Abram and Lot Separate

131 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev , he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock , in silver and in gold . 3 He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel , to the place where e his tent had been at the beginning , between Bethel and Ai , 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly ; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord .

5 Now Lot , who went with Abram , also had flocks and herds and tents . 6 And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together , for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together . 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock . Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land . 8 So Abram said to Lot , "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen , for we are brothers . 9 "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left , then I will go to the right ; or if to the right , then I will go to the left ."

10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan , that it was well watered everywhere -this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah -like the garden of the Lord , like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar . 11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan , and Lot journeyed eastward . Thus they separated from each other . 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan , while Lot settled in the cities of the valley , and moved his tents as far as Sodom . 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord .

14 The Lord said to Abram , after Lot had separated from him, " Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where e you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward ; 15 for all the land which you see , I will give it to you and to your descendants forever e . 16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth , so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth , then your descendants can also be numbered . 17 "Arise , walk about the land through its length and breadth ; for I will give it to you." 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre , which are in Hebron , and there he built an altar to the Lord .

Abram Rescues Lot

141 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar , Arioch king of Ellasar , Chedorlaomer king of Elam , and Tidal king of Goiim , 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom , and with Birsha king of Gomorrah , Shinab king of Admah , and Shemeber king of Zeboiim , and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ). 3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea ). 4 Twelve e years they had served Chedorlaomer , but the thirteenth e year they rebelled . 5 In the fourteenth e year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim , 6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir , as far as El-paran , which is by the wilderness . 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh ), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites , and also the Amorites , who lived in Hazazon-tamar . 8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim , 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar -four kings against five . 10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits ; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled , and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country . 11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply , and departed . 12 They also took Lot , Abram's nephew e , and his possessions and departed , for he was living in Sodom .

13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew . Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite , brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner , and these were allies e with Abram . 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive , he led out his trained men , born in his house , three hundred and eighteen e , and went in pursuit as far as Dan . 15 He divided his forces against them by night , he and his servants , and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah , which is north of Damascus . 16 He brought back all the goods , and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions , and also the women , and the people .

Melchizedek Blesses Abram

17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley ). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine ; now he was a priest of God Most High . 19 He blessed him and said , "Blessed be Abram of God Most High , Possessor of heaven and earth ; 20 And blessed be God Most High , Who has delivered your enemies into your hand ." He gave him a tenth of all .

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram , "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself." 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom , "I have sworn e to the Lord God Most High , possessor of heaven and earth , 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say , 'I have made Abram rich .' 24 "I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten , and the share of the men who went with me, Aner , Eshcol , and Mamre ; let them take their share ."

A Son Promised to Abram

151 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision , saying , " Do not fear , Abram , I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great ."

2 Abram said , "O Lord GOD , what will You give me, since I am childless , and the heir e of my house is Eliezer of Damascus ?" 3 And Abram said , "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir ." 4 Then behold , the word of the Lord came to him, saying , "This man will not be your heir ; but one who will come forth from your own body , he shall be your heir ." 5 And He took him outside and said , "Now look toward the heavens , and count the stars , if you are able to count them." And He said to him, " So shall your descendants be." 6 Then he believed in the Lord ; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness .

7 And He said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans , to give you this land to possess it." 8 He said , "O Lord GOD , how may I know that I will possess it?" 9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer , and a three year old female goat , and a three year old ram , and a turtledove , and a young pigeon ." 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two , and laid each half opposite the other ; but he did not cut the birds . 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses , and Abram drove them away .

12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram ; and behold , terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram , "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs , where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years . 14 "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve , and afterward e they will come out with many possessions . 15 "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace ; you will be buried at a good old age . 16 "Then in the fourth generation they will return here , for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet e complete ."

17 It came about when the sun had set , that it was very dark , and behold , there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces . 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram , saying , " To your descendants I have given this land , From the river of Egypt as far as the great river , the river Euphrates : 19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite ."

