Christianity: Details about 'Matthew 5 1'
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Matthew 5:1 is the first verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse introduces the Sermon on the Mount, that will be recited in the next several chapters. The previous verse mentioned the large crowds that came to see Jesus for healing, this verse has him go up into the mountain and begin preaching. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
The reference to going up a mountain prior to preaching is considered by many to be a reference to Moses on Mount Sinai. Hill disagrees, arguing that if this had been intended as a reference to Exodus then the author of Matthew would have made the links far clearer. Lapide feels that the clumsy phrasing implies that this verse is a transliteration from the Hebrew, and that it was an exact replica of a passage describing Moses. St. Augustine in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount supported the Moses parallel. He argued that this symbolism shows that Jesus is giving a new set of precepts to supplement those of Moses. In his later writings, such as the Reply to Faustus, he backs away from this view, however. There are no actual mountains in this part of Galilee, but there are several large hills in the region to the west of the Sea of Galilee. A number of scholars do not feel "the mountain" is the most accurate understanding of the phrase. Gundry feels it could mean "mountainous region", while France feels it should be read as "went up into the hills." The introduction to the Sermon on the Plain also has Jesus go up into a mountain in Luke 6:12, but he goes there merely to pray and descends before beginning his preaching. This verse is the first place where the word disciples appears in the Gospel of Matthew. Its exact meaning is unclear. Some feel that it refers only to the small group of Jesus' followers, and that the Sermon was only directed to them. Albright and Mann support this view. Gundry feels that, at least in this verse, disciples has a much broader meaning and refers to any who came to hear Jesus, he feels the word is used interchangeably in this section with crowds. Matthew 7:28 makes clear the general crowd was listening to the Sermon. That Jesus sits down might indicate this is not meant to be a public address. Hill notes that Jewish leaders in schools and synagogues would always sit when delivering a lesson. The traditional view, as depicted in art, is that the disciples sat near Jesus, with the crowd beyond but still able to hear. Lapide feels that Jesus' sermon is directed at three circles of listeners, his disciples, the crowd, and the world in general. Chrysostom was of the opinion that the sermon itself was delivered to the disciples, but that it was intended for wider distribution, which is why it was written down. References
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