Matthew 5:19-22

5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others ¹  to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law ²  and the Pharisees, ³  you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger and Murder

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ⁴  ‘Do not murder,’ ⁵  and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother ⁶  will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults ⁷  a brother will be brought before ⁸  the council, ⁹  and whoever says ‘Fool’ ¹⁰  will be sent ¹¹  to fiery hell. ¹² 

[5:19]  ¹ tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).

[5:20]  ² tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[5:20]  ³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[5:21]  ³ tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”

[5:21]  ⁴ sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.

[5:22]  ⁴ tc The majority of mss read the word εἰκῇ (eikh, “without cause”) here after “brother.” This insertion has support from א² D L W Θ 0233 Ë^1,13 33 Ï it sy co Ir^lat Or^mss Cyp Cyr. Thus the Western, Caesarean, and Byzantine texttypes all include the word, while the best Alexandrian and some other witnesses (Ì⁶⁴ א* B 1424^mg pc aur vg Or Hier^mss) lack it. The ms evidence favors its exclusion, though there is a remote possibility that εἰκῇ could have been accidentally omitted from these witnesses by way of homoioarcton (the next word, ἔνοχος [enocos, “guilty”], begins with the same letter). An intentional change would likely arise from the desire to qualify “angry,” especially in light of the absolute tone of Jesus’ words. While “without cause” makes good practical sense in this context, and must surely be a true interpretation of Jesus’ meaning (cf. Mark 3:5), it does not commend itself as original.

[5:22]  ⁵ tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”

[5:22]  ⁶ tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”

[5:22]  ⁷ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”

[5:22]  ⁸ tn The meaning of the term μωρός (mwros) is somewhat disputed. Most take it to mean, following the Syriac versions, “you fool,” although some have argued that it represents a transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew term מוֹרֵה (moreh) “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20; cf. BDAG 663 s.v. μωρός c).

[5:22]  ⁹ tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”

[5:22]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”