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According to Chuck Smith commentary, the judgement should not exceed the crime. The commandments were not meant that men should take things into their hands. It was not given to individuals, but as a guide for the judges. The error of the teaching of the Pharisees was that they made it an individual matter. The wrong message they send out is that you should take matters into their own hands

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Just as murder is sinful as its a physical violation of someone created by God, insulting is sinful as it is a verbal violation

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Why can't we swear by the things mentioned in the verse

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Why can't we swear by the things mentioned in the verse

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1. As Christians, we should be credible, our yes should be yes and no should be no. If we need to add things to increase our credibility, it points towards a gap in our character. Jesus is concerned with the character and our heart's attitude/posture. We should not need to use an oath to prove a point.

2. Making an oath is of great seriousness - under God's witness. To loosely use oaths for the sake of our own benefit (increasing credibility, convincing others etc) is of great disrespect to God.

3. The verse mentions 3 tiers - God/His kingdom, the city and the individual (ourselves). As God is in full control/authority over all of the above (and everything else, really), we can't swear by something if we ourselves do not have authority over it. By doing so, we undermine God's authority by claiming that our statement/promise has the power to control the above (our health, the city etc).

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v24 leave your gift in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

The literal definition is 'to change the mind of anyone, to reconcile; to be reconciled, to renew the friendship with one'. You could say that the opposite of anger and murder is to have friendship and to be in agreement?
Interestingly the use of this word only appears once in the entire Bible.

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Jesus did not mean it literally, to mutilate ourselves to prevent adultery. It was to highlight the danger and destructiveness of adultery, even lusting in the heart so much so that losing an eye was better. An appropriate interpretation would be keep a constant watch over our own hearts, and to suppress the first rising of lust and corruption there; to avoid the occasions of sin, to resist the beginnings of it, and to decline the company of those who will be a snare to us, despite how pleasing it is.
(Commentary by Matthew Henry)
It was also to highlight the importance of parting with anything that comes before salvation.
(Commentary by Poole)

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"You have heard" does not equate to "it is written"

v38:
God was intructing the judges concerning judgement of cases, so that judgment meted out is equitable and not execessive.
Not meant to be individual.
Meant to be limiting in civil government, not an obligation in personal relationship
You become judge

v43:
No command to hate, likely from Pharisee as the opposite of the command.
Likely derive from David's Psalms/wiping out other nations
Other nations were pagan, God's will not theirs
David wanted his enemies down for God's sake
who is our neighbour?

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"right [hand]" -- symbol for strength .
- "right hand of God" overcame Israel's enemies (Ex. 15:6), worthy of the Psalmists' praises (Ps. 98:1).

"right eye" -- more valuable (Zech. 11:17)
- putting out of "every right eye" was demanded in return for making a nonaggresion pact with the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead (I Sam. 11:2).

left-handedness --weakness, malady
- Ehud (Judg. 3 :15) called ʾishʾiṭṭer yad yemino (אִישׁ אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ), "a man obstructed [in the use of] his right hand." eg, "blind" (עִישׁ אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ), "a man obstructed [in the use of] his right hand." חֵרֵשׁ).-

right side of a man is the side on which God "marches" when assisting him in battle (Isa. 63:12; Ps. 109:31; 110:1, 5)
-right hand which God grasps as a symbol of election (Isa. 41:13; 45:1; Ps. 73:23).

"hand//right hand"-used in synonymous parallelism to evoke:
-the image of the might of God (Ps. 21:9 ; 74:11; 89:14; 91: 7 (emended); 138:7; 139:10)-the
brave deeds of Israel's war heroes (Judg. 5 :26)
-God's power of creation (Isa. 48:13)

(extra-biblical sources) Ugaritic parallel pair yd//ymn, "hand//right hand,"-same image of power as its biblical counterpart-
(eg, II 76:6–7): qšthn aḥd bydh wqṣʿth bm ymḥ, "His bow he has taken in his hand, also his darts in his right hand."

good luck-bad luck ( Ecclesiastes 10:2)
-(Hebrew) commentary of HL Ginsberg: "The wise man's mind (tends) to his right (ie, to what brings him good luck), and the fool's to his left."

