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swear thyself, but shalt perform unto || neither by Jerusalem; for it is the A.M. 4031. An. Olymp. the Lord thine oaths: city of the great king.

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34 But I say unto you, b Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's

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35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:

a Deut. 23. 23.- —b ch. 23. 16, 18, 22. James 5. 12. Isai. 66. 1.

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36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

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be justly considered adulterers and adultresses as long as they his grace reign in his temple as the place of his residence. live. Let it be our constant care to seek and honour God in all his works.

Verse 33. Thou shalt not forswear thyself] They dishonour the great God, and break this commandment, who use frequent oaths and imprecations, even in reference to things that are true: and those who make vows and promises, which they either cannot perform, or do not design to fulfil, are not less criminal. Swearing in civil matters is become so frequent, that the dread and obligation of an oath are utterly lost in it. In certain places, where oaths are frequently administered, people have been known to kiss their thumb or pen, instead of the book, thinking thereby to avoid the sin of perjury; but this is a shocking imposition on their own souls. See the Notes on Deut. iv. 26. vi. 13.

Perform unto the Lord thine ouths] The morality of the Jews on this point was truly execrable: they maintained, that a man might swear with his lips, and annul it in the same moment in his heart. Rab. Akiba is quoted as an example of this kind of swearing. See Schoetgen.

Verse 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head] For these. plain reasons: 1st. God commands thee not to do it. 2dly. Thou hast nothing which is thy own, and thou shouldst not pledge another's property. 3dly. It never did, and never can, answer any good purpose. And 4thly. being a breach of the law of God, it is the way to everlasting misery.

Verse 37. Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay] That is, a positive affirmation, or negation, according to your knowledge of the matter concerning which you are called to testify. Do not equivocate; mean what you assert, and adhere to your assertion. Hear what a heathen says on this subject:

Εχθρος γας μοι κείνος όμως αίδαο πυλησιν,
Ος χ έτερον μεν κευθεί ενι φρεσιν, αλλο δε βάζει.

Hom. Il. ix. 312.
"He whose words agree not with his private thoughts, is as
detestable to me as the gates of hell." See on Josh. ii. at the end.
See the subject of swearing particularly considered in the
note at the conclusion of Deut. chap. vi.

Verse 34. Swear not at all] Much has been said in vindication of the propriety of swearing in civil cases before a magistrate, and much has been said against it. The best way is to have as little to do as possible with oaths. An oath Whatsoever is more than these] That is, more than a bare will not bind a knave nor a liar; and an honest man needs affirmation, or negation, according to the requirements of none, for his character and conduct swear for him. On this Eternal Truth, cometh of evil; or, is of the wicked onesubject the advice of Epictetus is very good: "Swear not at Tou moungou siv, i. e. the Devil, the father of superfluitics and all, if possible; if you cannot avoid, do it as little as you lies. One of Selden's MSS. and Gregory Nyssen, a comcan." Enchir. c. 44. See on Deut. iv. 26. vi. 13.

Verse 34, 35. Neither by heaven, &c.] It was a custom among the Scythians, when they wished to bind themselves in the most solemn manner, to swear by the king's throne; and if the king was at any time sick, they believed it was occasioned by some one's having taken the oath falsely. Herod. 1. iv.

Who is there among the traders and people of this world who obey this law? A common swearer is constantly perjuring himself: such a person should never be trusted. When we make any promise contrary to the command of God,|| taking, as a pledge of our sincerity, either GoD, or something belonging to him, we engage that which is not ours, without the Master's consent. God manifests his glory in heaven, as upon his throne; he imprints the footsteps of his perfections pon the earth, his footstool; and shews, that his holiness and

mentator of the fourth century, have EX TOU διαβολου 85149 is of

the Devil.

