Matthew 5:47 (KJV)

Passage

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Matthew 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "salute", "brethren", "only", "than", "others", "even", and "publicans". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "salute" and "brethren", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 46's "For if ye love them which love..." into verse 48's "Be ye therefore perfect even as your...", so "salute" and "brethren" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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