Matthew 5:26
Matthew 5:26 is the twenty-sixth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just warned that if you do not reconcile with your enemies a judge is likely to throw you in jail. In this verse Jesus mentions that your debts must be paid completely before one can leave.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt
- by no means come out thence, till
- thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
- Most certainly I tell you, you shall
- by no means get out of there, until
- you have paid the last penny.
This verse opens with a similar phrase to that of Matthew 5:22, often translated as "amen I say to you." This is a popular phrase in Matthew, that Schweizer notes usually introduces something eschatological. This verse is normally taken as a metaphor for how God most be pleased. France notes that it is clear that for God has no half-measures, that even for a slight debt punishment will still be full. Some have read this verse as a reference to purgatory, but Schweizer disagrees with this feel that the waiting reference is simply to link into the analogy begun in the earlier verse. Schweizer also notes that this verse jars somewhat with the previous part of the parable as debt or fines have not been mentioned. To Schweizer this implies that Jesus is being metaphorical rather than discussing actual legal problems.
The word translated as farthing in the KJV and penny in the WEB in Greek is a quadrans, as implied by the translations this was a coin of low value. The very similar verse at Luke 12:59 mentions a mite, a coin worth half a quadrans.
References
- France, R.T. The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary. Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
- Gundry, Robert H. Matthew a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.
- Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975
| Gospel of Matthew | ||
| Preceded by: Matthew 5:25 |
Chapter 5 | Followed by: Matthew 5:27 |