Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
44. Several editors, with high MS. authority, omit the words “bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,” and “despitefully use you and.” The omission, however, breaks the gradation and balance of the paragraph. The contrast between love and hate is exhibited in four degrees, the antithesis widens, the deeper the hate the higher the love. (1) Feel love towards those who are enemies by position merely. (2) Say loving words in return for enmity that shews itself in curses. (3) Towards those who hate you do not only feel love, but prove love by charitable deeds. (4) To enemies whose hate is active, even to persecution, offer the highest act of love in prayer.
despitefully use you ] A forcible word, meaning “to vex out of spite with the sole object of inflicting harm.” In 1Pe 3:16 it is rendered “to accuse falsely.” The word occurs also in Luk 6:28.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Love your enemies – There are two kinds of love, involving the same general feeling, or springing from the same fountain of good-will to all mankind, but differing so far as to admit of separation in idea. The one is that feeling by which we approve of the conduct of another, commonly called the love of complacency; the other, that by which we wish well to the person of another, though we cannot approve his conduct. This is the love of benevolence, and this love we are to bear toward our enemies. It is impossible to love the conduct of a person who curses and reviles us, who injures our person or property, or who violates all the laws of God; but, though we may hate his conduct, and suffer keenly when we are affected by it, yet we may still wish well to the person; we may pity his madness and folly; we may speak kindly of him and to him; we may return good for evil; we may aid him in the time of trial; we may seek to do him good here and to promote his eternal welfare hereafter, Rom 12:17-20. This seems to be what is meant by loving our enemies; and this is a special law of Christianity, and the highest possible test of piety, and probably the most difficult of all duties to be performed.
Bless them that curse you – The word bless here means to speak well of or speak well to: – not to curse again or to slander, but to speak of those things which we can commend in an enemy; or, if there is nothing that we can commend, to say nothing about him. The word bless, spoken of God, means to regard with favor or to confer benefits, as when God is said to bless his people. When we speak of our blessing God, it means to praise Him or give thanks to Him. When we speak of blessing people, it unites the two meanings, and signifies to confer favor, to thank, or to speak well of.
Despitefully use you – The word thus translated means, first, to injure by prosecution in law; then, wantonly and unjustly to accuse, and to injure in any way. This seems to be its meaning here.
Persecute – See the notes at Mat 5:10.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mat 5:44
But I say unto you.
The imperatives of Jesus
I. The range and extent of Jesus imperative speeches. He keeps up to His own superior level of command upon all occasions and before all men. Men like us only assume without offence an imperative mood in certain relations of life. Christ did before the Rulers, before the Roman power.
II. The nature and significance of these relations of life, and those elements of human nature, over which Jesus quietly assumed mastery.
1. The miracles of Christ not the greatest of His wonderful works; a greater assumption of power to exercise authority over the higher principles and laws of our human nature, than to claim authority over winds and waves.
2. With what calm consciousness of right Jesus assumes this authority-which belongs to God alone-over human hearts.
3. The nature or right of this supremacy of the Christ.
(1) One ever-present illustration of what Jesus is to this universe we have within us in conscience. Hence you have a means of understanding the authority of Christ.
(2) It reappears in the law of love. He is the righteousness of God with man.
4. We should bring obedience.
5. Do we not need, all of us, to be most thoroughly commanded by something higher and better than ourselves? We fall from our own possibilities, and need a command to step forth like princes to our high calling. (Newman Smyth, D. D.)
The authority of Jesus over human nature and history resembles the lordship of the sun over the earth
The world feels it from centre to circumference; every fruitful field rejoices in it, and this earth would be indeed worthless and dark without it; but we can only make guesses at the riddle of its gravitation and its light; and while any child knows that it is, the wisest can only declare in part, in very little part, how it is. (Newman Smyth, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 44. Love your enemies] This is the most sublime piece of morality ever given to man. Has it appeared unreasonable and absurd to some? It has. And why? Because it is natural to man to avenge himself, and plague those who plague him; and he will ever find abundant excuse for his conduct, in the repeated evils he receives from others; for men are naturally hostile to each other. Jesus Christ design’s to make men happy. Now he is necessarily miserable who hates another. Our Lord prohibits that only which, from its nature, is opposed to man’s happiness. This is therefore one of the most reasonable precepts in the universe. But who can obey it? None but he who has the mind of Christ. But I have it not. Seek it from God; it is that kingdom of heaven which Christ came to establish upon earth. See on Mt 3:2. This one precept is a sufficient proof of the holiness of the Gospel, and of the truth of the Christian religion. Every false religion flatters man, and accommodates itself to his pride and his passions. None but God could have imposed a yoke so contrary to self-love; and nothing but the supreme eternal love can enable men to practise a precept so insupportable to corrupt nature. Sentiments like this are found among Asiatic writers, and in select cases were strongly applied; but as a general command this was never given by them, or any other people. It is not an absolute command in any of the books which they consider to be Divinely inspired. Sir William Jones lays by far too much stress on the casual introduction of such sentiments as this in the Asiatic writers. See his WORKS, vol. i. p. 168, where the sentiment is connected with circumstances both extravagant and unnatural; and thus it is nullified by the pretended recommendation.
Bless them that curse you] , give them good words for their bad words. See Clarke on Ge 2:3.
Do good to them that hate you] Give your enemy every proof that you love him. We must not love in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Pray for them which despitefully use you] from against, and Mars, the heathen god of war. Those who are making continual war upon you, and constantly harassing and calumniating you. Pray for them – This is another exquisitely reasonable precept. I cannot change that wicked man’s heart; and while it is unchanged he will continue to harass me: God alone can change it: then I must implore him to do that which will at once secure the poor man’s salvation, and contribute so much to my own peace.
