Matthew 5:21

Anger and Murder

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ¹  ‘Do not murder,’ ²  and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’

Matthew 12:41-42

12:41 The people ³  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ⁴  – and now, ⁵  something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South ⁶  will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, ⁷  something greater than Solomon is here!

Matthew 5:22

5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother ⁸  will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults ⁹  a brother will be brought before ¹⁰  the council, ¹¹  and whoever says ‘Fool’ ¹²  will be sent ¹³  to fiery hell. ¹⁴ 

[5:21]  ¹ tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”

[5:21]  ² sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.

[12:41]  ³ tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).

[12:41]  ⁴ tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”

[12:41]  ⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

[12:42]  ⁵ sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.

[12:42]  ⁶ tn Grk “behold.”

[5:22]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”

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

[5:22]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”

[5:22]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”

[5:22]  ¹³ tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”