Matthew 5:21-26
The first of six contrasts takes a command everyone agreed on — do not murder — and locates its root in contempt and unresolved anger, then makes reconciliation more urgent than religious observance.
21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
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What the labels mean
- ScriptureThe King James Version, public domain, quoted exactly. Never edited, never paraphrased.
- Context / MeaningEditorial background and plain-language explanation written for this app.
- Modern interpretationPsychology, behaviour or science, shown only when it genuinely helps. Never proof of a theological claim.
- ReflectiveSymbolic and personal readings. Ways of thinking with the text, not what the author meant.
- PracticeSomething realistic you might do. An invitation you choose, not a command from God.
Written study
A curated study written for these verses: context, meaning, connections, reflection, alignment and practice.
Start here
The short version
- What is happening
- The first of six 'ye have heard.
- Why it matters here
- Jesus does not say anger and murder are morally identical; he says the anger and contempt that lead to murder are already the concern of the command, not something outside its scope.
- One key idea
- The first of six contrasts takes a command everyone agreed on — do not murder — and locates its root in contempt and unresolved anger, then makes reconciliation more urgent than religious observance.
- One connection
- Jesus of Nazareth — Person
Is there someone who currently has 'ought against me' that I have been avoiding?
A summary of what follows. Editorial, not Scripture.
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Adds short explanations of the names, places and words in these verses, right where they come up.
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Answers are drawn from what is written for Matthew 5:21-26, the people and places named in it, and this book's background. No AI service is connected in this build, so nothing here is machine-generated.
UnderstandWhat is happening herePlain language, faithful to the setting — plus who wrote it and why.
Jesus does not say anger and murder are morally identical; he says the anger and contempt that lead to murder are already the concern of the command, not something outside its scope. Verses 23–24 place reconciliation with a brother above bringing a gift to the altar — worship interrupted, not skipped, for the sake of a broken relationship. The debtor illustration in verses 25–26 urges settling matters quickly rather than letting them escalate through formal channels.
Who wrote this, to whom, and why
Editorial background written for this app. Not Scripture.
New to this? What “context” means here
Every part of the Bible was written by someone, for someone, in a particular time and place. Knowing who wrote it, who first read it and what came just before and after usually settles most questions about what it means.
Where we are not sure, we say so. “Traditional” means a long-standing attribution; “debated” means scholars genuinely disagree.
- Author
- The Gospel according to Matthew; traditionally attributed to Matthew the tax collector. (traditional)
- Audience
- Jesus' disciples and crowds, familiar with the sixth commandment and rabbinic case law surrounding it.
- Literary setting
- The first of six 'ye have heard... but I say unto you' units running through the rest of chapter 5, each taking an Old Testament command and pressing it toward its underlying intent.
- Surrounding argument
- This directly follows 5:17–20's claim to fulfil rather than abolish the law, giving the first worked example. The pattern repeats through adultery, divorce, oaths and retaliation, reaching the sixth and most demanding contrast in 5:38–48 on loving enemies.
- Historical background
- 'Raca' was a term of contempt roughly meaning 'empty-headed' or 'worthless'; 'the council' refers to the Sanhedrin. Jesus is not giving a literal sentencing scale but using escalating, recognisable categories to press home how seriously contempt is treated.
What remains uncertain
Whether verses 25–26 (settling with an adversary) are a separate saying attached here or continue the same illustration is debated; either way it reinforces the urgency of reconciliation.
References
- Matthew 5:21–26
- Exodus 20:13 — The commandment being addressed.
- 1 John 3:15 — A later New Testament echo linking hatred and murder.
ConnectWho and what this connects to2 people, places and ideas named in these verses — and where you are in the story.
Tap any of these to see who or what it is, why it matters here, and where else it appears in our library. Editorial material, not Scripture.
AnglesSee it from a few anglesBiblical, human and — clearly marked — reflective readings, converging on one life.
These are ways of seeing, not competing theories to collect. They are editorial interpretation rather than Scripture, and they are here to meet in the alignment step below.
Biblical
What this contributes within Scripture
The concern for reconciliation before worship echoes prophetic critique of ritual detached from right relationship (Isaiah 1:11–17, Amos 5:21–24) — Jesus is not innovating so much as sharpening a consistent biblical theme.
Human pattern
Common human tendencies at work
Contempt for another person is often what unresolved anger becomes over time, well before it turns into any overt act — the passage names that progression rather than treating anger and violence as unrelated categories.
BehaviourModern interpretation
Observable habits and choices
Prompt, direct address of a grievance tends to keep conflict smaller than delay does, which lets resentment compound; the passage's urgency ('first be reconciled', 'agree with thine adversary quickly') matches that pattern without turning it into a guaranteed technique.
ReflectWhat this brings up for youOpen questions that assume nothing about your situation. Answers stay on this device.
Is there someone who currently has 'ought against me' that I have been avoiding?
Where does contempt, not just anger, show up in how I talk about someone?
What would it cost me to go and be reconciled before doing something else important today?
What needs to come into alignment?
Would I rather be technically innocent of the command, or actually at peace with the person?
- Notice
- Understand
- Choose
- Practise
Alignment is coherence between what you understand, believe, choose and do. It is not a score, and no one is measuring you. Anything suggested here is a possibility to weigh, never a command from God to you personally.
In your own words, what does this passage say?
In yourself, honestly, as you read it.
What you actually hold to be true here.
Your real behaviour, not your intentions.
Between what you believe and what you do.
Your own discernment — this app will not tell you what God requires of you.
One concrete action for the next 24 hours. Small and specific beats ambitious and vague.
One overdue conversation
If someone comes to mind who has something against you, send a message today to begin repairing it — even briefly. If no one comes to mind, examine whether contempt for anyone has gone unnoticed.
Next 24 hours
If you keep practising this
Matthew's sequence of contrasts continues through adultery, divorce, oaths and retaliation before reaching its most demanding form in 5:38–48, on responding to evil and loving enemies. One possible direction: the pattern set here — going to the root, not just the act — holds across all six.
A possible direction, not a promised outcome.
RememberWhat to carry forwardOne takeaway, one memory hook, and anything you want to keep.
Build my understanding
Remember this much
- Who / what
- Matthew 5:21-26 — Gospel in Matthew
- Where
- Matthew · The life of Jesus
- What happened
- The first of six 'ye have heard.
- Why it matters
- Jesus does not say anger and murder are morally identical; he says the anger and contempt that lead to murder are already the concern of the command, not something outside its scope.
- Key idea
- The first of six contrasts takes a command everyone agreed on — do not murder — and locates its root in contempt and unresolved anger, then makes reconciliation more urgent than religious observance.
“Would I rather be technically innocent of the command, or actually at peace with the person?”
Optional, in your own words. Private to this device.
Know someone who might want to read this too?
You choose what the card says. Your notes and reflections stay on this device.
Community perspective
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Translation
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Prefer to read the surrounding chapter? Open Matthew 5.