This morning I began a study of Matthew's Sermon on the Mount using these tools:
There's my Greek New Testament. There's my Hebrew New Testament. And there's an English translation. Of course, many other translations are available at my fingertips online. But my main guidestones will be the Greek along with the Hebrew.
Every translation is a commentary because in order to translate the Bible you have to first decide what the source text means, not just what it says. By definition this involves interpretation, and even a "literal" translation of the Bible must do this, even if it involves only the words a translator chooses. Among these translations, I'll give priority of place to the Hebrew since Jesus probably spoke and taught in Hebrew/Judeo-Aramaic. This Semitic influence extends not only to words (amen, korban) but to certain grammatical and syntactical constructions. Delitzsch sought to replicate these nuances in his Hebrew translation, which is fundamentally Biblical Hebrew. His Hebrew Gospels thus allow readers to see the stories and teachings of Jesus in the Gospels through the lens of the Hebrew language.
I've started this study of the Sermon on the Mount not to prepare for lectures on the passage but solely to listen carefully to the text myself. Jesus spoke this sermon to those who were already citizens of his kingdom. The high standards he sets cannot be glibly set aside, as I have done so often. The sermon was written for those who believe that the precepts of Jesus not only can but should be followed.
Matt. 5:1-2 states that Jesus "sat down" and his disciples "came to him" to listen to what he had to say. Then he "opened his mouth" -- a Semitic idiom indicating the solemnity and gravity of what he taught them. (See my study here.) My responsibility now is to assume the posture of one of his talmidim (disciples) who learn the Torah (teaching) from their rav (rabbi).
Eager to get started!