Matthew 5:45
Matthew 5:45 | |
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← 5:44 5:46 → | |
Book | Gospel of Matthew |
Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Matthew 5:45 is the forty-fifth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This is the third verse of the final antithesis, that on the commandment: "Love thy neighbour as thyself". Jesus here explains why one must love one's enemies.
Content
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- That ye may be the children of your
- Father which is in heaven: for he maketh
- his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,
- and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
- That you may be children 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.
The Novum Testamentum Graece text is:
- ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ
- τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς,
- ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς
- καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους.
For a collection of other versions see BibleGateway Matthew 5:45
Analysis
Barclay notes that Hebrew had relatively few adjectives, and referring to a person as "son of something" is a way of creating an adjective. Thus "son of peace" is a term for someone who is peaceful, and "son of God" can simply be a term for someone who is godly. Jesus is saying that to be godlike, and thus to be good, one must treat people as God does.[1]
Schweizer notes that in Palestine rain was extremely important and beneficial, the hot sun, was less so. He notes that in Greece at this time the burning power of the sun was often a symbol of godly power while the rain was a symbol of godly benevolence. By contrast, in wetter and more northern societies, rain is often viewed as unpleasant.[2] The prominent Rabbi Joshua ben Nehemiah had made similar note of rain's equal treatment of the good and the wicked, and saw it as a sign of God's benevolence. The Roman philosopher Seneca, writing in the same era as Jesus lived, also has a very similar discussion of how nature aids both the good and the ill.[3]
Jennifer Herdt notes that the language of Matthew 5:45 carries a strong allusion to Wisdom literature including Ecclesiastes 9:2.[4]
Simone Weil cites this as one of only two moments when the Gospels mention the beauty of the natural world.[5]
Commentary from the Church Fathers
Jerome: For whoso keeps the commandments of God is thereby made the son of God; he then of whom he here speaks is not by nature His son, but by his own will.[6]
Hilary of Poitiers: Or, the sun and rain have reference to the baptism with water and Spirit.[6]
Pseudo-Chrysostom: He was careful to say, On the righteous and the unrighteous, and not ‘on the unrighteous as on the righteous;’ for God gives all good gifts not for men's sake, but for the saints’ sake, as likewise chastisements for the sake of sinners. In bestowing His good gifts, He does not separate the sinners from the righteous, that they should not despair; so in His inflictions, not the righteous from sinners that they should be made proud; and that the more, since the wicked are not profited by the good things they receive, but turn them to their hurt by their evil lives; nor are the good hurt by the evil things, but rather profit to increase of righteousness.[6]
References
- ^ Barclay, William. The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 1 Chapters 1-10. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1975.
- ^ Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975
- ^ Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 1-7: A Commentary. trans. Wilhlem C. Linss. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortess, 1989.
- ^ intertextual.bible/text/ecclesiastes-9.2-matthew-5.45
- ^ Simone Weil, Waiting on God. trans. Emma Crauford. London: Fount Paperbacks, 1977, p. 94.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Catena Aurea: commentary on the four Gospels; collected out of the works of the Fathers. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thomas Aquinas". This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Preceded by Matthew 5:44 |
Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 |
Succeeded by Matthew 5:46 |