An exegesis of matthew

An Exegesis of Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12, normally known as the Beatitudes, has been loved by every coevals since first pronounced by Christ two thousand old ages ago. Matthew writes this record of the life, ministry and instruction of Jesus, and he places this message shortly after Jesus ‘ baptism and naming of the adherents. The Blessednesss are the opening subdivision of the Sermon on the Mount, the longest recorded instruction during Christ ‘s life-time. We will get down by looking at this subdivision as it lays within the book of Matthew and so travel to a more in-depth exegetical survey.

Literary Context

The most popular attack to Matthew ‘s construction is the presentation of five major discourses, each stoping with a expression statement that is foreign to other Biblical discourses, placed in a model of narrative [ 1 ] ( Talbert 15 ) . In fact, “ the five discourses are so clearly marked, from a literary point of position, that it is well-nigh impossible to believe that Matthew did non be after them ” ( Carson 63 ) . Each of these discourses brings Forth a subject of cardinal importance for both the gospel rendering of the historical Jesus and the ulterior experience of the church ( Batdorf 26 ) .

The narrative subdivision taking to the first discourse, from Matthew 3:1 to 4:25, histories non merely the life of a adult male fixing for ministry, but the constitution of Messianic history and authorization. We come to an apprehension of Matthew ‘s first and first discourse, the Sermon on the Mount, merely on the footing of chapters 1-4 ( Batdorf 24 ) . This discourse, which instantly follows the choosing of the 12, marks the beginning of Jesus ‘ preparation of His adherents and a alteration in His method of learning. It is His first systematic word picture of the sort of people and the behavior expected of them under the criterions of God ‘s land ( Russell 8 ) . Batdorf outlines the vertex at which the Beatitudes base:

“ If Jesus is the Messiah and his life on Earth truly does put the form that his adherents should fit, so his [ Matthew ‘s ] words here and in all the undermentioned discourses make sense. If this is non so, so the underside drops out of Matthew ‘s whole statement. In this light the Beatitudes become the flexible joint upon which the whole of Matthew ‘s construction turns ” ( Batdorf 28 ) .

At the head of Matthew ‘s first discourse are the Beatitudes, a aggregation of eight imperative statements of approval. The term ‘beatitude ‘ derives from the Latin word beatitudo and is designated by many bookmans as its ain literary genre. As such, it is a literary signifier found in a wider spectrum of wisdom literature non limited to Jewish or Christian authorship. Some bookmans have even proposed Egyptian wisdom literature as a imaginable beginning ( Betz 92 ) .

Poetic correspondence can be found in the Beatitudes as a carryover from the poesy of the Old Testament. The agreement in quatrains of parallel lines incorporating analogue or matching thoughts is really common and Psalms 8 is a premier illustration ( Russell 15 ) . Matthew ‘s eight blessednesss are composed of two quatrains, each stoping with the word ‘righteousness. ‘ The nomenclature by and large used for this is an “ envelope figure ” and Matthew uses it once more in Matt. 7:16-20. Although bookmans frequently attribute this agreement to the composer of the Logia, Russell points out that it is “ extremely likely that so poetic a spirit as Jesus, brought up as he was in the Hebrew tradition and accustomed from childhood to the poesy of the Psalms and other Old Testament literature, would utilize correspondence for his words of gnomic wisdom every bit good as for his vocalizations of elevated imaginativeness and exalted feeling ” ( Russell 16 ) .

Blessednesss, as a instruction platform, provided a crisp literary device sum uping a doctrinal belief in an easy memorized format. When Jesus prepared to learn His adherents His land rules, they were non presented in a format that would add clumsiness to the newness of His message, but instead familiar signifiers were used to encapsulate fresh constructs. Harmonizing to Edersheim, the new instruction, to be historically true must hold employed the old signifiers and talk the old linguistic communication ; but the ideals of Jesus in contrast to the Israelite instructors were so perfectly different as non to bear comparing ( Edersheim 526 ) .