And persecute you] , those who press hard on and pursue you with hatred and malice accompanied with repeated acts of enmity.
In this verse our Lord shows us that a man may be our enemy in three different ways.
First, in his heart, by hatred.
Secondly, in his words by cursing or using direful imprecations () against us.
Thirdly, in his actions, by continually harassing and abusing us.
He shows us also how we are to behave to those.
The hatred of the first we are to meet with love.
The cursings or evil words of the second, we are to meet with good words and blessings.
And the repeated injurious acts of the third, we are to meet with continual prayer to God for the man’s salvation.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
1. Of not seeking unlawful private revenge. Bless them that curse you: do not return reviling for reviling, while they curse do you bless.
2. Doing them common offices of kindness. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink, Ro 12:20. This is a doing good to them that hate us, relieving them in their pressing necessities.
3. Doing them all the good we can for their souls. Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. So did our Saviour, Lu 23:34 and Stephen, Ac 7:60; so did David, Ps 35:13-15. In the mean time we may hate those who are Gods enemies, as such, Ps 139:21,22; and for such we may seek a due revenge of Gods honour upon them.
And for our enemies, this precept prohibits not the seeking of a just satisfaction for wrongs done unto us in a way of public justice, yet not without a mixture of charity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
44. But I say unto you, Love yourenemiesThe word here used denotes moral love, asdistinguished from the other word, which expresses personalaffection. Usually, the former denotes “complacency in thecharacter” of the person loved; but here it denotes thebenignant, compassionate outgoings of desire for another’s good.
bless them that curse you, dogood to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully useyou, and persecute youThe best commentary on these matchlesscounsels is the bright example of Him who gave them. (See 1Pe2:21-24; and compare Rom 12:20;Rom 12:21; 1Co 4:12;1Pe 3:9). But though suchprecepts were never before expressedperhaps not evenconceivedwith such breadth, precision, and sharpness as here, ourLord is here only the incomparable Interpreter of the law in forcefrom the beginning; and this is the only satisfactory view of theentire strain of this discourse.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But I say unto you, love your enemies,…. That is, as the Apostle Paul may be thought to interpret the words of Christ,
Ro 12:20. “If thine enemy hunger, feed him: if he thirst, give him drink”: unless our Lord should be supposed rather to regard the internal affection of the mind; since outward expressions of love, by words and works, are urged in the following exhortations: the actions of a man may be hated, and just indignation be expressed against them, and yet his person be loved, tenderness be used to him, and pity shown him: all men, even enemies, are to be loved with a natural love, as men; though they cannot be loved with a spiritual affection, as brethren in Christ: and in natural affection there are degrees, according to the relation and circumstances that persons stand in to one another.
Bless them that curse you: when wicked men curse you, as Shimei cursed David, do not “render evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing”; give good words, use kind language, mild and soft expressions; such as may either win upon them, or put them to shame and silence: “bless, and curse not”; the latter belongs to them, the former to you; “let them curse, but bless thou”: curses better fit their mouths, and blessings thine. Blessing here, does not signify praising them, for that would be sinful, which is sometimes the sense of the word; nor wishing, or praying for a blessing on them, which is right and good; but this is mentioned afterwards, as distinct from blessing; wherefore, it is better to understand it of a sweet and engaging address unto, and behaviour and conduct towards such, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Do good to them that hate you; such as hate you in their hearts, and discover their hatred by their actions; do not make returns in the same way, but on the contrary, do them all the good you can; perform all the kind offices that lie in your power; let them partake of your bounty and liberality; if poor, feed, clothe, and supply them, as you are able, with the necessaries of life; and give them wholesome advice for the good of their souls: by “so doing”, you will “heap coals of fire on their heads”; of enemies, make them friends; engage their affections to you, and you may be happy instruments in doing them good, both in soul and body:
and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. What Christ here commands and advises to, he himself did; for as he hung upon the cross, he prayed for his crucifiers, who were then using him in the most despiteful, as well as cruel manner; saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”: and in this he has left us an example, that we should tread in his steps; and here in he was quickly followed by his holy martyr Stephen; who, whilst he was being stoned, prayed for his persecutors and murderers, saying, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”. This breathes out the true spirit of Christianity, and is peculiar to it. The whole of this is directly opposite to the tenets of the Jews, particularly the Scribes and Pharisees; who allowed of revenge, and keeping anger against any person that had done them an injury, as has been observed: and which were also the sentiments of the Karaites, or Scripturarians, another sect among them who kept to the letter of the Scriptures, and rejected the traditions of the elders, which the Pharisees held: but in this they agreed with them,
“that it was right to do good to their friends, and to forgive them that asked pardon of them; but to such men who rendered evil, and did not return to do well, that they might receive forgiveness,
, “it is not forbidden to revenge, and to keep anger against them” s.”
It is indeed said t of their former holy men, , “Hasideans”, which some have thought to be the same with the “Essenes”, and a sort of Christians; however, were a better sort of Jews; that these
“heard their reproach, but did not return it; and not only so, but they pardoned him that reproached them, and forgave him.”
And it is reported of these men, that they used to pray to God to pardon and forgive all that disturbed them. But the Pharisees, whom Christ had to do with, and against whom he inveighs, were men of another complexion.
s R. Eliahu in Adderet, c. 3. apud Trigland. de Sect. Karaeorum, c. 10. p. 166, 167. t Maimon. Hilch. Talmud Tora. c. 7. sect. 13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “But I say unto you, Love your enemies,” (ego de lego humin agapate tous echthrous humon) “Yet I tell you that you all are to love your enemies,” and that without pretence or sham, Rom 12:20-21. The command concerned their national, private, and religious enemies. For He loved us when we were yet at enmity with God. Rom 5:6; Rom 5:8; Rom 5:10.