That the Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, for which our Lord particularly reprehends them, and warns his disciples against; and that they swore by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, by their head, &c. the following extracts, made by Dr. Lightfoot from their own writings, amply testify:

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"It was customary and usual among them to swear by the creatures. If any swear by heaven, by earth, by the sun, &c. although the mind of the swearer be under these words, to swear by HIM who created them, yet this is not an oath. Or, if any swear by some of the prophets, or by some of the books of the Scripture, although the sense of the swearer be to swear by HIM that sent that prophet, or that gave that book, nevertheless this is not an oath. MAIMONIDES.

Against revenge, and

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yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is evil: but whosoever shall smite thee A. M.4031.
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An. Olymp. more than these cometh of evil.

38 Ye have heard that it hath
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke

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been said,

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a tooth:

* Exod. 21. 24. Lev. 24. 20. Deut. 19. 21. - Prov. 20. 22. & 24. 29.

Luks 6.29. Rom. 12. 17, 19. 1 Cor. 6. 7. 1 Thess. 5. 15. 1 Pet. S. 9.

Isai. 50. 6. Lam. 3. 30.

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"If any adjure another by heaven or earth, he is not guilty.

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must not be too abundant in the practice. Against such permission, our Lord opposes his, Swear NOT AT ALL! He who non hashshamayim, uses any oath, except what he is solemnly called by the maBAB. BERAC. gistrate to make, so far from being a Christian, he does not deserve the reputation, either of decency or common sense. In some of our old elementary books for children, we have this good maxim: "Never swear: for he that swears will lie; and he that lies will steal; and if so, what bad things will he not do!" READING MADE EASY.

They swore by the TEMPLE. When turtles and young pigeons were sometimes sold at Jerusalem for a penny of gold, Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel, said, yn By this habitation, (that is, by this TEMPLE) I will not rest this night, unless they be sold for a penny of silver.' CHERITUтн, cap. i. "R. Zechariah ben Ketsab said, non By this TEMPLE, the hand of the woman departed not out of my hand.'— R. Jochanan said, *557 By the TEMPLE, it is in our hand, &c.' KETUBOтн and BAB. KIDUSHIN.

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* Jerusalem, For Jerusalem, By Jerusalem. — The Temple, For the Temple, By the Temple.-The Altar, For the Altar, By the Altar.- The Lamb, For the Lamb, By the Lamb. -The chambers of the Temple, For the chambers of the Temple, By the chambers of the Temple.-The Word, For the Word, By the Word.-The Sacrifices on fire, For the Sacrifices on fire, By the Sucrifices on fire.-The Dishes, For the Dishes, By the Dishes. By all these things, that I will do this to you.' TOSAPHT. ad NEDARIM.

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Verse 38. An eye for an eye] Our Lord refers here to the law of retaliation mentioned Exod. xxi. 24. (see the note there, and on Levit. xxiv. 20.) which obliged the offender to suffer the same injury he had committed. The Greeks and Romans had the same law. So strictly was it attended to at Athens, that if a man put out the eye of another who had but one, the offender was condemned to lose both his eyes, as the loss of one would not be an equivalent misfortune. It seems that the Jews had made this law (the execution of which belonged to the civil magistrate) a ground for authorizing private resentments, and all the excesses committed by a vindictive spirit. Revenge was often carried to the utmost extremity, and more evil returned than what had been received. This is often the case among those who are called Christians.

Verse 39. Resist not evil] Or, the evil person. So, I am fully persuaded, Tw Tongw ought to be translated. Our Lord's meaning is, "Do not repel one outrage by another." He that does so, makes himself precisely what the other is, a wicked person.

Turn to him the other also.] That is, rather than avenge thyself, be ready to suffer patiently a repetition of the same injury. But these exhortations belong to those principally who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Let such leave the judgment of their cause to Him for whose sake they suffer. The Jews always thought, that every outrage should be résented; and thus the spirit of hatred and strife was fostered.

Verse 40. And if any man will sue thee at the law] Every where our blessed Lord shews the utmost disapprobation of such litigations as tended to destroy brotherly kindness and charity. It is evident, he would have his followers to suffer rather the loss of all their property, than to have recourse to such modes of redress at so great a risk. Having the mind averse from contentions, and preferring peace and concord to temporal

Of borrowing and lending.