Omens on the right side are lucky but those on the left unlucky (Ezekiel 21:27)
.-In Arabic, šimāl means both "left hand" and "bad omen"(see also the Arabic dictionary on the verbs šaʿama and yamana and their derivatives).

Note: similar passage of scripture found in Mark 9:43 and matthew 18:8 does not specify which hand or eye.

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Q4) loving your neighbour, in spite of whether they are your friend or enemy is a starting point as God loves all. v45 states that 'He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous'. this shows that God is good to not only those who are righteous and faithful to Him, but also to those who are unrighteous. Hence, our standard is to be like Christ, to love those that are not only our friends but also those that are against us. Furthermore, even most non believers are good to their friends. As Christians, if we are also only good to our friends, there is no difference between us Christians and people of the world. However, if we take a step further to extend grace to our enemies, it amplifies a difference in how we treat people compared to others as christians.

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the root sin behind murder is anger

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3) from cross-reference to OT texts
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (when a married couple, adultery committed, write cert of divorcement, give it in her hand, send her out of his house, and when she is depart3d out if his house, she may go and be another man's wife)
and commentary Matthew henry

sending one's wife away would lead wife into the temptation to sin, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make others guilty of their sin, will be accountable for it (this is 1 way of being partaker w adulterers Psalm 50:18)

>> leads to question why adultery is so grave in God's eyes?
committing adultery grave sin
no atonement God granted for this sin
David knows "you do not delight in sacrifices, or I would give it"

Sending away a wife although not given cert of divorce yet, previously law would allow room for half-heartedness middle ground. (Encourage man to do it deliberately, solemnly, attested by witnessed, not just by word of mouth out of a passion)

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- According to chuck Smith commentary, the judgement should not exceed the crime. The commandments were there not given to individuals but as a guide for judges. It was not restrictive but as permission for an individual to take revenge

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The first time we see a person angry is Cain in the Bible, which led to the first murder, and it doesn't seem to be a very long process. It shows us that ungoverned anger desires to rule us, and murder seems to be a natural progression from there.

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- He doesn't suggest we like them or ignore them but that through our prayers we bring them to the throne of God to bless them, and this action marks us as His people
--> shows conformity to the principle and example of Christ

- the desire for revenge is because of bitterness which we need grace to conquer & praying helps w that
--> praying softens our heart as we let go of our agenda of wanting revenge
--> carrying us away from worldly inclinations

- it lets us know love and hatred not by what is before us but by what is within us.
--> not how people treat us but by the rising of righteousness in our hearts, by how we respond on the inside and when no one's looking (?)
--> OR MAYBE that grace is extended to everyone, so we cannot understand love by what happens externally but rather by how we receive it internally (?) cry

- Jesus also got! Luke 23:34 shows how everyone needs forgiveness and instead of being upset about being wrongly persecuted. He shows compassion in acknowledging that they themselves maybe don't know a better way to act

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In Romans 12:14, it writes "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
We see that the repetition of bless and not curse those who persecute us.

This idea is also seen in 1 Peter 4:13-14, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed"
^^^
Verses for REFERENCE only

As prayer is seen as something comforting, it can be a form of rejoicing in the hard times. Through prayer, we can bless the persecutor and lean back onto God's love and presence. Instead of cursing those who persecutes us, we bless them and reveal God's kind hearted and forgiving spirit as we are  a reflection of God.

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slap/strike: A severe insult and not a physical attack - punishable by a very heavy fine

tunic/cloak - Law of Moses 'cannot be taken from someone' (Exo 22:26, Deut 24:13)

mile: under military law, any Roman soldier might command a Jew to carry his soldier’s pack for one mile – but only one mile.

Shows the extent of which we are to extend love

Most of these examples were to counter and reshape the Jew's views of these laws and adds another layer whereby love transcends all.

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What does it mean for a statement to be more than yes/no

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What does it mean for a statement to be more than yes/no

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'Yes, yes' and 'no, no' refer to direct answers to a question - the verse is telling us to only answer/speak with what is necessary.

