What is said here, does not follow immediately what was said in the preceding chapter. See Luke vi.
Mat 5:1-12 Christ begins his sermon upon the Mount, declaring who are blessed. Mat 5:13-16 He calleth his disciples the salt of the earth, the light of the world; and by the similitudes of a city on a hill, and of a candle, he urges upon them the necessity of setting a good example. Mat 5:17-20 He came not to destroy, but to fulfil, the law. Mat 5:21-26 He extendeth the precepts against murder, Mat 5:27-32 adultery, Mat 5:33-37 and false swearing, Mat 5:38-42 exhorteth to suffer wrong patiently, Mat 5:43-47 to love our enemies, Mat 5:48 and to aim at perfection.
Verses 1-2 None will find happiness in this world or the next, who do not seek it from Christ by the rule of his word. He taught them what was the evil they should abhor, and what the good they should seek and abound in.
This chapter, and the two that follow it, are a sermon; a famous sermon; the sermon upon the mount. It is the longest and fullest continued discourse of our Saviour that we have upon record in all the gospels. It is a practical discourse; there is not much of the credenda of Christianity in it—the things to be believed, but it is wholly taken up with the agenda—the things to be done; these Christ began with in his preaching; for if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. The circumstances of the sermon being accounted for (ver 1, 2), the sermon itself follows, the scope of which is, not to fill our heads with notions, but to guide and regulate our practice. I. He proposes blessedness as the end, and gives us the character of those who are entitled to blessedness (very different from the sentiments of a vain world), in eight beatitudes, which may justly be called paradoxes, ver 3-12. II. He prescribes duty as the way, and gives us standing rules of that duty. He directs his disciples, 1. To understand what they are—the salt of the earth, and the lights of the world, ver 13-16. 2. To understand what they have to do—they are to be governed by the moral law. Here is, (1.) A general ratification of the law, and a recommendation of it to us, as our rule, ver 17-20. (2.) A particular rectification of divers mistakes; or, rather, a reformation of divers wilful, gross corruptions, which the scribes and Pharisees had introduced in their exposition of the law; and an authentic explication of divers branches which most needed to be explained and vindicated, ver 20. Particularly, here is an explication, [1.] Of the sixth commandment, which forbids murder, ver 21-26. [2.] Of the seventh commandment, against adultery, ver 27-32. [3.] Of the third commandment, ver 33-37. [4.] Of the law of retaliation, ver 38-42. [5.] Of the law of brotherly love, ver 43-48. And the scope of the whole is, to show that the law is spiritual.
We have here a general account of this sermon.
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Mat 5:2".
Opening his mouth. It is a Hebraism, to signify he began to speak. (Witham) — This is a common expression in Scripture, to signify something important is about to be spoken. Thus it is used in various other places, as “Job opening his mouth cursed his day, and said,” &c. Daniel, chap. x. et alibi. (Jansenius) — And why is it added, says St. Chrysostom “and opening his mouth,” without doubt that we might know, that not only when he spoke, but even when silent, he gave instruction: sometimes, therefore, he opened his mouth; at other times he spoke by his very actions. (Hom. xv.)