Expressions of approval or blessednesss are found sprinkled throughout Scripture, both Old and New Testament. Principle Old Testament examples include: Ps.1:1, 2:12, 32:1,2, 33:12, 34:8, 40:4, 41:1, 65:4, 84:4-5, 89:15, 94:12, 106:3, 112:1, 118:26, 119:1-2, Prov. 8:32,34 ; Isa. 30:18, and Jer. 17:7 ( Russell 19 ) . Although a approval may be given to person every bit simply an look of gratitude for service rendered, a Biblical blessedness frequently carries a intension of God ‘s approval on a characteristic or category of people who are receivers of God ‘s favour as a consequence of such forms of behavior as avoiding evil, caring for the hapless, or seeking the Lord for forgiveness, protection, and counsel ( Russell 17 ) .

Exegesis

Before we embark on the exegetical part of survey of this subdivision, we must see a word of cautiousness sing a danger we have in working with such a well known transition. Our acquaintance with the Beatitudes may lull us into complacence and we ‘ll lose their original deepness and significance. Pre-understanding requires us to defy enforcing our pre-supposed decisions when nearing such a familiar transition ( Duvall 88 ) . We must avoid confounding our thoughts with those of Matthew or Jesus based on our natural disposition to use significances originating from our ain experiences ( Batdorf 29 ) . We would continue providentially under Martin ‘s challenge:

“ Even the blessednesss must be understood in the visible radiation of the historical state of affairs and the association of words and thoughts for the immediate listeners. They have undying value for us and for all coevalss, but merely if we take strivings foremost to understand what they meant to those who heard them. We shall be wise non to be content with surface significances. The words have a history and a background ; and they must be read in visible radiation of the remainder of our Lord ‘s instruction ” ( Martin 15 ) .

For intents of this part of the paper, Matthew 5:1-12 is divided into a prologue and two subdivisions of blessednesss. Attempts to number and sort the Beatitudes seemed to travel on ad nauseam. No attempt will be made here to warrant or deny the footing of such as it will add nil to our apprehension of the content. Our naming of the first four virtuousnesss as those involved in “ seeking righteousness ” and the staying virtuousnesss as those required to “ remain righteous ” is simply designated for simpleness ‘s interest. Furthermore, where drawn-out books have been written on each of the virtuousnesss in the Beatitudes we must restrict our notations to high spots of features identified as meriting extra remark.

1. The puting – Matthew 5:1,2

The prologue gives us several things to see about the scene and characters involved in our transition. Although Matthew ‘s overall construction leaves us without a timeframe we can utilize the chronological events of Luke to put this event at about six months after Jesus had come into Galilee and merely after He had chosen the 12 adherents ( Thompson 25 ) .

The Grecian version of Matthew 5 clears with the verb seeing in participle signifier. When we look for other utilizations of this verb in the same Gospel we find that Matthew frequently uses it to present something unexpected that leads to farther action ( 9:2,4,22,23,36 ; 21:19 ; 27:24 ) ( Newman 102 ) .

The object of the verb ‘seeing ‘ is the crowds. This noun frequently carries an of import significance in Matthew where he uses the plural signifier about 30 times and normally indicates that the audience is receptive ( Newman 103 ) . Most bookmans agree that Matthew sees the direct mark receivers of Jesus ‘ instruction on this juncture as the adherents, but Matthew ends the Sermon on the Mount with note that a broader audience had heard the message ( 7:28,29 ) . This fits the scene that Luke pictures with three homocentric rings, the 12, the adherents, the battalion ( Martin 13 ) .

The location is described as the mountain. The Grecian noun translated here can be either ‘mountain ‘ or ‘hill ‘ . The deliberate article causes bookmans to believe that it was a well-known location but grounds is inconclusive on its designation ( Newman 103 ) . Pink, on the other manus interprets the location to be intentionally identified merely as a common mountain “ by which Christ would adumbrate that there is no separating sanctity of topographic point now, under the Gospel, as there was under the Law ” ( Pink 11 ) . Identified or non, mountains were by and large thought of every bit typical scenes for disclosures to happen and non merely the specific Mt. Sinai ( McGraff, 5 ) .

