What is the meaning of Matthew 5?

Introduction to Matthew 5

The fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel contains some of the most profound and challenging teachings of Yeshua (Jesus), beginning with what we know as the Beatitudes and continuing through radical interpretations of Torah that cut to the heart of human behavior and motivation. This chapter forms the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, arguably the most famous sermon ever preached, where the Messiah established the ethical foundation of His kingdom.

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This masterful discourse demonstrates how Yeshua fulfills and properly interprets the Torah, showing that God’s standards go far beyond external compliance to encompass the inner thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Here, we see the Messiah as the authoritative Teacher, expanding our understanding of what it truly means to live as citizens of Heaven’s kingdom.

Context of Matthew 5

Within the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5 marks a pivotal transition. After establishing Yeshua’s identity through His genealogy, birth narrative, baptism, temptation, and initial ministry (chapters 1-4), Matthew now presents the first major teaching discourse of the five that structure his Gospel. This positioning is significant, as it mirrors the five books of Torah, with Yeshua presented as the new Moses delivering God’s law from a mountain.

The chapter sits within the larger context of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which serves as the constitution of the kingdom of heaven that Yeshua proclaimed was “at hand” (Matthew 4:17). This placement is crucial because it shows how the kingdom’s ethical demands flow from its proclamation. The teachings here don’t represent a new law that replaces Torah, but rather its fulfillment and deepest meaning, demonstrating how Torah was always meant to be understood and lived.

In the broader biblical narrative, Matthew 5 bridges the gap between the old and new covenants. It shows how Yeshua’s teaching both affirms the eternal validity of God’s law while simultaneously deepening its application through the lens of kingdom living. This chapter demonstrates that the Messiah came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, revealing its true intent and empowering His followers to live it out through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ancient Key Word Study

• μακάριοι (makarioi) – “Blessed” (verses 3-11): This Greek word means far more than merely “happy.” It describes the profound spiritual well-being and joy that comes from being in right relationship with God. In the Septuagint, it often translated the Hebrew “ashrei,” which depicts a state of divine favor and spiritual fulfillment.
• πτωχοὶ (ptōchoi) – “Poor” (verse 3): Unlike the more common word for economic poverty (penes), this term describes absolute destitution – those who have nothing and know it. In spiritual terms, it refers to those who recognize their complete dependence on God’s grace.
• πραεῖς (praeis) – “Meek” (verse 5): This word doesn’t suggest weakness but rather controlled strength. It was used to describe trained horses – powerful but disciplined. In the Septuagint, it translated the Hebrew “anawim,” referring to those who humbly submit to God’s will.
• τέλειοι (teleioi) – “Perfect” (verse 48): The word means “complete” or “mature” rather than flawless. It suggests reaching one’s intended purpose or design, pointing to spiritual maturity that reflects God’s character.
• πληρῶσαι (plērōsai) – “Fulfill” (verse 17): This rich term means more than just “obey.” It carries the sense of bringing something to its intended fullness or completion, suggesting how Yeshua brings the full meaning and purpose of Torah to light.
• δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) – “Righteousness” (verse 20): This term encompasses both legal rightness and social justice. It refers to living in right relationship with both God and others, fulfilling all covenant obligations.
• ῥακά (raka) – “Fool” (verse 22): An Aramaic term of contempt meaning “empty head.” Its usage here shows how Yeshua addressed real-life situations in the cultural context of His Jewish audience.
• ὀμνύω (omnyō) – “Swear” (verse 34): This verb refers to taking oaths, a common practice in ancient Jewish society. Yeshua’s teaching here addresses the abuse of oaths while promoting absolute truthfulness.
• ἀντιστῆναι (antistēnai) – “Resist” (verse 39): A technical term often used in legal contexts, suggesting formal opposition. Yeshua’s teaching here challenges conventional approaches to justice and retaliation.
• τελώναις (telōnais) – “Tax collectors” (verse 46): These were Jews who collected taxes for Rome, considered traitors by their community. The term represents those seen as the worst sinners in society.

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” could have been phrased as “Blessed are the humble” or “Blessed are the lowly.” The choice of πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (poor in spirit) specifically emphasizes complete spiritual bankruptcy, not just humility. This creates a foundation for understanding our total dependence on God’s grace.
• Verse 17: “I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” uses πληρῶσαι (fulfill) rather than τελέω (complete) or τελειόω (perfect). This specific word choice emphasizes bringing the Torah to its intended fullness rather than merely finishing or ending it.
• Verse 22: The progression from anger to “Raca” to “fool” uses increasingly serious terms in Aramaic and Greek, reflecting the Jewish cultural context while establishing the serious nature of angry words.
• Verse 28: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent” uses πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι (with the purpose of lusting) rather than simply ἐπιθυμέω (desire), emphasizing deliberate intent rather than involuntary attraction.
• Verse 39: “Do not resist the evil person” uses ἀντιστῆναι, a legal term, rather than a more general word for opposition, suggesting a specific rejection of the legal principle of retaliation.
• Verse 44: “Love your enemies” uses ἀγαπᾶτε rather than φιλεῖτε, calling for divine, sacrificial love rather than mere friendly affection.
• Verse 48: “Be perfect” uses τέλειοι rather than ἄμεμπτοι (blameless), pointing to maturity and completeness rather than mere moral perfection.

Matthew 5 Unique Insights

The structure of the Beatitudes follows a fascinating chiastic pattern common in Hebrew poetry, with the kingdom of heaven bookending the first and eighth beatitudes. This literary structure emphasizes the central importance of righteousness and mercy in the fourth and fifth beatitudes, creating a beautiful symmetry that would have been readily apparent to Matthew’s Jewish audience.