2) “Bless them that curse you,” (though not in older Gk. manuscripts the idea is set forth Rom 12:20, “Bless them which persecute you; bless and curse not;” 1Co 4:12-13; 1Pe 2:23; 1Pe 3:9.) The person who can rejoice under persecution can pray for his persecutor, Mat 5:12.
3) “And do good to them that hate you” (omitted in older manuscripts), yet the idea is exemplified by our Lord in life and in His death, as David did to Saul, 1Sa 24:17; Psa 7:4; Rom 12:20-21.
4) “And pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (kai proseuchesthe huper ton diokonton humas) “And you all are to be in a state of continual prayer for (on behalf of) those repeatedly persecuting you,” as our Lord, Stephen and Paul did, Luk 23:34; Act 7:60; Rom 10:1-4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
44. Love your enemies. This single point includes the whole of the former doctrine: for he who shall bring his mind to love those who hate him, will naturally refrain from all revenge, will patiently endure evils, will be much more prone to assist the wretched. Christ presents to us, in a summary view, the way and manner of fulfilling this precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, (Mat 22:39.) For no man will ever come to obey this precept, till he shall have given up self-love, or rather denied himself, and till men, all of whom God has declared to be connected with him, shall be held by him in such estimation, that he shall even proceed to love those by whom he is regarded with hatred.
We learn from these words, how far believers ought to be removed from every kind of revenge: for they are not only forbidden to ask it from God, but are commanded to banish and efface it from their minds so completely, as to bless their enemies. In the meantime, they do not fail to commit their cause to God, till he take vengeance on the reprobate: for they desire, as far as lies in them, that the wicked should return to a sound mind, that they may not perish; and thus they endeavor to promote their salvation. And there is still this consolation, by which all their distresses are soothed. They entertain no doubt, that God will be the avenger of obstinate wickedness, so as to make it manifest, that those who are unjustly attacked are the objects of his care. It is very difficult, indeed, and altogether contrary to the disposition of the flesh, to render good for evil. But our vices and weakness ought not to be pleaded as an apology. We ought simply to inquire, what is demanded by the law of charity: for, if we rely on the heavenly power of the Spirit, we shall encounter successfully all that is opposed to it in our feelings.
This is undoubtedly the reason why monks, and other bawlers of the same class, imagined that these were advices, and not precepts, given by Christ: for they took the strength of men as the standard, for ascertaining what they owe to God and to his law. And yet the monks were not ashamed to claim perfection for themselves, having voluntarily bound themselves to attend to his advices. How faithfully they support the title to which they lay claim I do not now say: (420) but the folly and absurdity of alleging, that they are only advices, will appear from many considerations. First, to say that he advised his disciples, but did not authoritatively command them, to do what was right, is to dishonor Christ. Secondly, to represent the duties of charity, which depend on the law, as matters on which they are left at liberty, is highly foolish. (421) Thirdly, the words ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν , but I say to you, mean in this passage, “I denounce,” or “I command,” and cannot, with propriety, be rendered, “I advise.” Lastly, that it is an express command of what must necessarily be obeyed, is proved, without any difficulty, from the words of Christ: for he immediately adds,
(420) “ Je ne touche point pour le present combien ils s’acquittent vaillament et fidelement de ce dont ils se vantent de paroles.” — “I say nothing, for the present, as to the valiant and faithful manner in which they accomplish what they boast of in words.”
(421) “ C’est une chose tant et plus absurde, que les devoirs de charite, qui dependent de la Loy, soyent mis en la liberte des hommes, de les faire, ou de les laisser.” — “It is an exceedingly absurd thing, that the duties of charity, which depend on the Law, should be put in the power of men to do them, or to let them alone.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(44) Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.The latter words are omitted in so many of the most ancient MSS. that most recent editors hold that they were inserted in the fourth or fifth century, so as to bring the verse into verbal agreement with Luk. 6:28. Taking it as it stands here, we note (1) the extension of the command to love our neighbour (Lev. 19:18), so that it includes even those whom natural impulse prompts us to hate; (2) the stress laid on prayer as the highest utterance of that love. In such cases, circumstances may preclude acts which would be rejected, and words that would be met with scorn, but the prayer that they too may be delivered from the evil which has been their curse is always in our power, and in so praying we are drawing near to the mind of God, and asking that our wills may be as His.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
44. Love bless do good pray These are the Christian modes of feeling toward enemies. The external act of conciliation is good, and may perhaps prevail. It may immensely benefit our enemy, and yet it may fail of good to ourselves. It may proceed from mere policy. There may be a Pharisaic pride in so managing an impetuous man. Then, alas! though our act was right, yet our heart was not right in the act. We may save our enemy, and lose ourselves. It should be the case that the action springs from love. Then the same love that saves one will save both. For our own sake, our heart must be converted from hate. That same indwelling love by which we love God with all our heart, must love our neighbour, including our enemy, even as ourself.
