Matthew 5:20 (WEB)

Passage

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’Exodus 20:13 and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

Matthew 5:22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tell", "unless", "righteousness", "exceeds", "scribes", "pharisees", "enter", and "kingdom". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tell" and "unless", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Whoever therefore shall break one of these..." into verse 21's "You have heard that it was said...", so "tell" and "unless" 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 "tell" and "unless" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.