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41. And whosoever shall compel | 43 Ye have heard that it hath A. M. 4031. An. Olymp. thee to go a mile, go with him twain. been said, "Thou shalt love thy neigh- An. Olymp. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and bour, and hate thine enemy. b from him that would borrow of thee turn not

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44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that

Lev. 19. 18.- 4 Deut. 23. 6. Ps. 41. 10.- e Luke 6. 27, 35.
Rom. 12. 14, 20.

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he can ever receive from man. Revenge, at such an expence, is dear indeed.

Verse 42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow] To give and lend freely to all who are in need, is a general precept from which we are only excused by our inability to perform it. Men are more or less obliged to it as they are more or less able, as the want is more or less pressing; as they are more or less burthened with common poor, or with necessitous relatives. In all these matters, both prudence and charity must be consulted. That God, who makes use of the beggar's hand to ask our charity, is the same from whom we ourselves beg our daily bread: and dare we refuse HIM! Let us shew at least mildness and compassion, when we can do no more: and if we cannot or will not relieve a poor man, let us never give him an ill word nor an ill look. If we do not relicve him, we have no right to insult him.

To give and to lend, are two duties of charity which Christ joins together, and which he sets on equal footing. A rich man is one of God's stewards: God has given him money for the poor, and he cannot deny it without an act of injus tice. But no man, from what is called a principle of charity or generosity, should give that in alms, which belongs to his creditors. Generosity is godlike, but Justice has ever, both in Law and Gospel, the first claim.

The Persian messengers had the royal authority for press ing horses, ships, and even men to assist them in the business on which they were employed. These Angari are now termed Chappars, and serve to carry dispatches between the court and the provinces. When a chappar sets out, the master of the horse funishes him with a single horse, and when that is weary, he dismounts the first man he meets, and takes his horse. There is no pardon for a traveller that refuses to let a chappar have his horse, nor for any other who should deny him the best horse in his stable. See Sir J. Chardin's and Hanway's travels. For pressing post horses, &c. the Persian term is Sukhreh geriften. I find no Persian word exactly of the sound and signification of Ayyagos; but A loan is often more beneficial than an absolute gift: first, the Arabic agharet signifies spurring a horse, attacking, because it flatters less the vanity of him who lends: secondly, plundering, &c. The Greek word itself is preserved among it spares more the shame of him who is in real want; and the Rabbins in Hebrew characters, ** angaria, and it has thirdly, it gives less encouragement to the idleness of him precisely the same meaning: viz. to be compelled by vio-who may not be very honest. However, no advantage should lence, to do any particular service, especially of the public kind, by the king's authority. Lightfoot gives several instances of this in his Hora Talmudicæ.

We are here exhorted to patience and forgiveness : First, when we receive in our persons all sorts of insults and affronts, ver. 39.

Secondly, When we are despoiled of our goods, ver. 40. Thirdly, When our bodies are forced to undergo all kinds of toils, vexations, and torments, ver. 41. The way to improve the injustice of man to our own advantage, is to exercise under it meekness, gentleness, and longsuffering, without which disposition of mind, no man can either be happy here or hereafter; for he that avenges himself, must lose the mind of Christ, and thus suffer an injury 10,000 times greater than

be taken of the necessities of the borrower: he who does so, is at least, half a murderer. The lending which our Lord here inculcates, is that which requires no more than the restoration of the principal in a convenient time: otherwise to live upon trust, is the sure way to pay double.

Verse 43. Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.] Instead of noor neighbour, the Codex Grævii, a MS. of the eleventh century, reads Çıxov friend. Thou shalt love thy friend, and hate thine enemy. This was certainly the meaning which the Jews put on it: for neighbour, with them, implied those of the Jewish race, and all others were considered by them as natural enemies. Besides, it is evident that An among the Hellenistic Jews, meant friend merely: Christ uses it precisely in this sense in Luke x. 36. in answer to

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and you, 'for them which de- || and sendeth rain on the just and on An. Olymp. spitefully use you, and persecute you; the unjust.