And even if our act of conciliation fails, if our enemy remain enemy, our feelings must still be love. The same tranquil, masterly desire to do him good, and to watch the vulnerable point by which he can be approached, and his enmity slain, must be preserved. How happy is such a heart in its own great calmness, even though in the midst of foes, and girt with enmities. Yet nothing but the grace of God, co-operated with by our own determinations, guided by the precepts of Jesus, is ever likely to produce such a state in the heart. When every Christian attains this state, and every man becomes Christian, then complete will be the reign of the Prince of Peace.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But I say to you, love your enemies,
And pray for those who persecute you,
That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven,
For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
And sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
Jesus then deals with this misrepresentation and dilution of the Law by disposing of the statement ‘hate your enemies’. This removes all doubt on the matter. He is saying that His disciples must rather positively love their enemies, and must pray for those who persecute them. This fact that they must pray for those who persecute them demonstrates that it therefore includes their personal ‘enemies’. But that ‘enemies’ here is intended to cover a wider range, and does not just indicate personal enemies (although it does also include them), comes out in the statements that follow. It is to cover all men everywhere, in the same way as God makes His sun rise on all men everywhere, and it is to be towards those whom men would not expect to be loved, for it is to be different from the way in which civil servants and Gentiles were wont to behave.
The love is then given a practical edge. They are also to pray for their persecutors, the idea being that the prayers will be positive and for blessing on those who persecute them. This adds to the conception of love. Their love is to be towards those who are actually at the time using them badly. The love is to be both personal and universal, and also practical. For to the Jew nothing was more practical than praying for God’s blessing on another. With that prayer would go all his goodwill and practical support. The prayer is to be a positive attempt to bring good down on their persecutors. The mention of persecution takes up Mat 5:11, and therefore includes all who treat them badly and seek ill of them. These too are to be loved.
Defining this love is not as easy as saying it. Certainly it includes the thought of doing good to all men (compare Luk 6:27-28; Luk 6:32-33; Gal 6:9-10; 1Th 5:15) but it must also include the thought of a beneficent attitude towards them. We should not be satisfied just with behaving well, our attitude must be right as well. While we cannot feel affectionate towards all, we can certainly have a feeling of beneficence towards all. We can ensure that we see them as God sees them. We can ensure that we do not hate or despise them, even while we hate what they do and despise their behaviour, because God despises it. But we are to recognise that they are fellow human beings like ourselves and are themselves therefore loved by God (Who in fact loves us and yet despises and hates the sins of us all).
This is an advancement on the Psalmist in Psa 139:20-22, although we should note that there he was probably dealing with assailants who were seeking his blood, and were openly rebelling against God’s authority. And besides, it was really their sins that he hated. But that in the Old Testament period His people were to treat their enemies rightly comes out in such verses as Exo 23:4-5; Pro 24:17-18; Pro 25:21.
While many examples can be cited, taken from writers of many nations, which recommend a show of love towards enemies, none is as open, and without an intention to benefit by it, as this by Jesus. Such an attitude is indeed only possible to one who is under the Kingly Rule of Heaven and therefore recognises that nothing earthly can overthrow it or prevent its progress, so that he knows that he will triumph in the end, because God will triumph. It is altruistic love from a position of security and strength, with no strings attached.
The Babylonian ‘Counsels of Wisdom’ said, ‘Do not return evil to the man who disputes with you, requite with kindness your evildoer’ but the aim was so that the person might come out of the court case that he was facing unscathed. Cicero recommended love and mercy as the best way of being able to rule men, but again he had an ulterior motive in view. How to control the masses. Epictetus declared that the true Cynic ‘while he was being flogged must love the men who flogged him, as though he were father and brother of them all’, but this is because he himself delighted in whatever came from the hand of Providence and therefore saw all as good. Seneca even said, ‘if you wish to imitate the gods, do good deeds also to the ungrateful, for the sun also goes up on the evil, and the sea stands open even to pirates’. But note that it is an ‘if’, not a command. It is merely a general comment, to be observed or not as they wished. All this is good, but it falls short of Jesus’ demand for absolute love under all circumstances and for no other motive than to be like God, Who expects nothing in return.
‘That you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’ Just as being a peacemaker would result in His disciples being called ‘the sons of God’ (Mat 5:9), so here those who love their enemies will reveal themselves to be true sons of their Father, and are to become so more and more. They are to seek to earn the approving epitaph, ‘they are their Father’s sons’. For His mercy is in general unrestricted. He sends equal benefits on all. And they must do the same. This does not mean, of course, that the whole of the rest of the Bible is being cancelled out. God’s antipathy to sin (His wrath) is still fully true, judgment still awaits all. Nor does it deny His special love for His own (nor the special love that Christians have for one another). But the point here is that meanwhile God in a general way treats all the same, and is beneficent towards all, and that therefore those who are under His Rule must do the same. This demonstrates the remarkable universality of the love that is required of us. We too are to love all.