Rabbinic literature provides interesting parallels to Yeshua’s teaching. The Talmud (Sotah 5a) discusses the importance of humility, saying “Every person who has arrogance within him is as if he worships idols.” This helps us understand the radical nature of Yeshua’s first beatitude about being poor in spirit. Similarly, the Dead Sea Scrolls community’s Manual of Discipline emphasizes purity of heart, showing how these themes resonated in first-century Judaism.

The early church father Chrysostom noted that the progression of the Beatitudes forms a spiritual ladder, each virtue building upon the previous one. This insight helps us see how Yeshua’s teaching provides a developmental pathway for spiritual growth, not just a list of disconnected virtues.

The chapter’s structure mirrors the giving of Torah at Mount Sinai, but with significant differences. While the Sinai event was marked by thunder, lightning, and warnings to keep distance (Exodus 19:16-25), here Yeshua sits down with His disciples, suggesting intimacy and accessibility. This contrast highlights the new covenant’s internalization of Torah principles.

Matthew 5 Connections to Yeshua

This chapter powerfully reveals Yeshua’s role as the divine interpreter and fulfiller of Torah. His repeated phrase “You have heard it said… but I say to you” demonstrates His divine authority to reveal the Torah’s deepest meaning. This isn’t about replacing God’s law but about showing its true intent and empowering its fulfillment through the new covenant.

The Beatitudes present a profile of Messiah’s character that He Himself perfectly embodied. He was poor in spirit in His complete dependence on the Father, meek in His submission to the Father’s will, merciful in His dealings with sinners, pure in heart in His perfect devotion to God, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake in His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Thus, these qualities describe not just the ideal disciple but the Master Himself.

The ethical demands of this chapter, which seem impossible by human standards, point to our need for supernatural transformation through the Messiah’s work. Only through His death and resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, can we begin to live out these kingdom ethics. This shows how the chapter isn’t just about moral teaching but about the necessity of the new birth and the power of the kingdom.

Matthew 5 Scriptural Echoes

The Beatitudes echo Isaiah 61:1-3, where the Messiah brings good news to the poor and comfort to those who mourn. This connection shows how Yeshua’s teaching fulfills prophetic expectations about the Messianic age.

The emphasis on being “salt and light” recalls God’s covenant with Israel, particularly Isaiah 42:6 where Israel is called to be “a light to the nations.” This shows how Yeshua’s followers continue and fulfill Israel’s missionary calling.

The teaching about anger echoes Psalm 4:4 and Ecclesiastes 7:9, while the discussion of adultery in the heart connects to Job 31:1 and Proverbs 6:25.

The command to love enemies fulfills the spirit of Exodus 23:4-5 and Proverbs 25:21-22, showing how Yeshua’s teaching brings out the highest ideals already present in Torah.

Matthew 5 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to examine our hearts and not just our external behavior. Are we content with merely avoiding murder while harboring anger? Are we satisfied with avoiding adultery while entertaining lust? Yeshua calls us to a deeper righteousness that begins with inner transformation.

The Beatitudes invite us to embrace a paradoxical path to blessing – acknowledging our spiritual poverty leads to kingdom riches, mourning over sin leads to comfort, meekness leads to inheriting the earth. This counter-cultural wisdom requires trust in God’s upside-down kingdom values.

Consider how you respond to those who wrong you. Do you insist on your rights, or are you willing to go the extra mile? Yeshua’s teaching about turning the other cheek isn’t about becoming a doormat but about breaking the cycle of retaliation through radical love.

Reflect on what it means to be salt and light in your specific context. How can your life preserve what is good and illuminate the path to God for others? Remember, these aren’t roles we achieve through striving but identities we live out through the Spirit’s power.

Did You Know

• The term “Sermon on the Mount” wasn’t used until Augustine coined it in his book “De Sermone Domini in Monte” (AD 394). Previously, it was simply known as Yeshua’s teaching on the mountain.
• The Greek word for “blessed” (makarios) was used in ancient Greek literature to describe the state of the gods. By applying it to the poor in spirit, mourners, and the persecuted, Yeshua radically redefines what true blessedness means.
• The phrase “not one jot or tittle” refers to the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet (yod) and the tiny decorative marks on Hebrew letters. This emphasizes the complete preservation of Torah down to its smallest details.
• The expression “go the second mile” comes from Roman law that allowed soldiers to compel civilians to carry their equipment for one mile. Yeshua’s teaching to go two miles would have been shocking to His Jewish audience.
• The command about divorce certificates references Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which was actually designed to protect women in a patriarchal society by ensuring they could remarry.
• The Jewish custom of oath-taking had developed elaborate distinctions between binding and non-binding oaths. Yeshua’s teaching cuts through these complications to emphasize simple truthfulness.
• The practice of turning the other cheek had specific cultural significance – a backhanded slap was meant to humiliate, and turning the other cheek would force the aggressor to either use their left hand (considered unclean) or treat you as an equal.
• The instruction to give your cloak as well as your tunic would have left one naked in the courtroom, shaming the one making unjust demands rather than the one being sued.
• The word for “perfect” (teleios) in verse 48 is related to the word “goal” or “end” (telos), suggesting completeness or maturity rather than flawless performance.
• The Beatitudes follow a chiastic structure (A-B-C-D-D-C-B-A pattern) common in Hebrew poetry, with themes of the kingdom of heaven bookending the sequence.