'Anything beyond' could possibly refer to anything that is unnecessary/extra to convey our point. In the case of making a vow/promise, the only necessary part is to "promise" - "I will/will not do something". The unnecessary part might refer to a follow up statement such as "If i do/do not do something, then some consequence will happen"

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Altar - A Conspicuous Place. Settle your internal sin before presenting an offering in the external

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Altar - A Conspicuous Place. Settle your internal sin before presenting an offering in the external

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(Heb. mizbe'ah, from a word meaning "to slay"), any structure of earth (Exd 20:24) or unwrought stone (20:25) on which sacrifices were offered. Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places (Gen 22:9; Eze 6:3; 2Ki 23:12; 16:4; 23:8; Act 14:13). The word is used in Hbr 13:10 for the sacrifice offered upon it--the sacrifice Christ offered.

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Anger:

the emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view. In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful. It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted (Mat 5:22; Eph 4:26; Col 3:8). As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners (Psa 7:11).

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Vow - solemmn promise made to the Lord
Oath - a declaration made to man (or men) with God as witness eg. if I don't do _____ then _____ will happen to me

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angry v22 -- to provoke, to arouse to anger

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Why does Jesus emphasise cursing a brother over murder?

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according to interlinear, they point back the beginning in this case would be the 10 commandments in Mt Sinai

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God swore by Himself in Gen 22:16: "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD..."
Why can He do so?

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v24-26 places a lot of importance on forgiveness, the one who is being accused has the responsibility to humble himself and initiate talking it out

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Why do we have to settle with our brother before bringing our offering to the altar? Does anger take priority over our offering?

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Are there different levels of anger? Is all anger supposed to be answerable to the court?

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Jesus repeats "but I say"

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Why did Jesus compare 'simple' things like anger to murder? Is there a common trait between the two?

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Do not lie, and keep your promises

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What about if you have something against your brother or are accusing someone? Why is only the reverse mentioned?

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What does it mean for a statement to be more than 'yes' and 'no'

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Statement has to be definite, either a clear yes or no and not anything else

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Jesus seems to be targeting a lot at the behaviours of the heart, helps to extend the understanding of the law, and raising the standards from just being external to being internal as well

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What does it mean to swear by something / take an oath

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We cannot swear/ make promises based on Earth or Jerusalem as we have no authority over them

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We have no power over our own health and body

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why does the order of severity seem to be reversed, going against human logic? What is God's intention/God's logic?

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Why is it that if Heaven is God's throne then we are not allowed to swear by it? Same for swearing by Earth / Jerusalem / your head

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it follows the 'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Why is this important to Jesus at this point of time

using david guzik commentaries,
the P&S had twisted from the original commandment as stated above, to permit virtually every other name in an oath.

the idea is not meant to swear at all in the first place

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The verses increase in severity, firstly being answerable to the court, then the supreme court, then to fiery hell -- the milder the crime the more intense the punishment

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1. Why do we pray for those who persecute us?
2. What is the significance of each example Jesus gives?
3. What is the significance of 'you have heard'?
4. How does loving your neighbour equate to being perfect?
5. How much allowance do we give for those who act against us (concerning retribution)?

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38-42 Contrary to common belief, we are called to be gracious and give more than is required of us

38 & 43 - starts with "you have heard" (people he is speaking to have heard these sayings before)

44- We are called to love our enemies

45- In order to show that we are children of God, who loves both good and evil men

46-47 Rhetorical Qns- Shows how loving only those who love you does not set you apart as a child of God
Comparisons with 'not good' men e.g. gentiles, taxcollectors

48 - talks about the idea of perfect (its tough to be good and this is talking about striving for perfection

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2) In the Mosaic law (Deut 24:1), if the man finds his wife to be 'unclean', (Hebrew word erva: nakedness, nudity, shame, indecency, improper behaviour) it is a reason for divorce. Many who wanted divorce to be easy had a loose interpretation of it. But Jesus made it clear that 'uncleanness' meant sexual immorality. Hence, if a man divorces his wife anything other than sexual immorality and marries a wife is seen to be causing his new wife to commit adultery. Though in the eyes of human law, he has been divorced from his former wife, in God's eyes, he has not.

