THE SERMON ON
THE MOUNT
Edited by John Stone
In
the New Testament, the unknown author of Matthew, in chapters 5-7, has Jesus ―
god incarnate ― showcasing his “wisdom” in the famous “Sermon on the Mount.” How original was
Jesus so-called wisdom? Was this something “new” that Jesus was bringing to the
people? Or was Jesus just reciting long established Jewish teachings?
The "Original Passage"
from the Hebrew bible or Talmud is listed first in bold, followed by the Matthew's
plagiarism in italic text.
Proverbs 29:23
|| …he who is lowly in spirit shall obtain honor.
Matthew 5:3 ||
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom.
Psalms
147:3 || He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
Matthew 5:4 ||
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Psalms
37:11 || The meek shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance
of peace.
Matthew 5:5 ||
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Psalms
5:13 || You do bless the righteous, O L-rd; You do encompass him with favor as with
a shield.
Matthew 5:6 ||
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied.
Talmud,
Shabbath 151b || Rabbi Gamliel
said: “Whoever has mercy upon creatures will be granted mercy from heaven…”
Matthew 5:7 ||
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Psalms
24:3--4 || Who shall ascend the mount of the L-rd, and who shall stand in His holy
place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…
Matthew 5:8 ||
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see G-d.
Psalms
34:15 || …seek peace and pursue it.
Matthew 5:9 ||
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of G-d.
Talmud,
Baba Kamma 93a || Rabbi Abbahu
said: “A man should always try to be among the persecuted rather than the
persecutors…”
Matthew 5:10--11
|| Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Talmud,
Aboth 5:14 || …hard to anger and easily reconciled is
a kindly man.
Matthew 5:24 ||
…leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your
brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Talmud,
Kallah, Chapter 1 || He who regards a woman with an
impure intention is as if he had already had relations with her.
Matthew 5:28 ||
But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Talmud,
Gittin 90a || The school of Shammai
said: “A man should not divorce his wife unless he finds her guilty of an
unseemly thing.”
Matthew 5:32 ||
But I say to you that every one who divorces his
wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her
an adulteress…
Talmud,
Baba Mezia 49 || Rabbi Judah said: “…your ‘yes’ shall
be true, and your ‘no’ shall be true.”
Matthew 5:37 ||
Let what you say be simply “Yes” or “No”…
Lamentations
3:30 || Let him offer his cheek to him who smites him….
Matthew 5:39 ||
…but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also….
Psalms
37:21 || …the righteous deals graciously and gives.
Psalms 37:26 ||
All day he deals graciously and lends…
Matthew 5:42 ||
Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.
Proverbs
25:21 || If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give
him water to drink….
Matthew 5:44 ||
But I say to you: “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you....”
Ecclesiastes
9:2 || All things come alike to all; there is one event for the righteous and for
the wicked…
Matthew 5:45 ||
…so that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun
rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Talmud,
Shabbath 133b || Abba Saul said: “Be like Him…just as
He is gracious and compassionate, so you be gracious and compassionate.”
Matthew 5:48 ||
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Talmud,
Baba Bathra 9b || Rabbi Eleazar
said: “A man who gives charity in secret is greater…”
Matthew 6:3--4
|| But when you give charity, do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing, so that your charity may be in secret…
Talmud,
Berakoth 61a || Rabbi Huna
said in the name of Rabbi Meir: “A man’s words should always be few in
addressing G-d…”
Matthew 6:7 ||
And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think
that they will be heard for their many words.
Talmud,
Rosh Hashanah 17a || Whose sin does He forgive? Him who forgives transgression….
Matthew 6:14--15
|| For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will
forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
Talmud,
Baba Bathra 11a || After King Monbas’
family rebuked him for giving away all the family’s treasures, he answered: “My
ancestors stored treasures here below, and I store treasures in heaven...My
ancestors stored treasures in a place that could be reached by human hands, but
I have stored [them] in a place that can be reached by no human hand...”
Matthew 6:19--20
|| Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume
and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and
steal.
Proverbs
30:8--9 || ...give me neither poverty nor riches....Lest I become full and deny
You, and say: “Who is the L--rd?”...
Matthew 6:24 ||
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
G-d and mammon [riches].
Psalms
147:9 || He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens that cry.
Matthew 6:26 ||
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them...
Psalms
37:4 || Delight yourself in the L-rd, and He shall give you the desires of your
heart.
Matthew 6:33 ||
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
yours as well.
Talmud,
Sotah 48b || Rabbi Eliezer
said: “He who has only a morsel of bread in his basket, and asks: ‘What shall I
eat tomorrow?’ is a man of little faith.”
Matthew 6:34 || Therefore,
do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself....
Talmud,
Berakoth 9b || Moses said to G-d: “L-rd of the
universe, sufficient is the evil in its time!”
Matthew 6:34 ||
...let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Talmud,
Shabbath 127b || Our Rabbis taught: “He who judges
his neighbor favorably is himself judged favorably.”
Talmud, Sotah 8b || Rabbi Meir said: “The way one measures others
will be meted out for him.”
Matthew 7:1--2
|| Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you
will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.
Talmud,
Arakin 16b || Rabbi Tarfon
said: “...for if one says to him: ‘Remove the speck from between your eyes,’ he
would answer: ‘Remove the beam from between your eyes!’ ”
Matthew 7:3--5
|| Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice
the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother: “Let me
take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the beam in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Proverbs
23:9 || Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your
words.
Matthew 7:6 ||
Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest
they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.
Jeremiah
29:13 || You shall seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Matthew 7:7 ||
Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be
opened to you.
Talmud,
Shabbath 31a || Rabbi Hillel said: “What is hateful
to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Law; the rest is its
commentary. Go and learn it!”
Matthew 7:12 ||
So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the
law and the prophets.
Psalms
6:9 || Depart from me, all you workers of evil...
Matthew 7:23 ||
And then I will declare to them: “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.”