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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 5:21 - 5:26
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_5:21-26
21"You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder'and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,'shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,'shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent."
Mat_5:21 "You have heard that the ancients were told" This could be understood as "to the ancients" or "by the ancients." The first part of this verse is from the Ten Commandments, but the second part is harder to identify and may be a quote from the rabbinical schools (Shammai, the conservative, or Hillel, the liberal). This implied a rejection of Pharisaic scribal interpretation while at the same time asserting the inspiration of the OT.
▣ "murder" This is a quote from the Septuagint (LXX) of Exo_20:13 or Deu_5:12. It is a future active indicative used as an imperative. The KJV has " kill," but this rendering is too broad in scope. The NKJV has "murder." A more accurate translation would be "nonlegal premeditated murder." In the OT there was a legal premeditated murder-the "Blood Avenger" (cf. Deuteronomy 19; Numbers 35; Joshua 20).
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Mat_5:22 "But I say to you" Jesus' teaching was radically different from the rabbis of His day, whose authority was found in quoting previous Jewish teachers as their authority (cf. Mat_7:28-29; Mar_1:22). Jesus' authority lay in Himself. He is the true revealer of the meaning of the Old Testament. Jesus is Lord of Scripture. The "I" is emphatic-"I myself and no other" or "myself (as the Son of God who knows the mind of God.)"
▣ "everyone who is angry" This is a present middle participle. This was the Greek term for a settled, nurtured, non-forgiving, long term anger. This person continued to be intensely angry.
▣ "with his brother" The KJV adds "without cause." This is a Greek manuscript variation. The addition is not in the early Greek manuscripts P67, à *, B, or the Vulgate. However, it is in the uncial manuscripts à c, D, K, L, W, the Diatesseron, and the early Syrian and Coptic translations. The UBS4 gives the shorter text a B rating (almost certain). The addition weakens the strong thrust of the passage.
It might be helpful at this point to explain the superscripts: the * means the oldest copy of the manuscript type that is available; the c means the later correctors of copyists. This is often represented by 1, 2, 3, etc, if there is a series of correctors; the number after P refers to the papyrus manuscript. Uncial Greek manuscripts are designated by capital letters while papyrus manuscripts are designated by numbers. For additional information, see hyperlink.
NASB "You fool"
NKJV "Raca"
NRSV "if you insult"
TEV "You good-for-nothing"
NJB "Fool"
Raca was Aramaic for "an empty-headed person incapable of life." This section is not dealing with what specific titles one can or cannot call another person, but with a supposed believer's attitude toward others, especially covenant brothers.
The Greek term, môros, translated "fool," was meant to reflect the Aramaic term raca. However, Jesus' word play was not to the Greek word môros, but the primarily Hebrew word môreh, BDB 598, which meant " rebel against God" (cf. Num_20:10; Deu_21:18; Deu_21:20; see F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions, p. 42). Jesus called the Pharisees by this very term in Mat_23:17. Not only our actions, but our motives, attitudes, and purposes determine sin against our fellow human. Murder, as far as God is concerned, can be a thought! Hatred of our brother or sister clearly shows that we do not know God (cf. 1Jn_2:9-11; 1Jn_3:15; 1Jn_4:20). Socially speaking, a hateful thought is better than a death, but remember that this section of Scripture is meant to shatter all self-righteousness and pride in one's own goodness. It is possible that this three-fold expression was a sarcastic play on scribal interpretation methods.
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NASB "fiery hell"
NKJV, NJB "hell fire"
NRSV "the hell of fire"
TEV "fire of hell"
This is the Greek contraction Gehenna. See Special Topic below, II. D.
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Mat_5:23 This is a third class conditional sentence, which means probable action.
▣ "presenting your offering at the altar" This strongly implies that Matthew wrote before the destruction of the Temple by the Roman general Titus in a.d. 70. Lifestyle love precedes religious acts! Relationships take precedence over ritual. People are the top priority with God. Only people are eternal.
Mat_5:24 "be reconciled to your brother" This is an aorist passive imperative. Personal relationships are more significant than (1) periodic ritual (Mat_5:24) or (2) judicial decisions (Mat_5:25).
Mat_5:26 "Truly" See Special Topic at Mat_5:18.
▣ "until you have paid the last cent" "Cent" is the smallest Roman coin, quadrans (see Special Topic at Mat_17:24). Judgment extracts the full penalty. Mercy and love forgive all!