Matthew 5:48 (DBY)

Passage

Be *ye* therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:46 For if ye should love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not also the tax-gatherers the same?

Matthew 5:47 And if ye should salute your brethren only, what do ye extraordinary? Do not also the Gentiles the same?

Matthew 5:48 Be *ye* therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "perfect", "heavenly", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "perfect", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And if ye should salute your brethren...", giving immediate footing for "therefore" and "perfect". In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "perfect" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.