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45 That ye may be the children of 46 For if ye love them which love your Father which is in heaven: for he mak-you, what reward have ye? do not even the eth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good; publicans the same?

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the question asked by a certain lawyer, ver. 29. Who of the Pray for them which despitefully use you] EngravTay, from three was neighbour (no friend) to him who fell among against, and Agns Mars, the heathen god of war. Those the thieves? He who shewed him mercy; i. e. he who acted who are making continual war upon you, and constantly hathe friendly part. In Hebrew, y reang signifies friend, which || rassing and calumniating you. Pray for them—This is another word is translated by the LXX. in more than one exquisitely reasonable precept. I cannot change that wicked hundred places. Among the Greeks it was a very compre- man's heart; and while it is unchanged he will continue to harass bensive term, and signified every man, not even an enemy exme: God alone can change it: "then I must implore him to do cepted, as Raphelius on this verse, has shewn from Polybius. that which will at once secure the poor man's salvation, and The Jews thought themselves authorized to kill any Jew who contribute so much to my own peace. apostatized, and though they could not do injury to the Gentiles, in whose country they sojourned, yet they were bound to suffer them to perish, if they saw them in danger of death. Hear their own words: "A Jew sees a Gentile fall into the sea, let him by no means lift him out; for it is written, Thou shalt not rise up against the blood of thy neighbour :—but this is not thy neighbour." Maimon. This shews, that by neighbour they understood a Jew; one who was of the same blood and religion with themselves.

And persecute you] AxovTwv, those who press hard on, and pursue you with hatred and malice, accompanied with repeated acts of enmity.

In this verse our Lord shews 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 impre cations (xaragwμeous) against us.

Thirdly, in his actions, by continually harassing and abus

ing us.

Verse 44. Love your enemies] This is the most sublime
piece of morality ever given to man. Has it appeared unrea-
sonable 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 designs
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
chap. iii. 2. This one precept is a sufficient proof of the ho-
liness of the Gospel, and of the truth of the Christian religion. He maketh his sun to rise on the evil]
"There is nothing
Every false religion flatters man, and accommodates itself to his greater than to imitate God in doing good to our enemies.
pride and his passions: None but God could have imposed a All the creatures of God pronounce the sentence of condemn-
yoke so contrary to self-love; and nothing but the supreme ation on the revengeful: and this sentence is written by the
eternal love, can enable men to practise a precept so insup-rays of the sun, and with the drops of rain, and indeed by all
portable to corrupt nature.

He shews 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.

Verse 45. That ye may be the children of your Father] Instead of so children, some MSS. the latter Persic version, and several of the primitive Fathers, read out, that ye may be like to, or resemble your Father who is in heaven. This is certainly our Lord's meaning. As a man's child is called his, because a partaker of his own nature, so a holy person is said to be a child of God, because he is a partaker of the divine

nature.

the natural good things, the use of which God freely gives to ·Bless them that curse you] Evhoyurt, give them good words, his enemies." If God had not loved us while we were his for their bad words. See the note on Gen. ii. 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.

enemies, we could never have become his children: and we shall cease to be such, as soon as we cease to imitate him.

Verse 46. For if ye love them which love you] He who loves only his friends, does nothing for God's sake. He who

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loves for the sake of pleasure or interest, pays himself. God has no enemy which he hates but sin; we should have no other.

The publicans] That is, tax-gatherers, Tiλavai, from reλos a tax, and wroμxɩ I buy or farm. A farmer or collector of the taxes or public revenues. Of these there were two classes; the Superior, who were Romans of the equestrian order; and the Inferior, those mentioned in the Gospels, who it appears were mostly Jews.

