the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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King James Version
Matthew 5:47
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And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than anyone else. Even the people who don't know God are nice to their friends.
And yf ye be frendly to youre brethren onlye: what singuler thynge doo ye? Do not the Publicans lyke wyse?
And if you greet only your brothers, what great thing are you doing? Even the Gentilestax collectors">[fn] do the same, don't they?
"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?
And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends.
And if you salute your brothers only, what do you do more [than others?] don't even the Gentiles do the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?
"And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God's blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?
Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the heathens so?
And if you salute only your near relatives, what praise is due to you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
And if ye greten youre britheren oonli, what schulen ye do more? ne doon not hethene men this?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?
If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
And if you say, Good day, to your brothers only, what do you do more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that!
And if ye should salute your brethren only, what do ye extraordinary? Do not also the Gentiles the same?
And if you wish peace to your brethren only, what more do you than they ? do not also the tribute-gatherers this ?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye that is not common? Do not even publicans do this?
And if yee salute your brethren only, what do you more then others? Doe not euen the Publicanes so?
If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
If you say hello only to the people you like, are you doing any more than others? The people who do not know God do that much.
And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
And if ye be friendly to your brethren onely, what singular thing doe ye? doe not euen the Publicanes likewise?
And if you salute only your brothers, what is it more that you do? Do not even the publicans do the same thing?
And, if ye salute your brethren only, what, more than common, are ye doing? are not, even the nations, the same thing, doing?
And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this?
And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
And yf ye salute or greete your brethre only, what singuler thyng do ye? Do not also the publicans lykewyse?
And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that!
And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?
If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same?
And if you only greet your brothers, what exceptional thing do you do? Do not the tax-collectors do so?
and if ye may salute your brethren only, what do ye abundant? do not also the tax-gatherers so?
And yf ye be frendly to youre brethren onlye: what singuler thynge do ye? Do not the Publicans also lyke wyse?
and if ye salute your brethren only, what mighty matter is that? do not even the heathens do the same?
And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don't they?
And if you greet your brethren [fn] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors [fn] do so?
If you only say hi to your brother and your buddies, do you really think you are doin' somethin' special? Even dogs sniff each other's butts when they recognize each other and growl when a strange dog comes by.
"If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
salute: Matthew 10:12, Luke 6:32, Luke 10:4, Luke 10:5
what: Matthew 5:20, 1 Peter 2:20
Reciprocal: 2 Kings 6:23 - he prepared Nehemiah 5:15 - so did Matthew 6:32 - after Matthew 9:10 - many Luke 9:20 - whom Luke 12:30 - all Acts 21:7 - and saluted
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And if you salute your brethren only,.... This does not mean salutation by embraces or kisses, but by words, asking of each other's welfare, and wishing prosperity and happiness to one another.
"The manner of salutation among the wise men was this e; he that salutes says, a good day to my lord; and he replies, saying, a good, and long day to my lord: always he that replies doubles the salutation.''
The persons they usually gave their salutations to were those of their own nation, their countrymen, relations, and friends; and who are here designed by "brethren"; meaning, not brethren in the strict sense, but any kindred, acquaintance, or any of their own nation. Some copies read it "friends", who, generally speaking, only partook of such favours.
"A man, (says Maimonides f,) might not salute his master, nor return a salutation to him in the manner they gave a salutation לרעים, to "friends": and they return it to one another.''
They were not very free in saluting any persons, as strangers and Gentiles: such advice as this is indeed given הוי מקדים בשלום כל אדם g, "prevent every man with a salutation", or be first in saluting every man; upon which passage their commentators h say, even a Gentile in the streets. Accordingly, it is elsewhere i observed, that
"R. Abai used to say, let a man be always cunning with fear, for "a soft answer turns away wrath"; and multiply salutation with his brethren, and with his relations, and with every man, even with a stranger in the streets.''
But this proceeded not from any cordial hearty respect, but out of policy, and from fear; and in order to maintain peace; and for selfish ends, and with sinister views: otherwise their salutations were confined to their brethren and kinsfolk after the flesh. Now, this being the case, says Christ,
what do ye more than others? do not even publicans so? Or, as some copies read it, Gentiles or Heathens; and accordingly the Ethiopic version, and the Vulgate Latin so render it: the Arabic renders it "idolaters". Now, what great matter was this to salute their brethren and their friends, when even the very Heathens, who had nothing but the light of nature to guide them, did the same?
e Sepher Chasidim, fol. 5. col. 2. apud Buxtorf. Florileg. Heb. p. 300, 301. f Hilch. Talmud Tora, c. 5. sect. 5. g Pirke Abot, c. 4. sect. 15. h Jarchi & Bartenora in ib. i T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 17. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And if you salute your brethren ... - The word “salute” here means to show the customary tokens of civility, or to treat with the common marks of friendship. See the notes at Luke 10:4. The Saviour says that the worst men, the very publicans, would do this. Christians should do more; they should show that they have a different spirit; they should treat their “enemies” as well as wicked people do their “friends.” This should be done:
- Because it is “right;” it is the only really amiable spirit; and,
- We should show that religion is not selfish, and is superior to all other principles of action.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Matthew 5:47. And if ye salute your brethren only — Instead of αδελφους brethren, upwards of one hundred MSS., and several of them of great authority and antiquity, have φιλους friends. The Armenian Slavonic, and Gothic versions, with the later Syriac, and some of the primitive fathers, agree in this reading. I scarcely know which to prefer; as brother is more conformable to the Jewish mode of address, it should be retained in the text: the other reading, however, tends to confirm that of the Codex Graevii on Matthew 5:43.
