THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Edited by John Stone
In the New Testament, the unknown author of Matthew, in chapters 5-7, has Jesus ― invisible man in the sky/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 Lord; 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 Lord, 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 God.
Psalms 34:15 || …seek peace and pursue it.
Matthew 5:9 || Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
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 God…”
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 Lord?”...
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 God 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 Lord, 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 God: “Lord 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.”