This class of men was detestable among the Romans, the Greeks, and the Jews, for their intolerable rapacity and avarice. They were abhorred in an especial manner by the Jews, to whom the Roman government was odious: these assisting in collecting the Roman tribute were considered as betrayers of the liberties of their country, and abettors of those who enslaved it. They were something like the tythe farmers in a certain Country-a principal cause of the public burthens and discontent. One quotation, of the many produced by Kypke, will amply shew in what detestation they were held among the Greeks.

Theocritus being asked, Which of the wild beasts were the most cruel? answered, Ev μy Tos goby, aguтol xas NEOVтes y de ταις πόλεσιν, ΤΕΛΩΝΑΙ και συκοφανται. Bears and lions in the mountains; and tax-gatherers and calumniators, in cities.

Verse 47. And if ye salute your brethren only] Instead of adipovs brethren, upwards of one hundred MSS. and several of them of great authority and antiquity, have Qixous friends. The Armenian, Slavonic, and Gothic versions, with the latter Syriac, and some of the primitive Fathers, agree in this reading. I scarcely know which to prefer; as brother is more conformable to the Jewish mode of address, it should be retained in the text: the other reading however, tends to confirm that of the Codex Grævii on ver. 43.

On the subject of giving and receiving salutations in Asiatic countries, Mr. Harmer, Observat. vol. ii. p. 327, &c. edit. 1808. has collected much valuable information: the following extract will be sufficient to elucidate our Lord's meaning.

& 4. 12. James 1.4. 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16.- b Eph. 5. 1.

civilities of a common salutation to those of their own religious party. Juvenal when he satirizes the Jews of the apostolic age for their religious opinions, and represents them as unfriendly, and even malevolent to other people; Sat. xiv. and when he mentions their refusing to shew travellers the way, Non monstrare vias, &c. or to point out to them where they might find water to drink when thirsty with journeying, takes no notice of their not saluting those of another nation; yet there is no reason to believe, from these words of CHRIST, that many of them at least would not, and that even a Jewish publican received no salutations from one of his own nation, excepting brother publicans.

"Nor shall we wonder at this, or think it requisite to suppose the word we translate salute (ao(μai) and which cer||tainly, sometimes at least, signifies nothing more than making use of some friendly words upon meeting with people, must here signify something more particular, since we find some of the present inhabitants of the East seem to want this admonition of our Lord. "When the Arabs salute one another," according to Niebuhr, "it is generally in these terms, Salâm aleikum, Peace be with you; in speaking which words they lay the right hand on the heart. The answer is, Aleikum essalâm, With you be peace. Aged people are inclined to add to these words, And the mercy and blessing of God. The Mohammedans of Egypt and Syria never salute a Christian in this manner; they content themselves with saying to them, Good day to you; or, Friend how do you do? The Arabs of Yemen, who seldom see any Christians, are not so zealous but that sometimes they will give them the Salâm aleikum.”

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"Presently after he says: For a long time I thought the Mohammedan custom of saluting Christians, in a different manner from that made use of to those of their own profession, was an effect of their pride and religious bigotry. I saluted them sometimes with the Salâm aleikum, and I had often only the common answer. At length I observed in Natolia, that the Christians themselves might probably be the cause, that Mohammedans did not make the same return to their civilities that they did to those of their own religion. For the Greek merchants, with whom I travelled in that country, did not seem pleased with my saluting Mohammedans in the Mohammedan manner. And when they were not known to be Christians, by those Turks whom they met with in their jour

"Dr. Doddridge supposes that the salutation our Lord refers to, Matt. v. 47. If ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? means embracing, though it is a different word. I would observe, that it is made use of in the Septuagint to express that action of endearment; and which is made use of by an apocryphal writer, (Ecclus. xxx. 19.) whereas, the word we translate sa-neying, (it being allowed Christian travellers, in those prolute, is of a much more general nature: this, I apprehend, arose from his being struck with the thonght, that it could .never be necessary to caution his disciples, not to restrain the

vinces, to wear a white turban, Christians in common being obliged to wear the sash of their turbans, white striped with blue, that banditti might take them at a distance for Turks,

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