Matthew 5:18

For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.

BSB

For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

KJV

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

ASV

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.

BBE

Truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth come to an end, not the smallest letter or part of a letter will in any way be taken from the law, till all things are done.

Original Greek

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ἀμὴν amēn Amen G281 γὰρ gar for G1063 λέγω legō I say G3004 ὑμῖν humin to you G4771 ἕως he'ōs until G2193 ἂν an when G302 παρέλθῃ parelthē may pass away G3928 ὁ ho the G3588 οὐρανὸς ouranos heaven G3772 καὶ kai and G2532 ἡ hē the G3588 γῆ gē earth G1093 ἰῶτα iōta iota G2503 ἓν hen one G1520 ἢ ē or G2228 μία mia one G1520 κεραία keraia stroke of a letter G2762 οὐ ou certainly G3756 μὴ mē not G3361 παρέλθῃ parelthē may pass away G3928 ἀπὸ apo from G575 τοῦ tou the G3588 νόμου nomou law G3551 ἕως he'ōs until G2193 ἂν an when G302 πάντα panta everything G3956 γένηται.¶ genētai may happen G1096

The early church

All 6
From the expression here used pass, we may suppose that the constituting elements of heaven and earth shall not be annihilated.
Hilary of Poitiers · d. 367Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
"For verily I say unto you, Till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all come to pass." Now what He saith is like this: it cannot be that it should remain unaccomplished, but the very least thing therein must needs be fulfilled. Which thing He Himself performed, in that He completed it with all exactness. And here He signifies to us obscurely that the fashion of the whole world is also being changed. Nor did He set it down without purpose, but in order to arouse the hearer, and indicate, that He was with just cause introducing another discipline; if at least the very works of the creation are all to be transformed, and mankind is to be called to another country, and to a higher way of practising how to live.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Matthew
(Serm. in Mont. i. 8.) By the words, one iota or one point shall not pass from the Law, we must understand only a strong metaphor of completeness, drawn from the letters of writing, iota being the least of the letters, made with one stroke of the pen, and a point being a slight dot at the end of the same letter. The words there show that the Law shall be completed to the very least matter.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
But since all things which should befal from the very beginning of the world to the end of it, were in type and figure foreshewn in the Law, that God may not be thought to be ignorant of any of those things that take place, He therefore here declares, that heaven and earth should not pass till all things thus foreshewn in the Law should have their actual accomplishment.
Pseudo-Chrysostom · d. 500Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Amen is a Hebrew word, and may be rendered in Latin, 'vere,' 'fidenter,' or 'fiat;' that is, 'truly,' 'faithfully,' or 'so be it.' The Lord uses it either because of the hardness of heart of those who were slow to believe, or to attract more particularly the attention of those that did believe. But shall abide in their essence, but pass through renewal.
Remigius of Rheims · d. 533Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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.

Read Matthew Henry on Matthew 5 →

Parallel passages

1

The same words or events elsewhere.

Luke 16:17

Cross-references

80

Topics

ProphecyHeavenEarthJot

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.