Matthew ‘s notation that Jesus sat down is normally understood as the formal position of a instruction rabbi ( France 107 ) and Matthew makes three other mentions to the same type of puting in 13:2 ; 23:2 ; and 24:3 ( Newman 103 ) . Scholars acknowledge that although the sitting instruction place is traditionally rabbinical in manner, on this juncture it may exceed the traditional associations and indicate an authorization more in maintaining with male monarchs or Judgess ( Pink 9 ) .

After Jesus sat down his adherents came to him. By tradition the action of a rabbi sitting indicated his preparedness to learn and his adherents would react by sitting near him to bespeak preparedness to larn. The usage of the genitive ‘his ‘ intimates a intimacy of relationship between the Lord and those who had late been called to follow him and some bookmans see a parallel with the work forces garnering about Ezra to hear the Law read in Nehemiah 8:4 ( Newman 104 ) .

As a adept storyteller, Matthew opens the drape and sets the phase for the amazing instruction that is about to be conveyed. We have the scene and the characters and are ready to hear the groundbreaking description of righteous life in the Kingdom of Eden.

2. Life for those who are seeking righteousness – Matthew 5:3-6 Blessed:

In paragraph analysis we observe vv. 3-10 in list format. The list consists of approvals that can be fulfilled by God entirely. They are given in imperative signifier. Blessed is the first word of each, translated from the Grecian makarios. This word occurs merely in Matthew, Luke and John. Matthew ever applies ‘blessed ‘ to those who obey Jesus and clearly uses this word to mention to approvals on a disciple both before and after the Resurrection ( 11:6 ; 13:16 ; 24:46 ) ( Batdorf 30 ) .

But how are we to understand the significance of such a word in this specific context without the furnishings of our ain cultural experience? Although the granting of approvals is still common in some civilizations, sad as it is, we are reasonably barren of the art in our ain civilization. It is our place that this is a hard word for modern western civilization to grok in accurate historical scene. Martin, in fact, states that it may non be possible to happen any satisfactory replacement for the interlingual rendition of ‘blessed ‘ but we should seek for that which is closest to the significance Jesus would hold assigned ( Martin 10 ) .

The Grecian word here is used rather frequently in the Septuagint to interpret a Hebrew word that means “ Oh the felicity of ” as found in the Psalms and wisdom literature. Betz identifies the Sitz im Leben of this term as ritual ( Betz 93 ) . This may be supportive of a historically spiritual context where a dictum was given by the worship leader at the temple as the pilgrims ascended the sacred hill in Jerusalem ( Newman 106 ) .

Makarios is non the word normally translated happy, as some have done, but instead a word used more by poets and philosophers for achieving the ideal, the summum bonum ( Martin 10 ) . Happy and blessed are merely two of several efforts to explicate the conceptual significance in English. Others include “ Oh the cloud nine ” ( BRC ) and “ How fortunate are ” ( AB ) . France finds a better interlingual rendition in “ to be congratulated ” ( France 108 ) .

The trouble with several of these interlingual renditions of ‘blessed ‘ is the focal point remains on the province of the receiving system of the approval instead than the one making the good – God ( Newman 107 ) . The word should non bespeak a superficial province of being, but instead a right and harmonious relationship in which one party, normally the superior, is the one providing for the inferior ( Newman 107 ) . All of the blessednesss declare that the one blessed deserves this province of being because of godly justness or righteousness, non single behavior ( Betz 94 ) .

Furthermore, France indicates that the word applies to those who are and/or will be happy, fortunate, congratulated ( accent added ) ( France 108 ) . The blessednesss of the Sermon on the Mount have both eschatological every bit good as current universe deductions ( Betz 96 ) .

Finally, we must separate a approval from a promise. A promise normally refers to something expected or known by the individual, while the blessedness reveals something unknown or unexpected. For the individual having the message it involves a new disclosure, shows a manner of implementing the rule and demands the receiving system take action ( Betz 96 ) . Truly this was the format of the blessednesss under survey. Poor in Spirit:

The word translated here as ‘poor ‘ is found in the Septuagint to interpret Hebrew words which mean “ hapless, ” “ needy, ” “ broken in spirit, ” and “ low ” ( Newman 108 ) .

