Gr. ginomai, “to become,”“to take place,”“to be established.” God will not modify or alter His expressed will (see on v. 17). His “word” will accomplish His beneficent purpose, and “prosper” (Isa. 55:11). There will be no change in the divine precepts, to bring them into conformity to man’s will.
Tittle.
Gr. keraia, literally, “a little horn,” probably to be identified with the little hook on the letter wau (w; see p. 14) or a part of some other letter needed to distinguish it from one similar to it. A look at the Hebrew equivalents of b and k, d and r, h and ch on p. 14 will show the importance of the minute details of various Hebrew letters. The Jews had a tradition that if all the men in the world should attempt to abolish the least letter of the law, they could not possibly succeed. To do so would incur guilt so great, they reasoned, that the world would be destroyed.
Verily.
Gr. amēn, from the Heb. ’amen, “firm,”“established,”“sure.” In Hebrew usage ’amen gave a confirmatory and emphatic answer to the saying of another (Num. 5:22; Deut. 27:15, 16; etc.). The same usage is carried over into the NT (1 Cor. 14:16).
Amen is also frequent in the NT at the close of doxologies (Rom. 1:25; Gal. 1:5; etc.).
But Jesus’ use of Amen to confirm and to strengthen His own saying is peculiar to Him.
Many of His sayings are introduced by the phrase, “Verily I say unto you” (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16; etc.), or, as in the Gospel of John (25 times), “Verily, verily, I say unto thee” (John 3:3, 5, 11; etc; see on ch. 1:51).
Till heaven and earth pass.
Compare Mark 13:31; Luke 16:17. The law being an expression of the will of God, and the plan of salvation an expression of the mercy of God, neither will fail. “The word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isa. 40:8).
Jot.
Gr. iōta, the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding to the Heb. yod (see p. 14), the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
In no wise.
A strong negation in the Greek. A change in the moral law is no more possible than a transformation of the character of God, who changes not (Mal. 3:6). The principles of the moral law are as permanent as God is.