2) Marriage holds a special place in the heart of God, and He created marriage when in Genesis 2:18, the Lord said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” God intended marriage to be a monogamous, lifelong union of flesh and spirit: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). To God, only death dissolves marriage. Divorce is always contrary to God’s intentions, and is only allowed when there is adultery. The right to marry anyone guilty of adultery is denied as well as to marry anyone who obtained divorce for the express purpose of remarriage. By saying that anyone who marries a divorced woman is committing adultery, Jesus is saying that He rejects any excuse for divorce, and that in His eyes, only death dissolves marriage (with the exception of adultery occurring).

3) from cross reference to OT texts
and commentary matthew henry
sending one's wife away would lead wife into temptation to sin, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make others guilty  of their sin, will be accountable for it (this is 1 way of being partaker w adulterers Psalm 50:18)

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1) Did Jesus really mean v29-30 (tear out eye, cut hand) literally?

2) What did Jesus mean when he says that if someone marries a divorced woman, it is considered adultery. (v32)

3) How is sending one's wife away considered giving her a cert of divorce? (v32)

4) Jesus specifically referred to the right hand and right eye. Is there any significance? (v29)

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RIGHT AND LEFT (right: Heb. יָמִין; Akk. imnu, imittu; Ugaritic, ymn; left: Heb. שְׂמֹאל; Akk. šumēlu; Ugaritic, ( u) šmʾ al; and common Semitic). The biblical usages of "right" and "left" are basically fourfold: right as opposed to left; directions (cardinal points); strength and weakness; merism. As is the case in many cultures, right is favored over left in various contexts. Examples for each of these usages will be presented below, as well as Ancient Near Eastern parallels wherever appropriate.

Right as Opposed to Left

Right and left play an important role in Jacob's final blessing to his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48: 12-20), whom Joseph places at the left and right sides of Jacob, respectively (verse 13), expecting his father to place his right hand on Manasseh (the firstborn) and his left on Ephraim, and then bless them. But Jacob crosses his hands, placing his right hand on Ephraim (verse 14) and his left on Manasseh, despite Joseph's objections (verse 18). Jacob explains his actions by stating that Ephraim will be greater than Manasseh (verse 19). Right and left parts of the body also play an important role in sacrifices as may be seen from the following phrases which occur many times in the Book of Leviticus and elsewhere: "the right thigh" (Ex. 29:22; Lev. 7:32, 33; 8:25, 26; Num. 18:18, etc.); "the right ear and the right thumb [or big toe]" (Ex. 29:20; Lev. 8:23, 24; 14:14, 17, 25, 28, etc.). Two Ancient Near Eastern parallels to this usage in sacrifice have been found at Ugarit. In one ( RŠ 24.253; Ugaritica, 5 (1955), no. 13), in a sacrificial context, the phrase Žṣb šmʾ al dalpm appears which may be provisionally translated: "the left protuberances [?] of two bulls." In another ( RŠ 261.247; not yet published but quoted by C.H. Gordon, Ugaritic Textbook (1965), Glossary, nos. 1107, 2393a), the phrase šq ymn occurs, which is the same as the Hebrew shoq ha-yamin, שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין, "right thigh," quoted above. Finally, the right side (of the throne) is usually the side on which the king's or God's associates sit ( I Kings 2:19, the queen; Zech. 3:1, Satan; Ps. 109:6, Satan, etc.). This is paralleled in Ugaritic literature by the following passage: tʿ db ksu wyṯṯb lymn aliyn Bʿ l, "A throne is placed and he is seated to the right of Puissant Baʾal" ( II AB 5:108-10; Pritchard, Texts, 134).