As words transmute over clip in English, the Hebrew word for ‘poor ‘ saw a passage in significance over the span of Old Testament times. In Isaiah ‘s twenty-four hours the ‘poor ‘ referred to all exiled Hebrewss without a place. Later it was used to separate the lower from the upper societal strata. By Jesus ‘ twenty-four hours it became a ‘title of award ‘ as bespeaking the faithful of God ‘s people, who bore uprightly the loads He had called them to bear ( Newman 108 ) . By the clip of the Sermon on the Mount it had come to denominate either material poorness or religious receptiveness ( Batdorf 65 ) .

Judaic civilization deemed the hapless as the particular concern of Jehovah. Since they saw the land as God ‘s and their national being as dependent upon Him, it was His will that none should die for privation. This Hebrew position day of the months back to Exodus. ( Batdorf 65 ) .

The add-on of ‘in spirit ‘ to the word ‘poor ‘ , whether added by Matthew or spoken by Jesus, is a critical remark intended to avoid misconstruing the adjectival ‘poor ‘ ( Betz 113 ) . This add-on reflects intentionality in avoiding premise that God regards physical poorness as a universally blessed province. The phrase as a whole, “ hapless in spirit ” , is non found repeated in Scripture or contemporary composing -Greek or Jewish. New Testament authors literally had to coin new vocabulary to show the admirations of Christ-ordained morality. “ Such graces as poorness of spirit and submission would hold found no replying reverberation in the Black Marias and heads of ancient philosophers and instructors ” ( Fitch 15 ) .

Theirs is the Kingdom of Eden:

First of all we note that ‘theirs ‘ is emphasized in the Grecian screening definite ownership ( Martin 33 ) . The Grecian verb tense for ‘is ‘ indicates a present province of being with a future force so that many bookmans find the ownership of citizenship taging life on Earth every bit good as future hope ( Newman 108 ) . “ Poverty of spirit is a foundational grace which entirely prepares for the Kingdom of Heaven. But at the same clip it is a trademark of those who are within the land and who are showing the spirit of the land on the Earth ( Fitch 28 ) .

A strong consensus and a huge array of Bible support a two-pronged focal point in which the land is both present and future ( Blomberg 74 ) . Batdorf finds that by the clip of Jesus two positions formed the footing of construing the phrase “ land of Eden. ” In the first, the Kingdom could be realized when an person submitted his full life to God ‘s regulation, i.e. fulfilled all of the demands of the Law. In the 2nd position, the Kingdom could merely come in the hereafter when God would forcefully set up His regulation over all of creative activity, with or without adult male ‘s acquiescence ( Batdorf 85 ) . Into this clime Jesus introduces a new component – the induction of God ‘s land regulation by His ain ministry. Repeat of this phrase at the terminal of the 8th blessedness points to the urgency with which Christ views this announcement.

Mourn / Shall be comforted:

When Judaic ears heard mention to ‘those who mourn ‘ they would be reminded of Isaiah ‘s messianic prognostication of the 1 who will “ soothe all who mourn, and supply for those who grieve in Zion ” ( Isa. 61:2,3 ) . Long before this scene, ‘mourning ‘ had become a common metaphor for the response of the faithful Jew to the sad province of personal businesss that the state of Israel had fallen into ( Betz 121 ) .

The literary manner for this blessedness is known as solace literature which “ focuses on this facet of human wretchedness: the comforting of those stricken with heartache in all its signifiers ” ( Betz 120 ) . Judaic spiritual judicial admissions approved of mourning but regulated it. However, Greek and Roman solace literature addressed bereavement as the pattern of the uneducated multitudes. This put Christ ‘s unconditioned approval on those who mourn in stark contrast to Hellenistic idea.

