Matthew 5:21-26 Meaning: Jesus Deepens the Law Against Murder
21“You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
23“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Agree with your adversary quickly while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.
26Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.
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.
21Ye have heard that it was said to 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 every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.
23If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 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, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply 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 have paid the last farthing.
21`Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not kill, and whoever may kill shall be in danger of the judgment;
22but I--I say to you, that every one who is angry at his brother without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever may say to his brother, Empty fellow! shall be in danger of the sanhedrim, and whoever may say, Rebel! shall be in danger of the gehenna of the fire.
23`If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything against thee,
24leave there thy gift before the altar, and go--first be reconciled to thy brother, and then having come bring thy gift.
25`Be agreeing with thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, that the opponent may not deliver thee to the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and to prison thou mayest be cast,
26verily I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till that thou mayest pay the last farthing.
21Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not kill; but whosoever shall kill shall be subject to the judgment.
22But I say unto you, that every one that is lightly angry with his brother shall be subject to the judgment; but whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be subject to [be called before] the sanhedrim; but whosoever shall say, Fool, shall be subject to the penalty of the hell of fire.
23If therefore thou shouldest offer thy gift at the altar, and there shouldest remember that thy brother has something against thee,
24leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Make friends with thine adverse party quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him; lest some time the adverse party deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26Verily I say to thee, Thou shalt in no wise come out thence till thou hast paid the last farthing.
Meaning in one sentence
What does Matthew 5:21-26 mean? Jesus shows that anger and insults violate the spirit of 'you shall not murder,' calling us to reconciliation first.
Context
Jesus is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, teaching a crowd that includes both disciples and skeptics. He has just said He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-20). Now He gives an example of what that fulfillment looks like. The religious teachers of His day had reduced the commandment against murder to the outward act. But Jesus reaches behind the act to the anger and contempt that fuel it. He warns that rage, insulting words like 'Raca,' and calling someone a fool carry real spiritual danger. Then He paints a vivid picture: if you are at the altar offering a gift and remember a brother has something against you, set the gift down and go make peace first. The passage ends with a parable about settling with an adversary before it is too late. The whole unit presses home one point: true righteousness begins in the heart and shows itself in peacemaking.
Key Words
The Greek word for being angry here is orgizomenos, drawn from orge, not a flash of irritation, but a settled, simmering rage. Jesus calls that kind of anger just as liable to judgment as murder itself. Then two words of contempt appear: Raca, an Aramaic term meaning 'empty-headed,' and mōre, the Greek word for 'fool' (the root of our 'moron'). These are not mere name-calling; they strip a person of their dignity, treating them as worthless. Jesus takes them seriously because the heart behind them is the same heart that leads to violence. And finally, the verb diallagēthi ('be reconciled'), it means to exchange enmity for friendship, to restore what was broken. That is the urgent work He calls us to, even before we finish our worship.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across Christian traditions, this passage is understood as Jesus calling His followers to a righteousness that goes beyond outward obedience. Catholic teaching has often used these verses to distinguish between mortal and venial sin, seeing anger and contempt as serious offenses against charity. Protestant interpreters emphasize that Jesus is correcting the Pharisees' externalism, showing that the Law always required inner purity. The Orthodox Church sees here a call to guard the heart against the passions that lead to sin. All agree that Jesus is not setting aside the Old Testament but revealing its full depth, and that reconciliation with others is essential to true worship.
A common misunderstanding
Some think Jesus is contradicting the Old Testament law, setting a new standard that replaces the old one. In fact, Jesus is affirming the law's intention and showing that it always demanded inner purity, not just the avoidance of outward murder. He is correcting the shallow interpretation of the scribes, not the commandment itself.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to the small flare-ups of anger inside you. When you feel that surge of contempt, the eye-roll, the muttered insult under your breath, stop and name it. Jesus says that anger and dismissive words are serious matters, not just bad habits. If there is someone you have wronged or who is holding a grudge against you, do not wait for them to make the first move. Even if it means interrupting your usual routine, take the step toward peace. Go be reconciled before you come to church. Let your worship be joined to love.
Main takeaway: Jesus calls us to examine our hearts, not just our actions, because anger and contempt break the command to love as surely as murder does.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God wants us to love people, not just to not hurt them. When you are angry at someone, try to make friends again before you play or pray.
For ages 9, 12
Jesus says that being angry at someone or calling them names is like breaking the rule 'do not murder' on the inside. That's serious. So if you have a fight with a friend, God wants you to be the one to say sorry first, even if it's hard. That's what real peacemaking looks like, and it matters more than any gift you could bring to church.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jesus connect anger with murder?
Jesus teaches that sin begins in the heart, not just in the outward act. Anger that is nursed and cherished is the seed that can grow into violence. By linking anger with murder, He shows that the commandment against murder always required inner purity, not just a clean record on the outside.
What does 'Raca' mean?
'Raca' is an Aramaic word that means 'empty-headed' or 'worthless.' It was a term of contempt used to dismiss someone as a fool. Jesus treats it as a serious offense because it strips a person of their dignity and reveals a heart full of disdain.
Is Jesus saying we can never be angry?
No. Not all anger is sinful; even God is described as angry at injustice. But Jesus warns against the kind of anger that is nursed without cause and that leads to contempt and insults. The key is what we do with our anger and whether it drives us toward reconciliation or toward harming others.
Should I literally leave church to go make peace with someone?
The principle is that reconciliation takes priority over worship. If a serious conflict comes to mind while you are at church, the right response is to seek peace as soon as possible. In practice, that might mean going to speak to the person after the service, or making a phone call that day. The point is that God values a right heart with others more than a ritual offering.
What is the 'fire of Gehenna'?
Gehenna was the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, a place where garbage and dead animals were burned. Jesus uses it as a symbol of judgment and destruction. Different Christian traditions understand this as referring to hell or to the final judgment. The key is that Jesus uses strong language to warn against the seriousness of anger and contempt, urging us to take reconciliation seriously.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study