Matthew 5:21-26

Personal Relationships

21 "¹You have heard that the ancients were told, '²YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ' and 'Whoever * commits murder shall be liable to ³the court.'

22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before ⁴the court; and whoever * says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before ⁵the supreme court; and whoever * says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the ⁶fiery hell.

23 "Therefore if you are ⁷presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be ⁸reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

25 "⁹Make 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.

26 "Truly I say to you, ¹⁰you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

Cross References

• 1. Matt 5:27, 33, 38, 43
• 2. Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17
• 3. Deuteronomy 16:18; 2 Chronicles 19:5
• 4. Deuteronomy 16:18; 2 Chronicles 19:5
• 5. Matthew 10:17; Matthew 26:59; Mark 13:9; Mark 14:55; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47; Acts 4:15; Acts 5:21; Acts 6:12; Acts 22:30; Acts 23:1; Acts 24:20
• 6. Matthew 5:29; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 18:9; Matthew 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43f; Luke 12:5; James 3:6
• 7. Matthew 5:24
• 8. Romans 12:17, 18
• 9. Proverbs 25:8; Luke 12:58
• 10. Luke 12:59

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "it was said to the ancients"
• [b] Or "guilty before"
• [c] Or "liable to"
• [d] Or "empty-head;" Gr "Raka (Raca)" fr Aram "reqa"
• [e] Or "liable to"
• [f] Lit "the Sanhedrin"
• [g] Or "liable to"
• [h] Lit "Gehenna of fire"
• [i] Or "gift"
• [j] Or "gift"
• [k] Or "gift"
• [l] Lit "quadrans" (equaling two mites); i.e. 1/64 of a daily wage