rwp - Matthew:5:17-20

rwp@Matthew:5:17 @{I came not to destroy, but to fulfil} (\ouk lthon katalusai alla plrsai\). The verb "destroy" means to "loosen down" as of a house or tent (2Corinthians:5:1|). Fulfil is to fill full. This Jesus did to the ceremonial law which pointed to him and the moral law he kept. "He came to fill the law, to reveal the full depth of meaning that it was intended to hold" (McNeile).

rwp@Matthew:5:18 @{One jot or one tittle} (\ita hen mia kerea\). "Not an iota, not a comma" (Moffatt), "not the smallest letter, not a particle" (Weymouth). The iota is the smallest Greek vowel, which Matthew here uses to represent the Hebrew _yod_ (jot), the smallest Hebrew letter. "Tittle" is from the Latin _titulus_ which came to mean the stroke above an abbreviated word, then any small mark. It is not certain here whether \kerea\ means a little horn, the mere point which distinguishes some Hebrew letters from others or the "hook" letter _Vav_. Sometimes _yod_ and _vav_ were hardly distinguishable. "In _Vay_. R. 19 the guilt of altering one of them is pronounced so great that if it were done the world would be destroyed" (McNeile).

rwp@Matthew:5:19 @{Shall do and teach} (\poisi kai didaxi\). Jesus puts practice before preaching. The teacher must apply the doctrine to himself before he is qualified to teach others. The scribes and Pharisees were men who "say and do not" (Matthew:23:3|), who preach but do not perform. This is Christ's test of greatness.

rwp@Matthew:5:20 @{Shall exceed} (\perisseusi pleion\). Overflow like a river out of its banks and then Jesus adds "more" followed by an unexpressed ablative (\ts dikaiosuns\), brachylogy. A daring statement on Christ's part that they had to be better than the rabbis. They must excel the scribes, the small number of regular teachers (5:21-48|), and the Pharisees in the Pharisaic life (6:1-18|) who were the separated ones, the orthodox pietists.