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 5:44. Which despitefully use you, &c. Who falsely accuse or traduce you, and persecute you. Dr. Doddridge renders it, Who insult you and persecute you. The particulars mentioned in this verse, are certainly the highest expressions of enmity; for what can be worse than cursing and calumny, insults and persecutions? Yet we are commanded to love and bless, and do good to, and pray for, our enemies, even while they persist in their enmity against us. This may seem contrary to the precept, Luk 17:3 where forgiveness seems to be enjoined only on condition that the injurious party repents: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him: but the difficulty will disappear, when it is remembered, that in the two passages different persons and different duties are spoken of. In this sermon, the duty we owe to mankind in general, who injure us, is described; but in Luke we are told how we are to behave towards an offending brother; one with whom we are particularlyconnected, whether by the ties of Christian society, blood, or friendship. The forgiveness we owe to mankind is in this sermon said to consist in the inward affection of benevolence, civil language, and good offices, such as we would have done to them had they never injured us, and hearty prayers; all which men may receive even while they may persist in their enmity; whereas the forgiveness due to a brother implies that he be restored to the place in our friendship and affection which he held before he offended. But in order to this, his repentance is justly required; because, without a sense of his offence, and due evidence of his reformation, he is both unworthy and incapable of being restored. See Macknight, Whitby, and the note on chap. Mat 6:12.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 5:44 . Observe the entire love which is here required: disposition, word, act, intercession; “primo fere continetur tertium, et secundum quarto” (Bengel). But it is as ( to esteem highly ), not as ( amare ), that we are required to love our enemy. Comp. on Joh 11:5 . It rests upon the clearness and strength of the moral will to separate between the person of the enemy and his hostile disposition towards us, so that the latter does not prevent us from esteeming the former, from blessing it, and applying to it acts of kindness and intercession. The Christian receives this moral clearness and strength, and the consecration of enthusiasm thereto, in his self-experience of the divine love of one’s enemy in Christ (Mat 18:21 ff.; Eph 4:32 ; Phi 2:1 f.; 1Jn 4:10 f.).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Ver. 44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies ] A hard task, I must needs say, but, hard or not hard, it must be done, be it never so contrary to our foul nature and former practice. “The spirit that is in us lusteth after envy, but the Scripture teacheth better things,” Jas 4:5-6 . And what are those? To go no further than the present text: 1. “Love your enemies,” for the inside, be tenderly affected toward them as heartily wishing their good every way; being glad of their welfare, and grieved when it happens otherwise. Thus David was a sorrowful man when his enemies were in affliction, and put on sackcloth ( , quasi , Psa 35:13 ). 2. Seal up our love to them by all good expressions, which are here referred to these three heads. 2a. Bless them ( ), that is, speak kindly to them, and of them, let them have your good word. 2b. Do good, that is, be ready to help them and relieve them at all essays. 3. Pray for them, that God would pardon their sins and turn their hearts. This is our Saviour’s precept, and this was his practice. He melted over Jerusalem (the slaughterhouse of his saints and himself), and was grieved at the hardness of their hearts, Mar 6:3-4 . Next (for words) he called Judas, friend, not devil; and prayed, “Father, forgive them.” And (for deeds) he not only not called for fire from heaven, or legions of angels against them, but did them all good for bodies and souls; for he healed Malchus’ ear, washed Judas’ feet, &c.; like that good Samaritan, he was at pains and cost with them, instructing them with patience, and proving if at any time he might pull them out of the snare of the devil, by whom they were taken alive at his pleasure. a Which also he did. For he converted the thief on the cross, who at first had reviled him, and graciously received those three thousand souls that had imbrued their villanous hands in his innocent blood, Act 2:22-23 ; Act 2:37-41 Thus our Saviour, full of grace and truth. And of his fulness (of redundance, of his over measure) we have all received, and grace for grace, as the child receiveth from the father limb for limb, part for part, &c., Joh 1:16 . He is the father of eternity; and all his children, in all ages of the Church, have resembled him somewhat in this sweet property, Isa 9:6 . Abraham rescueth his nephew Lot, that had dealt so discourteously with him. Isaac expostulates the wrong done him by Abimelech and his servants, and forgiveth and feasteth them. Absalom inviteth Amnon to a feast, and Alexander, Philotas, to kill them thereat; but good Isaac doth it, to show there was no grudge or purpose of revenge. Jacob was faithful to Laban, who changed his wages ten times, and ever for the worse. Joseph entertained his malicious brethren at his house. And whereas their guilty hearts misgave them, that he “rolled himself upon them thereby,” he feasted them on purpose to be reconciled unto them. As the Romans had their , to the which were invited none but kinsfolks to continue love and to seek reconciliation, if there had been any breach. (Val. Max. ii. 1.) But to speak forward. Moses stands up in the gap for them that had so soon forgotten him. Joshua marcheth all night and fighteth all day for the Gibeonites that had deceived him. Samuel prayeth (and God forbid he should do otherwise) for an ungrateful people that had rejected him. David put on sackcloth, he wept and fasted, when his enemies were afflicted; he spared Saul’s life, and afterwards Shimei’s, when Abishai’s fingers even itched to be taking off their heads, Psa 7:5 . Elisha set bread and water before the Syrians that came to surprise him; and provided a table for them that had provided a grave for him. The disciples were solicitous of the salvation of the Pharisees that had accused them at the same time to our Saviour, Mat 15:12 . b Stephen prays heartily for his persecutors, and prevailed (as St Austin thinketh) for Paul’s conversion. And being reviled, saith he, we bless; being defamed, we pray, 1Co 4:12-13 . Do my lord of Canterbury a shrewd turn, and then you may be sure to have him your friend while he liveth. This was grown to a common proverb concerning Archbishop Cranmer. And Lawrence Saunders, the martyr, being sent to prison by Stephen Gardner, Bishop of Winchester (who bade carry away this frensy fool, &c.), praised God for a place of rest and quiet, where to pray for the bishop’s conversion. In the year of grace 1541, Robert Holgat obtained a benefice in a place where one Sir Francis Askew, of Lincolnshire, dwelt, by whom he was much troubled and molested in law. Upon occasion of these suits, he was fain to repair to London, where being he found means to become the king’s chaplain, and by him was made Archbishop of York and President of the King’s Council for the North. The knight before mentioned happened to have a suit before the council there, and doubted much of hard measure from the Archbishop, whose adversary he had been; but he, remembering this rule of our Saviour, “Do good to them that hate you,” &c., yielded him all favour that with justice he might, saying afterward merrily to his friends, he was much beholden to Sir Francis Askew, &c. This bishop, in the beginning of Queen Mary, was committed to the Tower, where he lay a year and half, and was at last deprived.
