SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:12
¶ Así que, todas las cosas que quisiereis que los hombres hiciesen con vosotros, así tambin haced vosotros con ellos; porque esta es la ley y los profetas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:12
Verse 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men-. This is a most sublime precept, and highly worthy of the grandeur and beneficence of the just God who gave it. The general meaning of it is this: "Guided by justice and mercy, do unto all men as you would have them to do to you, were your circumstances and theirs reversed." Yet this saying may be misunderstood. "If the prisoner should ask the judge, 'whether he would be content to be hanged, were he in his case,' he would answer, 'No.' Then, says the prisoner, do as you would be done to.-Neither of them must do as private men; but the judge must do by him as they have publicly agreed: that is, both judge and prisoner have consented to a law, that if either of them steal he shall be hanged."-Selden. None but he whose heart is filled with love to God and all mankind can keep this precept, either in its spirit or letter. Self-love will feel itself sadly cramped when brought within the limits of this precept; but God hath spoken it: it is the spirit and design of the law and the prophets; the sum of all that is laid down in the Sacred Writings, relative to men's conduct toward each other. It seems as if God had written it upon the hearts of all men, for sayings of this kind may be found among all nations, Jewish, Christian, and Heathen. See many examples in Wetstein's notes.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever , etc.] These words are the epilogue, or conclusion of our Lords discourse; the sum of what he had delivered in the two preceding chapters, and in this hitherto, is contained in these words; for they not only respect the exhortation about judging and reproving; but every duty respecting our neighbour; it is a summary of the whole. It is a golden rule, here delivered, and ought to be observed by all mankind, Jews and Gentiles. So the Karaite Jews say, all things that a man would not take to himself, wyjal tw[l ywar ya , it is not fit to do them to his brethren.
And Maimonides has expressed it much in the same words our Lord here does; all things whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, (says he,) do you the same to your brethren, in the law, and in the commandments: only there seems to be a restriction in the word brethren; the Jews, perhaps, meaning no other than Israelites; whereas our Lords rule reaches to all without exception, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them : let them be who they will, whether brethren, or kinsmen, according to the flesh, or what not; for this is the law and the prophets: the sum of the law and the prophets; not the whole sum of them, or the sum of the whole law: but of that part of it which respects our neighbours. Remarkable is the advice given by Hillell to one who came to be made a proselyte by him; whatsoever is hateful to thee, that do not thou to thy neighbour; hlwk hrwth lk ayh wz , this is all the whole law, and the rest is an explication of it, go and be perfect: yea, this rule is not only agreeable to the law of Moses, and the prophets, but even to the law and light of nature. Aristotle being asked, how we ought to carry ourselves to our friends, answered f476 , as we would wish they would carry it to us. Alexander Severus, a Heathen emperor, so greatly admired this rule of Christs, that he ordered it to be written on the walls of his closet.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-14 - Christ came to teach us, not only what we are to know and believe, but what we are to do; not only toward God, but toward men; not only towar those of our party and persuasion, but toward men in general, all with whom we have to do. We must do that to our neighbour which we ourselve acknowledge to be fit and reasonable. We must, in our dealings with men, suppose ourselves in the same case and circumstances with those we have to do with, and act accordingly. There are but two ways right an wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven and the way to hell; in the on or other of these all are walking: there is no middle place hereafter no middle way now. All the children of men are saints or sinners, godl or ungodly. See concerning the way of sin and sinners, that the gate i wide, and stands open. You may go in at this gate with all your lust about you; it gives no check to appetites or passions. It is a broa way; there are many paths in it; there is choice of sinful ways. Ther is a large company in this way. But what profit is there in being willing to go to hell with others, because they will not go to heave with us? The way to eternal life is narrow. We are not in heaven a soon as we are got through the strait gate. Self must be denied, the body kept under, and corruptions mortified. Daily temptations must be resisted; duties must be done. We must watch in all things, and wal with care; and we must go through much tribulation. And yet this wa should invite us all; it leads to life: to present comfort in the favour of God, which is the life of the soul; to eternal bliss, the hope of which at the end of our way, should make all the difficultie of the road easy to us. This plain declaration of Christ has bee disregarded by many who have taken pains to explain it away; but in all ages the real disciple of Christ has been looked on as a singular unfashionable character; and all that have sided with the greate number, have gone on in the broad road to destruction. If we woul serve God, we must be firm in our religion. Can we often hear of the strait gate and the narrow way, and how few there are that find it without being in pain for ourselves, or considering whether we ar entered on the narrow way, and what progress we are making in it?
Greek Textus Receptus
παντα 3956 A-APN ουν 3767 CONJ οσα 3745 K-APN αν 302 PRT θελητε 2309 5725 V-PAS-2P ινα 2443 CONJ ποιωσιν 4160 5725 V-PAS-3P υμιν 5213 P-2DP οι 3588 T-NPM ανθρωποι 444 N-NPM ουτως 3779 ADV και 2532 CONJ υμεις 5210 P-2NP ποιειτε 4160 5720 V-PAM-2P αυτοις 846 P-DPM ουτος 3778 D-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM νομος 3551 N-NSM και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM προφηται 4396 N-NPM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:12 {That men should do unto you} (hina poiwsin h-mn hoi anqrwpoi). Luke (#Lu 6:31) puts the Golden Rule parallel with #Mt 5:42. The negative form is in Tobit 4:15. It was used by Hillel, Philo, Isocrates, Confucius. "The Golden Rule is the distilled essence of that 'fulfilment' (#5:17) which is taught in the sermon" (McNeile). Jesus puts it in positive form.