On the subject of giving and receiving salutations in Asiatic countries, Mr. Harmer, Observat. vol. ii. p. 327, c., edit. 1808, has collected much valuable information: the following extract will be sufficient to elucidate our Lord's meaning.
"Dr. Doddridge supposes that the salutation our Lord refers to, Matthew 5:47, If ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? means embracing, though it is a different word. I would observe, that it is made use of in the Septuagint to express that action of endearment and which is made use of by an apocryphal writer, (Ecclus. 30:19,) whereas, the word we translate salute is of a much more general nature: this, I apprehend, arose from his being struck with the thought, that it could never be necessary to caution his disciples, not to restrain the civilities of a common salutation to those of their own religious party. Juvenal, when he satirizes the Jews of the apostolic age for their religious opinions, and represents them as unfriendly, and even malevolent, to other people, Sat. xiv., and when he mentions their refusing to show travellers the way, Non monstrare vias, c., or to point out to them where they might find water to drink when thirsty with journeying, takes no notice of their not saluting those of another nation yet there is no reason to believe, from these words of CHRIST, that many of them at least would not, and that even a Jewish public an received no salutations from one of his own nation, excepting brother publicans.
"Nor shall we wonder at this, or think it requisite to suppose the word we translate salute (ασπαζομαι) and which certainly, sometimes at least, signifies nothing more than making use of some friendly words upon meeting with people, must here signify something more particular, since we find some of the present inhabitants of the east seem to want this admonition of our Lord. 'When the Arabs salute one another,' according to Niebuhr, 'it is generally in these terms, Salam aleikum, Peace be with you; in speaking which words they lay the right hand on the heart. The answer is, Aleikum essalam, With you be peace. Aged people are inclined to add to these words, And the mercy and blessing of God. The Mohammedans of Egypt and Syria never salute a Christian in this manner; they content themselves with saying to them, Good day to you; or, Friend, how do you do? The Arabs of Yemen, who seldom see any Christians, are not so zealous but that sometimes they will give them the Salam aleikum.'
"Presently after he says: 'For a long time I thought the Mohammedan custom, of saluting Christians in a different manner from that made use of to those of their own profession, was an effect of their pride and religious bigotry. I saluted them sometimes with the Salam aleikum, and I had often only the common answer. At length I observed in Natolia, that the Christians themselves might probably be the cause that Mohammedans did not make the same return to their civilities that they did to those of their own religion. For the Greek merchants, with whom I travelled in that country, did not seem pleased with my saluting Mohammedans in the Mohammedan manner. And when they were not known to be Christians, by those Turks whom they met with in their journeying, (it being allowed Christian travellers in these provinces to wear a white turban, Christians in common being obliged to wear the sash of their turbans white striped with blue, that banditti might take them at a distance for Turks, and people of courage,) they never answered those that addressed them with the compliment of Salam aleikum. One would not, perhaps, suspect that similar customs obtain in our times, among Europeans: but I find that the Roman Catholics of some provinces of Germany never address the Protestants that live among them with the compliment JESUS CHRIST be praised; and, when such a thing happens by mistake, the Protestants do not return it after the manner in use among Catholics, For ever and ever. Amen!'
"After this, the words of our Lord in the close of the fifth of Matthew want no farther commentary. The Jews would not address the usual compliment of Peace be to you, to either heathens or publicans; the publicans of the Jewish nation would use it to their countrymen that were publicans, but not to heathens; though the more rigid Jews would not do it to them, any more than to heathens: our Lord required his disciples to lay aside the moroseness of Jews, and express more extensive benevolence in their salutations. There seems to be nothing of embracing thought of in this case, though that, doubtless, was practised anciently among relations, and intimate friends, as it is among modern Asiatics."
If not to salute be a heathenish indifference, to hide hatred under outward civilities is a diabolic treachery. To pretend much love and affection for those for whom we have neither-to use towards them complimentary phrases, to which we affix no meaning, but that they mean, nothing, is highly offensive in the sight of that God by whom actions are weighed and words judged.
Do not - the publicans — τελωναι, - but εθνικοι heathens, is adopted by Griesbach, instead of τελωναι, on the authority of Codd. Vatican. Bezae, and several others together with the Coptic, Syriac later, and Syriac Jerusalem; two Arabic, Persic, Slavonic; all the Itala but one; Vulgate, Saxon, and several of the primitive fathers.
