Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 5].
tonsils, the teeth, the appendix, to go no further, if left
diseased, will destroy the whole body. Cut them out in time and
the life will be saved. Vincent notes that "the words scandal and
slander are both derived from \skandalon\. And Wyc. renders, 'if
thy right eye _slander_ thee.'" Certainly slander is a scandal
and a stumbling-block, a trap, and a snare.
5:31 {A writing of divorcement} (\apostasion\), "a divorce
certificate" (Moffatt), "a written notice of divorce" (Weymouth).
The Greek is an abbreviation of \biblion apostasiou\ (Ma 19:7;
Mr 10:4). Vulgate has here _libellum repudii_. The papyri use
\suggraph• apostasiou\ in commercial transactions as "a bond of
release" (see Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_, etc.) The
written notice (\biblion\) was a protection to the wife against
an angry whim of the husband who might send her away with no
paper to show for it.
5:32 {Saving for the cause of fornication} (\parektos logou
porneias\). An unusual phrase that perhaps means "except for a
matter of unchastity." "Except on the ground of unchastity"
(Weymouth), "except unfaithfulness" (Goodspeed), and is
equivalent to \m• epi pornei•i\ in Mt 19:9. McNeile denies that
Jesus made this exception because Mark and Luke do not give it.
He claims that the early Christians made the exception to meet a
pressing need, but one fails to see the force of this charge
against Matthew's report of the words of Jesus. It looks like
criticism to meet modern needs.
5:34 {Swear not at all} (\m• omosai hol•s\). More exactly "not to
swear at all" (indirect command, and aorist infinitive).
Certainly Jesus does not prohibit oaths in a court of justice for
he himself answered Caiaphas on oath. Paul made solemn appeals to
God (1Th 5:27; 1Co 15:31). Jesus prohibits all forms of
profanity. The Jews were past-masters in the art of splitting
hairs about allowable and forbidden oaths or forms of profanity
just as modern Christians employ a great variety of vernacular
"cuss-words" and excuse themselves because they do not use the
more flagrant forms.
5:38 {An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth} (\ophthalmon
anti ophthalmou kai odonta anti odontos\). Note \anti\ with the
notion of exchange or substitution. The quotation is from Ex
21:24; De 19:21; Le 24:20. Like divorce this _jus talionis_ is a
restriction upon unrestrained vengeance. "It limited revenge by
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