a 2Ti 2:25-26 . , taken alive, and in hunting by that hellish Nimrod.
b Charitatis hoc fuit. Suos vituperatores in veritate informari cupiunt, &c. Cart.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 5:44 . may be taken in all senses: national, private, religious. Jesus absolutely negatives hatred as inhuman. But the sequel shows that He has in view the enemies whom it is most difficult to love : those who persecute on account of religion. The clauses imported into the T. R. from Luke have a more general reference to enmities arising from any cause, although they also receive a very emphatic meaning when the cause of alienation is religious differences. There are no hatreds so bitter and ruthless as those originating therein. How hard to love the persecutor who thinks he does God service by heaping upon you all manner of indignities. But the man who can rejoice in persecution (Mat 5:12 ) can love and pray for the persecutor. The cleavage between Christians and unbelievers took the place of that between the chosen race and the Gentiles, and tempted to the same sin.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
bless them . . . hate you. This clause is omitted by all the critical Greek texts. See App-94.
pray. Greek. proseuchomai. App-134.
for = on behalf of. Greek. huper.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 5:44. , love ye-, bless ye- , do ye good to- , and pray ye for) Here are four clauses, the second and third of which are wanting in some of the ancients-the second in the Vulgate, the third in Tertullian,[231] De Patientia, ch. 6. Four clauses ought, therefore, to be read, although the third is almost contained in the first, and the second in the fourth by Chiasmus:[232] on which account St Luke transposes them.[233] In Mat 5:46, the verb , to love, occurs again, and in Mat 5:47, the word , salute, corresponds with in the present verse.- , them which despitefully use you) , [the substantive from which the verb is derived] signifies an injury inflicted, not for the benefit of the injurer, but for the damage of the injured party.-See my notes to Chrysostom on the Priesthood, p. 429. It is, therefore, a sign of extreme hatred. A striking contrast. Pray for such persons as these: obtain by your prayers blessings for those, who take blessings from you.
[231] Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, a native of Carthage, where he became a Presbyter, the earliest of the Latin fathers, flourished in the third century.-(I. B.)
[232] See explanation of technical terms in Appendix.-(I. B.)
[233] Vulg. Memph. Versions, Orig. 4,329c; 351a; Cypr. 248, 260, 319, Hil. 303 omit . , . Dcd Lucif. insert these words with Rec. Text (which, however, has . .)-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Exo 23:4, Exo 23:5, 2Ki 6:22, 2Ch 28:9-15, Psa 7:4, Psa 35:13, Psa 35:14, Pro 25:21, Pro 25:22, Luk 6:27, Luk 6:28, Luk 6:34, Luk 6:35, Luk 23:34, Act 7:60, Rom 12:14, Rom 12:20, Rom 12:21, 1Co 4:12, 1Co 4:13, 1Co 13:4-8, 1Pe 2:23, 1Pe 3:9
Reciprocal: Gen 42:25 – and thus Gen 50:21 – I will nourish Exo 10:18 – and entreated Lev 19:18 – not avenge Num 12:13 – General Num 16:47 – and ran Deu 22:4 – thou shalt surely 1Sa 15:11 – he cried 1Sa 24:6 – the Lord forbid 1Sa 24:7 – stayed 1Sa 24:17 – thou hast 2Sa 1:12 – General 2Sa 2:6 – I also 2Sa 9:3 – the kindness of God 1Ki 13:6 – besought Job 31:30 – have Psa 26:3 – For Psa 141:5 – for yet my Pro 19:11 – and Isa 11:9 – not hurt Jer 15:10 – curse Mal 2:9 – but Mat 5:22 – I say Mat 7:29 – having Mat 18:33 – even Luk 10:29 – And Luk 17:4 – I repent Joh 15:8 – so Act 14:5 – despitefully Act 16:28 – cried Col 3:13 – forgiving 1Th 5:15 – none 1Ti 2:8 – without Jam 3:9 – therewith curse
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE CHRISTIAN AND HIS ENEMIES
I say unto you, Love your enemies.
Mat 5:44
It is one of the signs of the Divine originality of Christ that in the midst of a condition of society which throughout the world was based on national selfishness and racial hatred, He ordered the citizens of His kingdom to act on the very opposite principle of treating every human being as a friend.
I. Pride and party spirit.It is difficult for us in these days of Christian toleration to form any idea of the pride and party spirit that raged in the bosom of an orthodox Jew in the days of our Lord. But though the world in the present day is in this respect more enlightened in theory, yet its practice is little better than the practice of the Jews. By the term world we do not mean anything uncharitable. We do not mean that we ourselves are as good as we ought to be, and that others are not. By the world we do not mean this person or that. In modern life, just because everybody is not alike a sincere Christian, there is much bigotry, injustice, animosity, vindictiveness, and party spirit about in the air, and whole classes of people are infected by these evil passions, and do not seem to know that they are unchristian. Great, very great is our danger, therefore, lest we, mingling, as we cannot help mingling, in the great currents of feeling which are surging and swaying about us, should unthinkingly give up our hearts to this bitter, vindictive, unfair, malignant way of looking at our fellow-creatures. I do not mean that we are to pretend that what everybody does is right. It is one thing to reprove and confute; another thing to be unfair and to hate.
