Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 5].
room) save to put it out or to hide it. The bushel was an
earthenware grain measure. "{The stand}" (\t•n luchnian\), not
"candlestick." It is "lamp-stand" in each of the twelve examples
in the Bible. There was the one lamp-stand for the single room.
5:16 {Even so} (\hout•s\). The adverb points backward to the
lamp-stand. Thus men are to let their light shine, not to glorify
themselves, but "your Father in heaven." Light shines to see
others by, not to call attention to itself.
5:17 {I came not to destroy, but to fulfil} (\ouk •lthon
katalusai alla pl•r•sai\). The verb "destroy" means to "loosen
down" as of a house or tent (2Co 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).
5:18 {One jot or one tittle} (\i•ta 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).
5:19 {Shall do and teach} (\poi•s•i kai didax•i\). 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" (Mt 23:3), who preach
but do not perform. This is Christ's test of greatness.
5:20 {Shall exceed} (\perisseus•i pleion\). Overflow like a river
out of its banks and then Jesus adds "more" followed by an
unexpressed ablative (\t•s dikaiosun•s\), 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.
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