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Matthew

About this book
Chapter 5

1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to teach them by saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.⁠ 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.⁠ 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.⁠ 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.⁠ 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.⁠ 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.⁠ 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.⁠ 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.⁠ 11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.⁠ 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people!⁠ 14 You are the light of the world.⁠ A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.⁠ 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.⁠ 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.⁠ 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.⁠ 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.⁠ 19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! 21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’⁠ 22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment.⁠ And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell.⁠ 23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,⁠ 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 25 Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.⁠ 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.⁠ 31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’⁠ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.⁠ 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’⁠ 34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God,⁠ 35 not by earth because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not take an oath by your head because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’⁠ More than this is from the evil one.⁠ 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’⁠ 39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.⁠ 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your coat also. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.⁠ 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’⁠ 44 But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,⁠ 45 so that you may be like your Father in heaven,⁠ since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.⁠ 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? 47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they?⁠ 48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Leviticus 19:18 and Letter of Aristeas 207 and Matthew 5:43

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions · New Testament

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Summary

Leviticus 19 commands love for a neighbor, a principle the Letter of Aristeas connects with God's generosity to all. In Matthew 5, Jesus similarly makes God's care for all people a reason to love even enemies.

Passages

Leviticus 19:18

Hebrew Bible
17 You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him. 18 You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. 19 You must keep my statutes. You must not allow two different kinds of your animals to breed together, you must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of material.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

Letter of Aristeas 207

Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions · Letter of Aristeas to Philocrates
man must obey Him.' The king praised him and then asked another How he could maintain the truth? In reply to the question he said, 'By recognizing that a lie brings great disgrace on all men, and more especially on kings. For since they have the power to do whatever they wish, why should they resort to lies? In addition to this you must always remember, Your Majesty, that God is a lover of the truth.' The king received the answer with great delight and looking at another said, 'What is the teaching of wisdom?' And the other replied, 'As you wish that no evil should happen to you, but to be a partaker of all good things, so you should act on the same principle toward your subjects and offenders, and you should mildly admonish the noble and good. For God draws all men to himself by his benignity.' The king praised him and asked the next in order How he could be the friend of men? And he replied, 'By observing that the human race increases and is born with much trouble and great suffering: so you must not lightly punish or inflict torments on them, since you know that the life of men is made up of pains and penalties. For if you understood everything you would be filled with pity, for God also is merciful.'
200–150 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Letter of Aristeas

Matthew 5:43

New Testament
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

References

"... Despite the fact that the book of Leviticus is not frequently quoted among those from the Pentateuch by Mark, Matthew and the Lukan writings, at least one clear allusion and five explicit quotations from Leviticus are to be found in the Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles ... in the early second century CE, Rabbi Akiba “spoke of the same passage (Leviticus 19:18) as ‘the greatest general principle in the Torah’” (see Genesis Rabbah 24:7 and Sifra on Leviticus 19:18). Other pre-Christian Jewish sources which also include the summary of the law, are to be found in “Tobit 4:15 (compare Sirach 31:15), Letter of Aristeas 207-208 (with the positive also indicated), and the Jerusalem Targum of Leviticus 19:18.” Despite being rare, the positive form can also be found in pre-Christian Jewish literature (Letter of Aristeas 20; 2 Enoch 61:2; Pirkei Avot 2.10, 12) ... Some interesting intertextual connections regarding Leviticus 19:18 can also be found in both the Testament of Dan, as well as in the Testament of Issachar. But it is especially Leviticus 19:18 which displays a broad early Christian trajectory, covering the Pauline and Gospel traditions, the Western text, Acts 15:20 and 15:28, as well as the Didache (Didache 1:2), the early Church Fathers (Barnabas 19.5; Justin Martyr, Dialogue 93.2) and the Coptic Gospel of Thomas 6. It is no surprise that the New Testament writers frequently quote the so-called “golden rule”, or “rule of reciprocity” from Leviticus 19:18. They probably traced the origins of the “golden rule” back to a Logion in the Jesus-tradition which contained Jesus’ own summary of the law ..."
Gert J. Steyn, “The Text Form of the Leviticus Quotations in the Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles,” in The Text of Leviticus: Proceedings of the Third International Colloquium of the Dominique Barthélemy Institute, ed. Innocent Himbaza (Leuven: Peeters, 2020), 205–242.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Leviticus 19:18 and Letter of Aristeas 207 and Matthew 5:43

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