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge - Lest he commit his cause to God. Luk 12:58.

5:26 Till thou hast paid the last farthing - That is, for ever, since thou canst never do this. What has been hitherto said refers to meekness: what follows,to purity of heart.

5:27 Thou shalt not commit adultery - And this, as well as the sixth commandment, the scribes and Pharisees interpreted barely of the outward act. Exo 20:14.

5:29 If a person as dear as a right eye, or as useful as a right hand, cause thee thus to offend, though but in heart. Perhaps here may be an instance of a kind of transposition which is frequently found in the sacred writings: so that the Mat 5:29 may refer to Mat 5:27, Mat 5:28; and the Mat 5:30 to Mat 5:21-22. Mat 5:29, Mat 5:27, Mat 5:28, Mat 5:30, Mat 5:21, Mat 5:22. As if he had said, Part with any thing, however dear to you, or otherwise useful, if you cannot avoid sin while you keep it.Even cut off your right hand, if you are of so passionate a temper, that you cannot otherwise be restrained from hurting your brother. Pull out your eyes, if you can no otherwise be restrained from lusting after women. Mat 18:8; Mar 9:43.

5:30 See note at Mat 5:29.

5:31 Let him give her a writing of divorce - Which the scribes and Pharisees allowed men to do on any trifling occasion. Deu 24:1; Mat 19:7; Mar 10:2; Luk 16:18.

5:32 Causeth her to commit adultery - If she marry again.

5:33 Our Lord here refers to the promise made to the pure in heart of seeing God in all things, and points out a false doctrine of the scribes, which arose from their not thus seeing God.What he forbids is, the swearing at all,

1. by any creature,
2. in our ordinary conversation:

5:36 For thou canst not make one hair white or black - Whereby it appears, that this also is not thine but God's.

5:37 Let your conversation be yea, yea; nay, nay - That is, in your common discourse, barely affirm or deny.