John Gill

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“For I say unto you,.... These words are directed, not to the true disciples of Christ in general, or to his apostles in particular, but to the whole multitude of the people; who had in great esteem and admiration the Scribes and Pharisees, for their…”

You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

“Ye have heard,.... That is, from the Scriptures being read to them, and the explanations of the ancients, which were called שמעתא, "hearing", being read in the schools, and heard by the scholars (o); so that to "hear", was along with the recital of the…”

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

“But I say unto you,.... This is a Rabbinical way of speaking, used when a question is determined, and a false notion is refuted; it is a magisterial form of expression, and well suits with Christ, the great teacher and master in Israel; who spake…”

leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

“Leave there thy gift before the altar,.... This might easily be done, and the business soon dispatched, at some seasons; particularly, at their public feasts, as the passover, pentecost, and feast of tabernacles, when all the Israelites were together: and go thy way; make what…”

Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

“Verily, I say unto thee,.... This may be depended upon, you may assure yourself of it, that thou shalt by no means come out thence, from prison, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing, or "last farthing"; or as the Ethiopic version reads it, "till…”

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.

“And if thy right hand offend thee,.... Or "cause thee to offend"; that is, is the means of ensnaring thine heart; and of drawing thee into either mental, or actual adultery; for, as before, all unchaste looks, so here, all unchaste touches, embraces, &c.”

or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

“Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool,.... That the Jews were wont to swear by the earth, is clear from the above mentioned instances; and is condemned by Christ for this reason, because the earth is God's "footstool", referring, as before, to Isa…”

Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

“Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,.... This also was a common form of swearing among the Jews: take a few instances.”

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

“But let your communication be yea, yea,.... That is, let your speech, in your common conversation, and daily business of life, when ye answer to anything in the affirmative, be "yea"; and when ye answer to anything in the negative, "nay": and for the stronger…”

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’

“Ye have heard that it hath been said,.... That is, to, or by them of old time, as is expressed in some of the foregoing instances, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, Exo 21:24.”

But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;

“But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil,.... This is not to be understood of any sort of evil, not of the evil of sin, of bad actions, and false doctrines, which are to be opposed; nor of the evil one, Satan, who…”

if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

“And if any man will sue thee at the law,.... Or "will contend with thee", or as the Syriac renders it, דנדון עמך, "will strive", or "litigate with thee"; not contest the matter, or try the cause in an open court of judicature, a sense…”

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“Give to him that asketh thee,.... To every man, Luk 6:30 whether Jew or Gentile; friend or foe; believer or unbeliever; a good, or a bad man; worthy or unworthy; deserving or not, that asketh alms, whether food or money; give it freely, readily, cheerfully…”

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the…

“That ye may be the children of your father,.... Not that any became the children of God, by doing things in imitation of him: for as in nature no man becomes the son of another by imitating him, or by doing the things he does…”

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

“For if ye love them which love you,.... That is, if ye only love such that love you; for that such who love should be loved again, is both natural and just: our Lord's meaning is not, that ye ought not to love them that…”

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

“And if you salute your brethren only,.... This does not mean salutation by embraces or kisses, but by words, asking of each other's welfare, and wishing prosperity and happiness to one another.”

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men,.... Some copies read, "take heed that ye do not your righteousness", &c.”

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

“But when thou dost alms,.... Do it so privately, and with so much secrecy, that, if it was possible, thou mightest not know it thyself, much less make it known to others: let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth; acquaint not…”

so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“That thine alms may be in secret,.... May be done in secret, and be kept a secret. The allusion seems to be to the secret chamber, where money was brought privately for the relief of the poor.”

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites,.... As the Scribes and Pharisees; whose posture in prayer, the places they chose to pray in, and the view they had therein, are particularly taken notice of: for they love to pray standing in…”

But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,.... Or "chamber", a secret place, fit for private retirement, meditation, and prayer. And when thou hast shut thy door; see some such like phrases in Isa 26:20 where they are used to express security, here secrecy.”

And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions,.... Saying the same things over and over again, as the Heathens do, as the worshippers of Baal, from morning till noon, 1Ki 18:”

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

“Be not ye therefore like unto them,..... Do not be imitators of them, and follow their ways, who have only the dim light of nature to guide them; it would be shameful in you to do as they do, when you have a divine revelation…”

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

“Thy kingdom come,.... The form of expression used by the ancient Jews, relating to this article, before the coming of Christ, doubtless was, as it now stands in their prayers (r), מלכות משיחך יבא, "the kingdom of thy Messiah come".”

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

“And forgive us our debts,.... Nothing is more frequent in the Jewish writings than to call sins חובי, "debts"; and the phrase, of forgiving, is used both of God and men.”