Matthew 5:20

Coverdale Bible (1535)

For I saye vnto you: excepte youre rightewesnes exceade the righetewesnes of the Scribes and Pharises, ye can not entre in to the kyngdome of heauen.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, Ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Transliteration

Legō gar to-you, That ean not perisseusē the dikaiosynē of-you pleion of-the grammateōn and Pharisaiōn, not not eiselthēte into the basileian of-the ouranōn.

Grammar Details

• *Legō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I say/tell
• *gar*: postpositive conjunction - for/because
• *ean*: conditional conjunction - if
• *perisseusē*: aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might exceed/abound
• *dikaiosynē*: nominative feminine singular - righteousness
• *pleion*: nominative neuter comparative - more than
• *grammateōn*: genitive masculine plural - of scribes
• *Pharisaiōn*: genitive masculine plural - of Pharisees
• *eiselthēte*: aorist active subjunctive, 2nd person plural - you might enter
• *basileian*: accusative feminine singular - kingdom
• *ouranōn*: genitive masculine plural - of heavens

Word Meanings

• *Legō*: say/tell/speak
• *perisseusē*: exceed/abound/surpass
• *dikaiosynē*: righteousness/justice/uprightness
• *pleion*: more than/greater than
• *grammateōn*: scribes/scholars of the law
• *Pharisaiōn*: Pharisees (Jewish religious group)
• *eiselthēte*: enter/go in
• *basileian*: kingdom/reign/rule
• *ouranōn*: heavens/skies

Referenced Verses

• John 3:3-5 : 3 Iesus answered, and sayde vnto him: Verely verely I saye vnto the: Excepte a man be borne a new, he can not se the kyngdome of God. 4 Nicodemus sayde vnto him: How can a man be borne, whan he is olde? Can he entre into his mothers wombe, and be borne agayne? 5 Iesus answered: Verely verely I saye vnto the: Excepte a ma be borne of water and of the sprete, he can not come in to ye kyngdome of God.
• Rom 10:2-3 : 2 For I beare them recorde, that they are zelous for Gods cause, but not wt vnderstondinge. 3 For they knowe not the righteousnes which auayleth before God, and go aboute to manteyne their awne righteousnes: and thus they are not subdued vnto the righteousnes, that is off value before God.
• Phil 3:9 : 9 & be founde in him, not hauynge myne awne righteousnes which commeth of the lawe, but by the faith of Christ (namely) the righteousnes which commeth of God in faith,
• Heb 12:14 : 14 Folowe after peace with all men, and holynes, without the which no man shal se the LORDE,
• Luke 16:14-15 : 14 All these thinges herde the Pharises, which were couetous, and they mocked hi. 15 And he sayde vnto them: Ye are they that iustifie yor selues before men, but God knoweth youre hertes. For yt which is hye amonge men, is an abhominacion before God.
• Luke 18:24-25 : 24 Whan Iesus sawe that he was sory, he sayde: How hardly shal the riche come in to the kyngdome of God? 25 It is easyer for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a nedle, the for a rich man to entre in to the kyngdome of God.
• Luke 18:10-14 : 10 There wente vp two men in to the teple, to praye: the one a Pharise, the other a publican. 11 The Pharise stode, and prayed by himself after this maner: I thanke the God, that I am not as other men, robbers, vnrighteous, aduouters, or as this publican. 12 I fast twyse in the weke, I geue the tithes of all that I haue. 13 And the publican stode afarre of, and wolde not lift vp his eyes to heauen, but smote vpon his brest, and sayde: God be thou mercyfull vnto me synner. 14 I tell you: This man wente downe in to his house iustified more the the other. For who so euer exalteth himself, shalbe brought lowe: and he that humbleth himself, shalbe exalted.
• Luke 18:17 : 17 Verely I saye vnto you: Whosoeuer receaueth not ye kyngdome of God as a childe, shal not enter therin.
• 2 Cor 5:17 : 17 Therfore yf eny man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Olde thinges are past awaye, beholde, all are become new.
• Rom 9:30-32 : 30 What shal we saye then? This wil we saye: The Heythen which folowed not righteousnes, haue ouertaken righteousnes: but I speake of the righteousnes that commeth of faith. 31 Agayne, Israel folowed the lawe of righteousnes, and attayned not vnto the lawe of righteousnes. 32 Why so? Euen because they soughte it not out of faith, but as it were out of the deseruynge of workes. For they haue stombled at the stomblinge stone.
• Matt 3:10 : 10 Euen now is the axe put vnto ye rote of the trees: therfore euery tre which bringeth not forth good frute, shalbe hewe downe, and cast into the fyre.
• Matt 7:21 : 21 Not all they that saye vnto me, LORDE LORDE, shall enter in to the kyngdome of heauen: but he that doth the will of my father which ys in heauen.
• Matt 18:5 : 5 And who so receaueth soch a childe in my name, receaueth me.
• Matt 23:2-5 : 2 and sayde: The scrybes & Pharises are set downe vpon Moses seate. 3 Therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that obserue and do, but after their workes shal ye not do, 4 for they saye & do not. For they bynde heuy and intollerable burthens, and laye them vpon mens shulders: But they them selues wil not heaue at them with one of their fyngers. 5 All their workes do they to be sene of men. They set abrode their Philateries, and make large borders vpon their garmentes,
• Matt 23:23-28 : 23 Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharises, ye ypocrytes, which tythe Mynt, Anyse and Commyn, and leaue the waightier matters of the lawe behynde: namely, iudgment, mercy, and fayth. These ought to haue bene done, and not to leaue the other behynde. 24 O ye blynde gydes, which strayne out a gnat, but swalowe vp a Camell. 25 Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharises, ye Ypocrytes, which make cleane the vttersyde of the cuppe and platter, but within are ye full of robbery and excesse. 26 Thou blynde Pharise, clense first the in syde of the cuppe and platter, that the out syde maye be cleane also. 27 Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharises, ye Ypocrites, which be like vnto paynted Sepulcres, that appeare beutyfull outwarde, but within they are full of deed mens bones and all fylthines. 28 Euen so are ye also: Outwarde ye appeare righteous vnto men, but within ye are full of ypocrisye and iniquyte.
• Mark 10:15 : 15 Verely I saye vnto you: Who so euer receaueth not the kyngdome of God as a childe, he shal not entre therin.
• Mark 10:25 : 25 It is easier for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a nedle, then for a rich man to entre in to ye kyngdome of God.
• Luke 11:39-40 : 39 But the LORDE sayde vnto him: Now do ye Pharises make cleane the out syde of the cuppe and platter, but youre inwarde partes are full of robbery and wickednesse. 40 Ye fooles, is a thinge made cleane within, because the outsyde is clensed?
• Luke 11:44 : 44 Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharyses, ye ypocrites, for ye are like couered sepulcres, where ouer men walke, and are not awarre of them.
• Luke 12:1 : 1 There were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, in so moch that they trode one another: Then beganne he, and sayde first vnto his disciples: Bewarre of the leuen of the Pharises, which is ypocrisye.
• Rev 21:27 : 27 And there shal entre in to it none vncleane thinge: nether what soeuer worketh abhominacion: or maketh lyes: but they which are wrytten in the lambes boke of life.
• Luke 20:46-47 : 46 Bewarre of the scrybes, which wyl go in longe garmentes, and loue to be saluted vpon the market, and desyre to syt hyest in the synagoges, and at the table. 47 They deuoure wedowes houses and that vnder a culoure of longe prayenge: These shal receaue the greater danacion.