Matthew 5:21

Matthew 5:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

Context of Matthew 5:21

19A person may choose not to obey a rule in God's Law. He may think it is the least important rule. He may also teach other people to think like that. Then God will call him the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But a person may choose to obey all the rules in God's Law. And he may teach other people to obey them too. Then God will call that person great in the kingdom of heaven. 20I tell you this: You must always do what is right. You must live in a way that is better than the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees. You will never come into the kingdom of heaven if you do not do better than them.’ Jesus then said, ‘You know the rule that God gave to your ancestors: “You must not kill anyone. Any person who does kill someone will stand in front of a judge. The judge will punish him because he has done a wrong thing.” 22But what I now say to you is this: Anybody who is angry with his brother will have to stand in front of a judge. Or someone might call his brother by a bad name. Then he will have to stand in front of the Jewish leaders. They will judge him. But someone may say to his brother, “You are a fool.” God will judge that person. God may punish him in the fires of hell. 23Maybe you go to the temple to give your gift to God. You take it to the altar. But then you remember that your brother is angry with you.

Matthew 5:21 word by word

Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις· οὐ φονεύσεις· ὃς δ᾽ ἂν φονεύσῃ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Ye have heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• it was saidἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
• by them of old timeἀρχαῖοςarchaios · ancientG744
• Thou shaltφονεύωphoneuō · to murderG5407
• notοὐou · noG3756
• andδέde · thenG1161
• whosoeverὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• shall beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• in dangerἔνοχοςenochos · liable forG1777
• of the judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920

Cross-references for Matthew 5:21

• Matthew 5:27Jesus then said, ‘You know what God's rule says: “You must not have sex with anyone who is not your husband or your wife.”
• 2 Samuel 20:18Then she said, ‘A long time ago, people said, “If you want an answer to your problem, go to Abel city.” So that is what people did when they had problems.
• Job 8:8Think about the people who lived before us. Study the things that our ancestors learned.
• Genesis 9:5If any person or animal kills a human, I will certainly punish them. Their punishment will be death.
• Exodus 20:13You must not murder anyone.
• Deuteronomy 5:17You must not murder anyone.
• Exodus 21:12Perhaps a person may hit another person so that he dies. You must punish the murderer with death.
• Numbers 35:12Those towns will be places where the killer can be safe from the dead person's relative. The killer will not die before the people in the town have judged him.
• Deuteronomy 21:7Then they will say, ‘We did not kill this person. We did not see who killed him.
• 1 Kings 2:5Do not forget what Zeruiah's son Joab did to me. He killed the two leaders of Israel's armies, Ner's son Abner and Jether's son Amasa. Joab killed them as if they were his enemies in a war. But there was no war. So he is guilty of their deaths when they had done nothing wrong. Their blood is on his belt and on his shoes.

Commentaries on Matthew 5:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time - , to or by the ancients. By the ancients, we may understand those who lived before the law, and those who lived under it; for murder was, in the most solemn manner, forbidden before, as well as under, the law, Genesis 9:5, Genesis 9:6. But it is very likely that our Lord refers here merely to traditions and glosses relative to the ancient Mosaic ordinance; and such as, by their operation, rendered the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Ye have heard - Or, this is the common interpretation among the Jews. Jesus proceeds here to comment on some prevailing opinions among the Jews; to show that the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was defective; and that people needed a better righteousness, or they could not be saved. He illustrates what he meant by that better righteousness by showing that the common opinions of the scribes were erroneous. By them of old time - This might be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-26Verses 21-26 The Jewish teachers had taught, that nothing except actual murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they explained away its spiritual meaning. Christ showed the full meaning of this commandment; according to which we must be judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be ruled now. All rash anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are all made of one blood…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21it was said to the ancients: The expression refers to the traditional interpretation of the teachers of religious law and Pharisees. Their traditions did not allow murder, but they did allow hatred. The righteous way of life required by Jesus surpasses this attitude. It demands people to live in peace with each other (Matthew 5:23–24). It is not enough to only avoid committing murder (5:22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time--or, as in the Margin, "to them of old time." Which of these translations is the right one has been much controverted. Either of them is grammatically defensible, though the latter--"to the ancients"--is more consistent with New Testament usage (see the Greek of Ro 9:12, 26; Re 6:11; 9:4); and most critics decide in favor of it. But it is not a question of Greek only. Nearly all who would translate…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:21

• Homicide
• Instruction
• Judaism
• Law
• Quotations and Allusions
• Religion
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Communication
• Council
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit

Commentaries on Matthew 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings