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Matthew 5:18  (King James Version)
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Adam Clarke
<< Matthew 5:17   Matthew 5:19 >>


Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven - In the very commencement of his ministry, Jesus Christ teaches the instability of all visible things. "The heaven which you see, and which is so glorious, and the earth which you inhabit and love, shall pass away; for the things which are seen are temporal, , are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal , ever-during," II Corinthians 4:18. And the Word of the Lord endureth for ever.

One jot or one tittle - One yod , ( ), the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. One tittle or point, , either meaning those points which serve for vowels in this language, if they then existed; or the seraphs, or points of certain letters, such as resh , or daleth , he , or cheth (as the change of any of these into the other would make a most essential alteration in the sense, or, as the rabbins say, destroy the world). Or our Lord may refer to the little ornaments which certain letters assume on their tops, which cause them to appear like small branches. The following letters only can assume coronal apices, tsaddi - gimel - zain - nun - teth - ayin - shin . These, with the coronal apices, often appear in MSS.

That this saying, one jot or one tittle, is a proverbial mode of expression among the Jews, and that it expressed the meaning given to it above, is amply proved by the extracts in Lightfoot and Schoettgen. The reader will not be displeased to find a few of them here, if he can bear with the allegorical and strongly figurative language of the rabbins.

\ri720 "The book of Deuteronomy came and prostrated itself before the Lord, and said: ' O Lord of the world, thou hast written in me thy law; but now, a Testament defective in some parts is defective in all. Behold, Solomon endeavors to root the letter yod out of me.' (In this text, Deuteronomy 17:5. lo yirbeh , nashim , he shall not multiply wives). The holy blessed God answered, ' Solomon and a thousand such as he shall perish, but the least word shall not perish out of thee.' "

In Shir Hashirim Rabba, are these words:

\ri720 "Should all the inhabitants of the earth gather together, in order to whiten one feather of a crow, they could not succeed: so, if all the inhabitants of the earth should unite to abolish one yod , which is the smallest letter in the whole law, they should not be able to effect it."

In Vayikra Rabba, s. 19, it is said:

\ri720 "Should any person in the words of Deuteronomy 6:4, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is achad , One Lord, change the daleth into a resh , he would ruin the world." [Because, in that case, the word achar , would signify a strange or false God].

\ri720 \cf1 "Should any one, in the words of Exodus 34:14, Thou shalt worship no Other, achar , God, change resh into daleth , he would ruin the world." [Because the command would then run, Thou shalt not worship the Only or true God].

"Should any one in the words of Leviticus 22:32, Neither shall ye Profane techelelu , my holy name, change cheth into he , he would ruin the world." [Because the sense of the commandment would then be, Neither shall ye Praise my holy name].

"Should any one, in the words of Psalms 150:6, Let every thing that hath breath Praise, tehalel , the Lord, change , he into cheth , he would ruin the world." [Because the command would then run, Let every thing that hath breath Profane the Lord].

"Should any one, in the words of Jeremiah 5:10, They lied Against the Lord, beihovah , change beth into caph , he would ruin the world." [For then the words would run, They lied Like the Lord].

"Should any one, in the words of Hosea, Hosea 5:7, They have dealt treacherously, beihovah , Against the Lord, change beth into caph , he would ruin the world." [For then the words would run, They have dealt treacherously Like the Lord].

"Should any one, in the words of I Samuel 2:2, There is none holy As the Lord, change caph into beth , he would ruin the world." [For then the words would mean, There is no holiness In the Lord].

These examples fully Proverbs that the of our Lord, refers to the apices, points, or corners, that distinguish beth from caph ; cheth from he ; and resh from daleth . For the reader will at once perceive, how easily a caph may be turned into a beth ; a he into a cheth ; and a resh into a daleth : and he will also see of what infinite consequence it is to write and print such letters correctly.

Till all be fulfilled - Or, accomplished. Though all earth and hell should join together to hinder the accomplishment of the great designs of the Most High, yet it shall all be in vain - even the sense of a single letter shall not be lost. The words of God, which point out his designs, are as unchangeable as his nature itself. Every sinner, who perseveres in his iniquity, shall surely be punished with separation from God and the glory of his power; and every soul that turns to God, through Christ, shall as surely be saved, as that Jesus himself hath died.




Other Adam Clarke entries containing Matthew 5:18:

Luke 16:17
John 21:25

 

<< Matthew 5:17   Matthew 5:19 >>

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