Direction (Cardinal Points)

Because the Hebrews - like others - oriented themselves by the place where the sun rises, in many biblical passages "right" means "south" and "left" means "north." In Abraham's separation from Lot (Gen. 13:9ff.), Abraham says (according to one interpretation): "If [you go] north [הַשְּׂמֹאל], I will go south [וְאֵימִנָה]; And if you go south [הַיָּמִין], I will go north [וְאַשְׂמְאִילָה]." The southern border of Manasseh is described in the Book of Joshua as ha-gevulʾ el ha-yamin (הַגְּבוּל אֶל־הַיָּמִין, Josh. 17:7) "the boundary of the right," while "north of Damascus" is expressed as mi-semoʾ l le-Dammeseq (מִשְּׂמֹאל לְדַמָּשֶׂק), "to the left of Damascus" (Gen. 14:15). Perhaps the most instructive passages for this usage are those which use right and left together with the regular words for the other directions: "North and south [צָפוֹן וְיָמִין] You [God] have created them" (Ps. 89:13); "Then it [the border] turns eastward [מִזְרַח הַשֶּמֶשׁ]... and touches... northward [צָפוֹנָה], then it continues northward [מִשְּׂמֹאל ; lit. "left"]..." Josh. 19:27). Finally, the tribe *Benjamin ( ben-yamin, "son of the right") was the most southern tribe in "the House of Joseph" ( II Sam. 19:17-21), and this usage has a direct parallel in the Mari letters where both the DUMU-Iamīna, "southern tribe," and the , "northern tribe," are often mentioned (e.g., Archives royales de Mari, 1 (1950), 60:9, p. 116). Semantically, DUMU-Iamīna (probably to read mārē-yamīna) is exactly parallel to Benjamin, though there is no valid evidence for any historical connection between the two.

Strength and Weakness

It is clear from several biblical verses that "right [hand]" was often a symbol for strength. The "right hand of God" was that which overcame Israel's enemies (Ex. 15:6, 12; Isa. 62:8; Ps. 17:7; 44:4, etc.) and which was worthy of the Psalmists' praises (Ps. 98:1; 118:15, 16, etc.). The "right eye" was considered the more valuable (Zech. 11:17) and it was the putting out of "every right eye" which Nahash the Ammonite demanded in return for making a nonaggresion pact with the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead ( I Sam. 11:2). Conversely, that left-handedness was conceived of as a weakness, even a malady, is seen from the description of Ehud (Judg. 3:15), where the latter is called ʾ ishʾ iṭṭer yad yemino (אִישׁ אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ), "a man obstructed [in the use of] his right hand." The word used for "obstructed" is of the nominal construction that is usually utilized for physical defects-e.g., "blind" (עִוֵּר), "dumb" (אִלֵּם), and "deaf " (חֵרֵשׁ). Left-handed men are mentioned elsewhere in Judges 20:16, where it is stated that (despite their left-handedness) they never missed the target, and in I Chronicles 12:2, where both right-handed and left-handed men are mentioned. The right side of a man is the side on which God "marches" when assisting him in battle (Isa. 63:12; Ps. 109:31; 110:1, 5) and it is the right hand which God grasps as a symbol of election (Isa. 41:13; 45:1; Ps. 73:23). Finally, the pair "hand//right hand" is often used in synonymous parallelism to evoke the image of the might of God (Ps. 21:9; 74:11; 89:14; 91:7 (emended); 138:7; 139:10), the brave deeds of Israel's war heroes (Judg. 5:26), or God's power of creation (Isa. 48:13). In extra-biblical sources, the Ugaritic parallel pair yd//ymn, "hand//right hand," is often found conjuring up the same image of power as its biblical counterpart (e.g., II 76:6-7): qšthn aḥd bydh wqṣʿ th bm ymḥ, "His bow he has taken in his hand, also his darts in his right hand." The Akkadian creation epic, Enūma eliš, yields an interesting parallel to the use of "the right hand of God" iššīma miṭṭa imnašu ušāḥiz, "He [Marduk] lifted the mace, grasped it in his right hand" ( Enūma eliš 4:37; Pritchard, Texts, 66). Finally, the Epilogue of the Code of Hammurapi has a parallel to God's proceeding on the right side when helping someone in battle: Zababa... āliku imniya ašar tamḥārim kakkīšu lišbir, "May Zababa ... who goes at my right side break his weapons on the battlefield" (27:81-87; Pritchard, Texts, 179; cf. Isa. 63:12). Related to the opposition strengthweakness is the opposition good luck-bad luck, which seems to be represented in Ecclesiastes 10:2; as interpreted in the (Hebrew) commentary of H.L. Ginsberg: "The wise man's mind (tends) to his right (i.e., to what brings him good luck), and the fool's to his left." The belief that omens that appear on the right side are lucky and such as appear on the left unlucky is implied by Ezekiel 21:27. Parallels from other cultures are very numerous. In Arabic, for example, šimāl means both "left hand" and "bad omen" (see also the Arabic dictionary on the verbs šaʿ ama and yamana and their derivatives).

