The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (EGGNT) closes the gap between the Greek text and the available lexical and grammatical tools, providing all the necessary information for greater understanding of the text. The series makes interpreting any given New Testament book easier, especially for those who are hard pressed for time but want to preach or teach with accuracy and authority. Each volume begins with a brief introduction to the particular New Testament book, a basic outline, and a list of recommended commentaries. The body is devoted to paragraph-by-paragraph exegesis of the Greek text and includes homiletical helps and suggestions for further study. A comprehensive exegetical outline of the New Testament book completes each EGGNT volume.
“The pres. tense of ἔστιν contrasts with the fut. tense vbs. in the ὅτι clauses of the other beatitudes and implies that the kingdom is in some sense presently enjoyed.” (Page 50)
“However, on several occasions, ‘righteous’ refers more to character than mere behavior (5:45; 23:28, 35) and includes compassion to others (25:37). Furthermore, Jesus taught that loving and forgiving others is a critical part of having true righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (5:43–48).” (Page 19)
“The clause ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν is repeated verbatim in 5:10 and serves as an inclusio bracketing the beatitudes. Notice also that the recipients of the first four blessings are alliterated with the letter π (πτωχοί, πενθοῦντες, πραεῦς, πεινῶντες). This feature divides the beatitudes into two equal parts.” (Page 50)
“Although the ptc. refers to a person, the neut. gender was likely used due to an implied παιδίον, ‘little child’ (see 1:11, 13 [2x], 14, 20 [2x]). Exodus 21:22 (LXX) shows that this noun was used of children still developing in the womb. The use of the neut. ptc. in no way implies that the conceived child was not yet viewed as a person.” (Page 20)
“The use of the proximate dem. pron. ταύτῃ suggests that Peter is the foundation of which Jesus speaks. If attention were being shifted from Simon as the rock to another rock, one would have expected the remote dem. pron. (ἐκείνῃ).” (Page 188)