Clarification on the signifiers of mourning being referred to in this context leaves bookmans with a scope of responses. This is a common verb in scriptural Greek and can non be confined to the thought of mourning for wickedness ( Newman 109 ) . Blomberg notes that mourn is unqualified and “ includes heartache caused by both personal wickedness and loss and societal immorality and subjugation ” ( Blomberg 99 ) . The Linguistic Key to the Grecian New Testament interprets the verb, pentheo, as “ to sorrow with a heartache which so takes ownership of the whole being that it can non be hid. ” Meek:

The Grecian word used in the 3rd blessedness is praos for which we find the interlingual renditions meek and gentle. In the Linguistic Key to the Grecian New Testament it is to the full described as “ the low and soft attitude which expresses itself in a patient submissiveness to offense, free from maliciousness and desire for retaliation. ” Harmonizing to Pink “ there is no individual term which is capable of to the full showing all that is included in this virtuousness ” ( Pink 22 ) . Indeed in Scripture we frequently find the word in linkage with another adjective which supplements our apprehension of its significance. First, it is found in connexion with humbleness in Matthew 11:29. “ Learn of Me: for I am mild and lowly in bosom. ” Paul besides links submission with humbleness in Ephesians 4:1,2, “ Walk worthy of the career wherewith ye are called ; with all humbleness and submission. ” Second, submission is connected with gradualness: “ I beseech you by the submission and gradualness of Christ ” ( II Cor. 10:1 ) . This association with gradualness is besides found in Titus 3:2. Finally, submission is linked with a docile bosom. Psalms 25:9 says, “ The meek will He steer in judgement, and the meek will He learn His manner. ”

Unlike the construct of being “ hapless in spirit ” the feature of submission or humbleness was culturally acknowledged as worthy of emulation. From the Hellenistic position “ the construct of submission was high in Greek ethical idea ” ( Betz125 ) . From the vantagepoint of Jesus ‘ audience we would happen “ literary analogues show that Judaic piousness extremely valued submission, where it is a equivalent word for ‘humility ‘ ” ( Betz 125 ) .

In interpreting the verb for ‘inherit ‘ we must be careful to avoid the English intensions of heritage based on person ‘s decease. In this instance it would necessitate the decease of God for the heritage to be exercised. Newman and Stine ‘s Handbook on Matthew finds the verb to be better translated in the “ more general significance of to have as one ‘s ownership or to portion in. ”

3. Life for those who are remaining righteous – Matthew 5:7-12 Merciful / will be shown clemency

The thought of the ‘merciful ‘ receiving God ‘s approval is a common Old Testament construct every bit good as subsequent Judaic literature. The approval of being shown clemency is a godly passive and indicates non that adult male will demo clemency in return for clemency but that God will demo clemency.

Eleemon is the Grecian word used here, intending compassionate or actively merciful

( Strongs 29 ) . The most normally used signifier of this word in Judaic literature is for the name of the act of ‘almsgiving ‘ . “ Therefore for all subdivisions of Judaism the exercising of clemency was one of the preeminent spiritual and societal responsibilities. This responsibility was based on the belief that God is a God of clemency ” ( Betz 132 ) . The adherents already understood the duty God required in respect to mercy from Micah 6:8, “ What does the Lord require of you? To move rightly and to love clemency and to walk meekly with your God. ”

Showing clemency can be found as a subject in Rabbinic Hagiographas, but on an earned righteousness footing. “ All such virtue attaches merely to Israel, while the good plants and clemency of the Gentiles are really reckoned to them as wickedness ” ( Edersheim p.534 ) . Even within the Sermon on the Mount we find a broad scope of merciful Acts of the Apostless esteemed – simple alms-giving ( 6:2-4 ) , charitable behaviour ( 5:42 ) , the ethical responses to force ( 5:38,39 ) and animus ( 5:40-48 ) .

