Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 5].
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5:1 {He went up into the mountain} (\aneb• eis to oros\). Not "a"
mountain as the Authorized Version has it. The Greek article is
poorly handled in most English versions. We do not know what
mountain it was. It was the one there where Jesus and the crowds
were. "Delitzsch calls the Mount of Beatitudes the Sinai of the
New Testament" (Vincent). He apparently went up to get in closer
contact with the disciples, "seeing the multitudes." Luke (Lu
6:12) says that he went out into the mountain to pray, Mark (Mr
3:13) that he went up and called the twelve. All three purposes
are true. Luke adds that after a whole night in prayer and after
the choice of the twelve Jesus came down to a level place on the
mountain and spoke to the multitudes from Judea to Phoenicia. The
crowds are great in both Matthew and in Luke and include
disciples and the other crowds. There is no real difficulty in
considering the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and the Sermon on
the Plain in Luke as one and the same. See full discussion in my
_Harmony of the Gospels_.
5:2 {Taught them} (\edidasken\). Inchoative imperfect, began to
teach. He sat down on the mountain side as the Jewish rabbis did
instead of standing. It was a most impressive scene as Jesus
opened his mouth wide and spoke loud enough for the great throng
to hear him. The newly chosen twelve apostles were there, "a
great number of disciples and a great number of the people" (Lu
6:17).
5:3 {Blessed} (\makarioi\). The English word "blessed" is more
exactly represented by the Greek verbal \eulog•toi\ as in Lu
1:68 of God by Zacharias, or the perfect passive participle
\eulog•menos\ as in Lu 1:42 of Mary by Elizabeth and in Mt
21:9. Both forms come from \euloge•\, to speak well of (\eu,
logos\). The Greek word here (\makarioi\) is an adjective that
means "happy" which in English etymology goes back to hap,
chance, good-luck as seen in our words haply, hapless, happily,
happiness. "Blessedness is, of course, an infinitely higher and
better thing than mere happiness" (Weymouth). English has thus
ennobled "blessed" to a higher rank than "happy." But "happy" is
what Jesus said and the _Braid Scots New Testament_ dares to say
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT5.RWP.html (1 of 10) [28/08/2004 09:02:59 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Matthew: Chapter 5)