Sunday, June 25, 2023

Matthew 6:24

Last month, I read a few chapters in Matthew, and I found an-other instance where a chiastic structure illustrates opposites.  In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says, "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 money."  There's an inversion between "he will hate the one and love the other" and "he will be devoted to the one and despise the other," demonstrating these opposites.

This feature is also present in the Greek ("ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει"), the Latin Vulgate ("aut enim unum odio habebit et alterum diliget aut unum sustinebit et alterum contemnet"), my German New Testament ("entweder er wird den einen hassen und den andern lieben, oder er wird an dem einen hängen und den andern verachten"), and my French New Testament ("Car, ou il haïra l'un, et aimera l'autre; ou il s'attachera à l'un, et méprisera l'autre").