The wages of happening clemency is given in the future inactive signifier indicating that the promise is offered in eschatological signifier. In the last opinion it was theologically expected that God would demo clemency to those who had shown clemency. “ This rule is based on the rule of justness, but besides on the penetration that no affair how many workss of clemency they may hold done, those who appear before God ‘s throne will necessitate clemencies ” ( Betz 134 ) . Pure in Heart:

In Hebrew ideals, the ‘heart ‘ symbolizes one ‘s head or ideas, and in this poetry the head or these ideas are dedicated entirely to delighting God ( Newman 112 ) . The environment to which Jesus brought this message extremely regarded ‘purity ‘ . This construct of pureness of bosom signifies presupposition non necessitating extra account ; ne’er is it mentioned once more in the Sermon on the Mount, or elsewhere in the full New Testament ( Betz 134 ) . The people hearing this message understood that they must be pure to see God ( Psalms 24:3,4 ) , but their apprehension of how to accomplish a province of pureness was based on Judaic imposts and ordinances.

In this instance, nevertheless, Jesus requires merely pureness of bosom as an inward righteousness and non ritual cleanliness ( Blomberg 100 ) .

Conciliators:

The 7th blessedness raises some important contentions and issues. Most direct is the inquiry of whether Jesus is mentioning to a spiritual peace or a societal peace. Any Jews or Gentiles present at this instruction, whether Roman or non, understood the construct of kiss of peace romana – devising and continuing peace by Roman regulation ( Betz 139 ) . Nonetheless the adherents would non hold heard Jesus stating that award should be granted to the Roman soldiers standing nearby.

Rabbinic divinity honored non merely peace but besides peace-making as an of import virtuousness. The construct of shalom ( wholeness and harmoniousness in all facets of life ) was cardinal to the Israelite faith ( Betz 139 ) . The presence of Zealots and the happening of Judaic rebellions, nevertheless, indicate that the end of peace did non govern out force in the Judaic head ( Betz 140 ) .

The nazarene does non offer elucidation of his significance and Christianity, from the early church until today, has non found an agreeable degree of consensus. The audience seems to be left with the duty of construing and reacting to state of affairss in presentations of peacemaking that are based on the strong belief that God ‘s land will predominate ( Betz 140 ) . Persecution:

Persecution for righteousness did non get down with Christianity. In Hellenic Hebraism every bit good as Greek idea, the political orientation of martyrdom had a well-established history ( Betz 144 ) . Several transitions in Matthew describe persecution for righteousness before Christ ‘s decease, Resurrection and the constitution of the church ( Matt. 10:16-33 ; 22:6 ; 23:29-39 ; 24:9-14 ) . ‘Are persecuted ‘ is a perfect participial in Grecian suggesting that by the clip Matthew writes this discourse the church is already enduring persecution ( Newman 114 ) .

As an of import constituent of the life word of God, this subdivision of Scripture brings deeper life and wellness to us when we come every bit near as we can to the significance that Christ intended as He opened His oral cavity and blessed them.

Plants Cited

Batdorf, Irvin W. Interpreting the Beatitudes. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1952 Betz, Hans Dieter. The Sermon on the Mount. Gopher state: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1995. Blomberg, Craig. The New American Commentary: MATTHEW. Vol. 22. Volunteer state:

Broadman, 1992. Carson, D.A. , Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris. An Introduction to the New Testament.

Michigan: Zondervan, 1992.

Cone, Orello. Rich and Poor in the New Testament. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1902.

Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans

Printing Company, 1969. Fitch, William. The Beatitudes of Jesus. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961.

France, R.T. MATTHEW: Evangelist and Teacher. Michigan: Zondervan, 1989.

Martin, Hugh. The Beatitudes. New York: Harper & A ; Brothers, 1953

Newman, Barclay M. & A ; Philip C. Stein. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. New York:

United Bible Societies, 1931.

Pink, Arthur W. An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount. Michigan: Baker Book House, 1959.

Rienecker, Fritz & A ; Cleon Rogers. Linguistic Key to the Grecian New Testament. Michigan: Zondervan, 1980.

Russell, Elbert. The Blessednesss: A Series of Studies. New York: Doubleday, Doran & A ; Company, Inc. , 1929.

Thompson, Ernest T. The Sermon on the Mount and Its Meaning for Today. Virginia: John Knox Press, 1946.

Strong, James. The New Strong ‘s Exhaustive Harmony of the Bible. Volunteer state: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995.