Merism

Perhaps the most common usage of right and left in the Bible is as a merism meaning "everywhere, in any direction." The phrase "to deviate from the path in any direction" (Num. 20:17; 22:26; Deut. 2:27; 5:29; 17:11; I Sam. 6:12, etc.) is so common that it had probably reached the level of a cliché in early biblical times. Aside from "path," "instructions" (e.g., Josh. 1:7; 23:6), "commandment" (e.g., Deut. 17:20), and "commandments" (e.g., Deut. 28:14) may also be the object of deviation. In the same way, the verbal forms "to go right" and "to go left" are used together meaning "to depart from in any way" ( II Sam. 14:19; Isa. 30:21). The meaning "everywhere" is also very common for this merism ( I Kings 22:19; Isa. 9:19; Zech. 12:6, etc.). In extra-biblical sources, right and left are often used as a merism which may be seen from the following Akkadian and Ugaritic passages: panukki Šēdu arkātuk Lamassu imnuk mešrû(!) šumēlukki dumqu, "Before you is the protective spirit, behind you is the protective goddess, at your right riches, at your left prosperity" (E. Ebeling, Die akkadische Gebetsserie Šu-ilu " Handerhebung"... (1953), 60:16-17); yʿ db uymn ušmal bphm "[things] are placed in their mouths 'on right and on left'" (C.H. Gordon, Ugaritic Textbook (1965), 52:63-64; cf. Isa. 9:19).

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

U. Cassuto, in: Tarbiz, 14 (1943), 420; Y. Kaufmann, Shofetim (1962), 107; CH Gordon, Ugaritic Textbook (1965); J.C. de Moor, Ugarit-Forschungen, 2 (1970), 323-25. IN TALMUDIC L ITERATURE: M. Plessner, in: Folklore Research Center Studies (1970), 259-74. ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: S. Wald, The Doctrine of the Divine Name (1988), 66-67.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.

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RIGHT AND LEFT (right: Heb. יָמִין; Akk. imnu, imittu; Ugaritic, ymn; left: Heb. שְׂמֹאל; Akk. šumēlu; Ugaritic, ( u) šmʾ al; and common Semitic). The biblical usages of "right" and "left" are basically fourfold: right as opposed to left; directions (cardinal points); strength and weakness; merism.

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1) Looking with lust is already committing adultery (v28). World's definition of adultery is by action/what is visibly observed. But Jesus' definition looks at the heart.

2) Jesus is fulfilling the law by adding more details to the law, focusing on people's intentions.

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38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your [ag]tunic, let him have your [ah]cloak also. 41 Whoever [ai]forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His 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 they not do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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33 “Again, you have heard that [z]the ancients were told, ‘[aa]You shall not [ab]make false vows, but shall fulfill your [ac]vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor [ad]by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But make sure your statement is, ‘[ae]Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is [af]of evil origin.

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27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, [s]than for your whole body to be thrown into [t]hell. 30 And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you [u]to lose one of the parts of your body, [v]than for your whole body to go into [w]hell.

31 “Now it was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who [x]divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a [y]divorced woman commits adultery.

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21 “You have heard that [j]the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘[k]You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to [l]the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the [m]fiery hell. 23 Therefore, if you are presenting your [n]offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your [o]offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your [p]offering. 25 [q]Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last [r]quadrans.