Matthew 5:18
in Matthew 5For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.
KJV
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
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This verse in Matthew 5
Commentary
6 notes on this verse(Verse 18.) Until heaven and earth pass away. The new heavens and the new earth are promised to us, which the Lord God will create. Therefore, if new things are to be created, the old things will necessarily pass away. And what follows is: One iota, or one iota, will not pass from the Law until all is done. It is shown from the figure of the letter, that even what are thought to be the least in the Law, are full of spiritual sacraments, and all are recapitulated in the Gospel.
This site's exposition
I am not come to destroy
on Matthew 5:17-18
Fulfil, not destroy, states the relationship between Jesus and the law and the prophets that the rest of the Sermon works out in the antitheses to come. Jot names the smallest Hebrew letter, yod, and tittle a small stroke distinguishing similar letters, so the claim covers the law down to its smallest marks, till all be fulfilled. The commentators read fulfilment across three registers, prophetic, typological, and moral, without settling how far the ceremonial law's binding force continues for a church age it does not itself address.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For verily I say unto you,.... Or "I Amen say unto you", which is one of the names of Christ; see Rev 3:14 or the word "Amen" is only used by Christ as an asseveration of what he was about to say; and which, for greater confirmation, is usually doubled in the Evangelist John, "Amen, Amen", or "verily, verily". The word is used by the Jews (w) for an oath; they swore by it; and it is a rule with them, that whoever answers "Amen" after an oath, it is all one as if he had pronounced the oath itself.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven - In the very commencement of his ministry, Jesus Christ teaches the instability of all visible things. “The heaven which you see, and which is so glorious, and the earth which you inhabit and love, shall pass away; for the things which are seen are temporal, προσκαιρα, are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal αιωνια, ever-during,” 2Co 4:18. And the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. One jot or one tittle - One yod, (י), the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
on Matthew 5:13-20
These verses teach us, in the first place, the character which true Christians must support and maintain in the world . The Lord Jesus tells us that true Christians are to be in the world “Ye are the salt of the earth.” Now salt has a peculiar taste of its own, utterly unlike anything else. When mingled with other substances it preserves them from corruption; it imparts a portion of its taste to everything it is mixed with. It is useful so long as it preserves its savour, but no longer. Are we true Christians?
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is the expression manifestly, of supreme legislative authority; and as the subject in connection with which it is uttered is the Moral Law, no higher claim to an authority strictly divine could be advanced.
The words behind it
27 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀμὴν | amen | Amen | G281 → | 127 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| λέγω | lego | I say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὑμῖν· | humin | to you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| ἂν | an | when | G302 → | 165 times |
| παρέλθῃ | parelthe | may pass away | G3928 → | 29 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανὸς | ouranos | heaven | G3772 → | 272 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆ, | ge | earth, | G1093 → | 248 times |
| ἰῶτα | iota | iota | G2503 → | |
| ἓν | hen | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| μία | mia | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| κεραία | keraia | stroke of a letter | G2762 → | |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| παρέλθῃ | parelthe | may pass away | G3928 → | 29 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νόμου | nomou | law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| ἂν | an | when | G302 → | 165 times |
| πάντα | panta | everything | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| γένηται.¶ | genetai | may happen. | G1096 → | 667 times |
ἀμὴνAmen
amenG281 →127 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
λέγωI say
legoG3004 →1325 times
ὑμῖν·to you;
huminG4771 →2973 times
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
ἂνwhen
anG302 →165 times
παρέλθῃmay pass away
pareltheG3928 →29 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανὸςheaven
ouranosG3772 →272 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
γῆ,earth,
geG1093 →248 times
ἰῶταiota
iotaG2503 →
ἓνone
henG1520 →343 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
μίαone
miaG1520 →343 times
κεραίαstroke of a letter
keraiaG2762 →
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
παρέλθῃmay pass away
pareltheG3928 →29 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
νόμουlaw
nomouG3551 →192 times
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
ἂνwhen
anG302 →165 times
πάνταeverything
pantaG3956 →1235 times
γένηται.¶may happen.
genetaiG1096 →667 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 40:8The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Psalms 119:89–91
Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.
- Isaiah 55:10–11
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
- 1 Peter 1:25
Through
1 Peter 1:25but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1–4
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.
- Isaiah 40:8
Through
Luke 16:17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
it leads to
- Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Luke 21:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this verse
On this chapter
- Anger and Murder of the Heart
- The Beatitudes
- Divorce: What Jesus Said
- Entering the Kingdom
- The Fulfillment Formula (Matthew's Ten Quotations)
- Love Your Enemies
- Lust and Adultery of the Heart
- Oaths. Let Your Yes Be Yes
- Parallelism: the Bible's Rhyme of Thoughts
- Salt and Light
- The Sermon on the Mount
- The Altar
- The Heart
- Light
- The Light of the World
- Turn the Other Cheek
About Matthew

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists and John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748).