II. Who is our enemy?When the lawyer asked our Lord, Who is my neighbour? he drew from our Saviour the memorable parable of the Good Samaritan. It is important for us here to ask, Who is our enemy? Alas, there is no difficulty in answering that question. Has nobody ever injured you? Have you never been ridiculed? Has none ever said unkind things behind your back which have been carefully repeated to you by candid friends? Has nobody ever played you a mean trick? Has nobody ever passed you by out of partiality for some other? Has nobody ever insulted you, or harmed your friends? Have your plans never been thwarted? Have you never lacked that respect and attention which your self-esteem led you to expect? You must indeed have been singularly lucky if none of these things ever happened to you. Yes, in this life we all of us have our enemies, even if they be not very tremendous foes.
III. Christs law of love.I say unto you, Love your enemies. A hard task to us in our natural state. Unaided we cannot think kindly of the offender. Our lips would more easily form themselves into a curse than a blessing. The Holy Spirit of God alone can help us to the calm, tranquil, undisturbed feeling of Christian benevolence which our Lord commands. That is why our Lord commands it with such confidence. He is urging it for our own sakes. It is because such boilings of our blood prevent us from being what we should be. They are of the devil, not of God. Christ gives us the reason; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.
Are we, like the world, and like the Jews, hating our enemies? or are we struggling, in obedience to our Master, to love them, to bless them, to do good to them, to pray for them? Pray more earnestly than ever before for the conquering, glorious, powerful grace of the Holy Spirit in this thing; that we may reach this happy, unruffled, cheerful, hopeful temper.
Archdeacon Sinclair.
Illustration
There is no grander story in history than the tale of Fra Giovanni Galberta. He was a cavalier of Florence, and his brother had been killed in a duel by an enemy, and in accordance with the custom of the time it became his duty to avenge his brothers death, and all his mind was given to tracking out the slayer of his brother, to slay him in turn. For some time he sought for him in vain, until at last, one Good Friday morning, as he was riding up a hill opposite Florence, at a turn in the road that wound up its side, he suddenly came face to face with the man whom he had so long been seeking. He leapt from his horse and drew his sword, and his enemy, being entirely unarmed, could only fall on his knees and extend his hands and implore pardon. Galberta raised his sword above the head of his foe, and as he did so he saw a crucifix set up to mark the road for the pilgrimage to the church, and as he cast his eye on the figure on the cross, he was struck with the likeness between it and the figure that knelt at the base before him. He paused, drew back his sword for a moment, and, gazing still on the crucifix, he seemed to see the figure on the cross bow His head before him. He caught the meaning of the lesson and sheathed his sword, and flung his arms round his enemys neck and pardoned him, and they swore eternal friendship, and there and then agreed to withdraw from the world with all its malice and hatred, with all its ungodliness and untruth. They withdrew from the world, and founded the great monastery of Vallombrosa. How beautiful a story, showing how the power of the cross has brought peace into the world at every age, how the pleading figure of our Lord bids us to lay aside all malice and all uncharitableness. Can we gaze upon the cross of Christ and retain any ill-will or any ill-feeling in the face of that exhibition of boundless forgiveness and love? Cannot we cast ourselves before it and strive to roll away the oppressive, the unspeakable burden of an unforgiving spirit?
(SECOND OUTLINE)
WHO ARE OUR ENEMIES?
A mans enemies in those days were a prominent and inevitable factor of his daily life. Our Lords injunction from one point of view is easier for people to follow nowadays than it was then. For we certainly have fewer personal enemies now than men had in the days when oppression and violence were more common.
One result of this is that our Lords command to love our enemies has become somewhat vague to us. Who are our enemies? we ask. We begin almost to doubt whether the command has any real meaning for us, just because we feel that all the world is at peace with us. But this would be a shallow view of the matter. A Christian must have enemies. If he is honestly trying to live up to the standard which has been set him by Jesus Christ, he must be brought into antagonism with those whose standard of duty falls short of the Divine ideal.
In asking ourselves how we may best interpret the phrase our enemies under the conditions of modern life, we have to take two things specially into accountpolitics and religion.
I. Political opponents.Some people regard their political opponents as enemies in a very definite sense. Fortunately it is not very common for political antagonism to degenerate into personal animosity in England. But we all know of cases in which some burning political question has permanently broken up old friendships. Men sometimes feel so strongly the harm to the country which the other side is doing that they cannot help introducing a touch of personal enmity into their relations with their opponents. That is perhaps natural. But our Lord says to us, emphatically, Love your enemies. Love your political enemies. Protest as much as you like by all fair methods of argument and in all constitutional ways against their principles and their policy, but do not misrepresent them, do not malign them, do not impute to them motives which they would disavow. Show that you love them by being willing to meet them on neutral, non-political ground, in a spirit of kindliness and goodwill. Whatever our party views may be, we shall all be the better for being reminded from time to time how clear our duty is in this respect.
II. Enmity amongst Christians.It is, however, in matters of religious controversy that our great difficulty lies nowadays in obeying the command to love our enemies. Let me put aside altogether any question of our relations towards other branches of the Christian Church. It is so unnatural, so unjustifiable, so plainly contrary to the Spirit of our Founder for any Christians to regard other Christians as enemies that we may refuse to consider the command from this point of view. However great our differences may be, nothing can excuse our supposing that Christ intended any reference to those who like ourselves are His followers, when He bids us love our enemies.
