5:20
The Jews considered the Pharisees and the teachers of the law to be the most righteous people because they closely followed the commandments. So what Jesus said here would have shocked his hearers. He did not consider most of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees to be truly righteous.
5:20a–b
unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven: The Greek text has a negative in each clause:
if your righteousness does not surpass…, you will certainly not enter…
In some languages, it may be necessary to adjust the way the negatives are used in order for the correct meaning between the clauses to be clear.
Here are some other ways to translate these clauses:
you will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires. (Good News Translation)
-or-
your goodness must be a far better thing than the goodness of the scribes and Pharisees before you can set foot in the kingdom of Heaven at all! (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
You must obey God’s commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don’t, I promise you that you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. (Contemporary English Version)
5:20a
For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For indicates that the words in 5:20 are a further explanation of the ideas in 5:17–19.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
then (Good News Translation)
-or-
So
-or-
Therefore
Many English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it may not be necessary to translate it either.
I tell you: The words I tell you emphasize the importance of the words that follow. This phrase is similar to “For I tell you truly” (in 5:18a) except that it does not have the word translated as “truly.”
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
I assure you
-or-
listen
unless your righteousness: The word righteousness refers here to doing what is right and good in God’s sight. A righteous person has good morals and is honest.
Here are some other ways to translate righteousness:
you do what is right
-or-
you do what God wills/desires
-or-
doing what God requires (Good News Translation)
-or-
you do what God considers right
This same word occurs in 5:6a.
exceeds: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as exceeds also means “surpasses” or “is better/greater than.”
Here are some other ways to translate exceeds:
is greater/more/better than
-or-
goes beyond (NET Bible)
scribes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as scribes refers to men who studied, interpreted, and taught the law of Moses. These men were called scribes because their original work was to copy the laws of Moses by hand. In New Testament times, this was no longer their main task.
Here are some other ways to translate this term:
teachers of the law (New International Version)
-or-
teachers of the Law ⌊of Moses⌋
-or-
teachers of religious law (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
experts in the law (NET Bible)
This word also occurs in 2:4. You should translate it here as you did there.
Pharisees: The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group or party known for teaching a very strict obedience to the law of Moses. See how you translated this term in 3:7.
5:20b
never: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as never is a stronger way to say “not.”
Here are some ways to translate these words:
certainly not (New International Version)
-or-
never (Revised Standard Version)
enter the kingdom of heaven: In this context, the word enter refers to “becoming a citizen of.” When people believe in Jesus, they become citizens/members of the kingdom of heaven.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven
-or-
become one of those who are in the kingdom of ⌊the one who lives in⌋ heaven
-or-
be added to those over whom God rules
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