Matthew 5:20 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 5:20

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

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

KJV

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

⋯

Commentary

1 voice

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

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 seeming righteousness and holiness; concerning which Christ says, that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Except your righteousness shall exceed - περισσευση, Unless your righteousness abound more - unless it take in, not only the letter, but the spirit and design of the moral and ritual precept; the one directing you how to walk so as to please God; the other pointing out Christ, the great Atonement, through and by which a sinner is enabled to do so - more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, who only attend to the letter of the law, and had indeed made even that of no effect by their traditions - ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew (1856)

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?

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

23 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
λέγω	legō	I say	G3004 →
γὰρ	gar	for	G1063 →
ὑμῖν	humin	to you	G4771 →
ὅτι	hoti	that	G3754 →
ἐὰν	ean	only	G1437 →
μὴ	mē	unless	G3361 →
περισσεύσῃ	perisseusē	shall abound	G4052 →
ὑμῶν	humōn	your	G4771 →
ἡ	hē	<the>	G3588 →
δικαιοσύνη	dikaiosunē	righteousness	G1343 →
πλεῖον	pleion	above [that]	G4119 →
τῶν	tōn	of the	G3588 →
γραμματέων	grammateōn	scribes	G1122 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
Φαρισαίων,	Pharisaiōn	Pharisees,	G5330 →
οὐ	ou	certainly	G3756 →
μὴ	mē	not	G3361 →
εἰσέλθητε	eiselthēte	shall you enter	G1525 →
εἰς	eis	into	G1519 →
τὴν	tēn	the	G3588 →
βασιλείαν	basileian	kingdom	G932 →
τῶν	tōn	of the	G3588 →
οὐρανῶν.¶	ouranōn	heavens.	G3772 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk5

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
  God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- Galatians 2:16
  know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in…
- Romans 4:13–15
  For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
- Romans 4:5–6
  However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.