III. Relation between Christians and non-Christians.But the relation between Christians and non-Christians is a very different thing. In a sense, and with certain qualifications, those who do not accept Christianity are the enemies of Christians. Sometimes the enmity of the anti-Christian element in modern society is very strongly emphasized. Very different from this small body of extremists are those who in far greater numbers accept the Agnostic position. These are, many of them, surely enemies whom, as Christians, we can without any hesitation love. If there be sometimes traceable in some of them a spirit of semi-contemptuous tolerance for the weaker natures which still cling to the old traditional beliefs, how many of them there are with whom we can feel much sympathy. They are the enemy, indeed, but they are our friend the enemy. They are not entirely with us, and yet they can barely be said to be against us. They go with us as far as they can; they would like to go even further if they could. They have a deep reverence for the character and teaching of Jesus; they have a firm belief in the truth of Gods presence in the world and of mans communion with God. Nothing can be of more moment to the future of Christianity than the relations which we establish with these men and others more or less like them. Now let us be quite clear on one point: in our desire to be on sympathetic terms with those who do not accept Christianity in our sense, we must not juggle away our own beliefs, we must not blur the outlines of our Christian creed. Nothing is gained by starting a so-called new theology, which does not really evade difficulties and cannot, strictly speaking, claim to be new. But this point made clear, let us try to establish close personal relations with those who are outside the pale of the Church.
The Rev. H. G. Woods, d.d.
Illustrations
(1) There is a striking passage in the Talmud, dealing with the creation of man, which bears on the question of forgiveness and mercy. When God would have created man He called before His Throne the council of the highest angels. Create him not, said the angel of justice; he will be hard and cruel to those weaker than himself; he will be unforgiving and unjust to his brother man. Create him not, said the angel of peace; he will redden the earth with human slaughter, with confusion, horror, and war; the first-born of his race will slay his brother. Create him not, said the angel of truth; he will lie for his party, he will lie for his religion, he will lie for his gain, he will lie most of all for envy and malice. And they would have said more, but there stepped forth and kneeled before the Throne the angel of forgiveness and mercy. Create him, she prayed; create him in Thine own noble image, and as the object of Thy love; when all others of Thy ministers forsake him I will be with him, I will lovingly aid him, I will touch his heart with pity, I will make him forgiving and merciful to the unfortunate and to those weaker than himself.
(2) The story is told of Archbishop Cranmer that if one would be sure of having him do a good turn, it was necessary to do him some ill one, for though he loved to do good to all, yet especially would he watch for the opportunity to do good to such as wronged him.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
5:44
Love your enemies is explained with the note on the preceding verse. Bless is from EULOGEO which Thayer defines, “2. to invoke blessings, Mat 5:44,” or to wish something good of another. Curse is from KATA-RAOMAI and Thayer defines it in this place as follows: “To curse, doom, imprecate [ask or wish for] evil on.” The clause means that while an enemy is wishing for some evil to come on us, we should be wishing something good for him. Do good to them that hate us does not mean to do him a favor that he could use in the furtherance of his evil intentions, but do something that will actually benefit his soul. To pray for our persecutors denotes that we ask the Lord to help us overcome the evil one with right eous deeds in the hope of leading him into a reforming of his life.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 5:44. Love your enemies. The controlling principle, literally and universally applicable. One of the few precepts which admit of no distinction between letter and spirit The law of love, once deemed applicable only to those of the same nation, is now declared valid towards all men, even personal enemies. This gospel principle and Pharisaism cannot be reconciled; here chiefly our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. By his very hatred our enemy becomes our neighbor; his hatred tempts to retaliation, leaving us no choice but to fall or else defend ourselves with the weapons of love, i.e., to meet persecution with prayer. The briefer form of the verse, found in the best authorities, is the correct one. The parts we omit were probably inserted from Luk 6:27-28.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Jesus answered the popular teaching by going back to the Old Testament that commanded love for enemies (Exo 23:4-5). Love (Gr. agapao) here probably includes emotion as well as action in view of Jesus’ previous emphasis on motives.
"To love one’s enemies, though it must result in doing them good (Luk 6:32-33) and praying for them (Mat 5:44), cannot justly be restricted to activities devoid of any concern, sentiment, or emotion. Like the English verb ’to love,’ agapao ranges widely from debased and selfish actions to generous, warm, costly self-sacrifice for another’s good. There is no reason to think the verb here in Matthew does not include emotion as well as action." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 158.]
The word "enemies" also has a wide meaning and includes any individuals who elicit anger, hatred, and retaliation from the disciple.
Prayer for someone’s welfare is one specific manifestation of love for that person.
"Jesus seems to have prayed for his tormentors actually while the iron spikes were being driven through his hands and feet; indeed the imperfect tense suggests that he kept praying, kept repeating his entreaty, ’Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luk 23:34). If the cruel torture of crucifixion could not silence our Lord’s prayer for his enemies, what pain, pride, prejudice or sloth could justify the silencing of ours?" [Note: Stott, p. 119. Cf. Act 7:60.]
Some liberal interpreters have concluded that Jesus meant that we become God’s sons by loving and praying for friend and foe alike. However, consistent with other Scriptural revelation, Jesus did not mean His disciples can earn their salvation (Mat 5:45). Rather by loving and praying for our enemies we show that we are God’s sons because we do what He does.
"They show their parentage by their moral resemblance to the God who is Love . . ." [Note: Plummer, p. 88.]
Theologians refer to the blessings God bestows on His enemies as well as on His children as common grace. Disciples, as their Father, should do good to all people as well as to their brethren (Gal 6:10).
Loving one’s enemies is something God will reward (Mat 5:46). This should be an added inducement to love the antagonistic. Tax gatherers were local Jews who collected taxes from their countrymen for the Romans. Matthew was one of them. The whole Roman system of collecting taxes was very corrupt, and strict Jews viewed these tax collectors as both traitorous and unclean because of their close association with Gentiles. They were among the most despised people in Palestine. However even they, Jesus said, loved those who loved them.
Proper salutations were an evidence of courtesy and respect. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 159.] However if Jesus’ disciples only gave them to their brethren, they did no more than the Gentiles, most of whom were pagans.