The Beginning of the Sermon on the Mount

51 When Jesus saw the crowds , He went up on the mountain ; and after He sat down , His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying ,

The Beatitudes

3 " Blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . 4 "Blessed are those who mourn , for they shall be comforted . 5 "Blessed are the gentle , for they shall inherit the earth . 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness , for they shall be satisfied . 7 "Blessed are the merciful , for they shall receive mercy . 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see God . 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers , for they shall be called sons of God . 10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 "Rejoice and be glad , for your reward in heaven is great ; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Salt of the Earth

13 "You are the salt of the earth ; but if the salt has become tasteless , how e can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything , except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men .

The Light of the World

14 "You are the light of the world . A city set on a hill cannot e be hidden ; 15  nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket , but on the lampstand , and it gives light to all who are in the house . 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works , and glorify your Father who is in heaven .

Jesus' Attitude toward the Law

17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets ; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill . 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away , not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished . 19 "Whoever e then annuls one of the least of these commandments , and teaches others to do the same , shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven ; but whoever e keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven . 20 "For I say to you that unless e your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees , you will not enter the kingdom of heaven .

Jesus' Attitude toward Anger

21 " You have heard that the ancients were told , ' YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ' and 'Whoever e commits murder shall be liable to the court .' 22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court ; and whoever e says to his brother , 'You good-for-nothing ,' shall be guilty before the supreme court ; and whoever e says , 'You fool ,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell . 23 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar , and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go ; first be reconciled to your brother , and then come and present your offering . 25 " Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way , so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge , and the judge to the officer , and you be thrown into prison . 26 "Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent .

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 5:1-26

Commentary on Matthew 5:1-2

(Read Matthew 5:1-2)

None will find happiness in this world or the next, who do not seek it from Christ by the rule of his word. He taught them what was the evil they should abhor, and what the good they should seek and abound in.

Commentary on Matthew 5:3-12

(Read Matthew 5:3-12)

Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Those that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God. 3. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. 4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands. 5. The merciful are happy. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning. 6. The pure in heart are happy; for they shall see God. Here holiness and happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. Create in me such a clean heart, O God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity. 7. The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! 8. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end. Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of this world! They call the proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances.

Commentary on Matthew 5:13-16

(Read Matthew 5:13-16)

Ye are the salt of the earth. Mankind, lying in ignorance and wickedness, were as a vast heap, ready to putrify; but Christ sent forth his disciples, by their lives and doctrines to season it with knowledge and grace. If they are not such as they should be, they are as salt that has lost its savour. If a man can take up the profession of Christ, and yet remain graceless, no other doctrine, no other means, can make him profitable. Our light must shine, by doing such good works as men may see. What is between God and our souls, must be kept to ourselves; but that which is of itself open to the sight of men, we must study to make suitable to our profession, and praiseworthy. We must aim at the glory of God.

Commentary on Matthew 5:17-20

(Read Matthew 5:17-20)

Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with any commands of God's holy law. No sinner partakes of Christ's justifying righteousness, till he repents of his evil deeds. The mercy revealed in the gospel leads the believer to still deeper self-abhorrence. The law is the Christian's rule of duty, and he delights therein. If a man, pretending to be Christ's disciple, encourages himself in any allowed disobedience to the holy law of God, or teaches others to do the same, whatever his station or reputation among men may be, he can be no true disciple. Christ's righteousness, imputed to us by faith alone, is needed by every one that enters the kingdom of grace or of glory; but the new creation of the heart to holiness, produces a thorough change in a man's temper and conduct.

Commentary on Matthew 5:21-26

(Read Matthew 5:21-26)

The Jewish teachers had taught, that nothing except actual murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they explained away its spiritual meaning. Christ showed the full meaning of this commandment; according to which we must be judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be ruled now. All rash anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are all made of one blood. "Raca," is a scornful word, and comes from pride: "Thou fool," is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills secretly and slowly. Christ told them that how light soever they made of these sins, they would certainly be called into judgment for them. We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and peace with all our brethren; and if at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances. And when we are preparing for any religious exercises, it is good for us to make that an occasion of serious reflection and self-examination. What is here said is very applicable to our being reconciled to God through Christ. While we are alive, we are in the way to his judgement-seat; after death, it will be too late. When we consider the importance of the case, and the uncertainty of life, how needful it is to seek peace with God, without delay!