New King James Version
Matthew 5:23
23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Matthew 5:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
- New International Version (NIV)“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
- English Standard Version (ESV)So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
Context of Matthew 5:23
21“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.’ 22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something 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 on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:23 word by word
Ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- thou bringπροσφέρωprospherō · to bring toG4374
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- giftὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- giftδῶρονdōron · giftG1435
- toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379
- and thereκἀκεῖkakei · and thereG2546
- rememberestμιμνήσκωmimnēskō · to rememberG3403
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- oughtτιςtis · oneG5100
- againstκατάkata · according toG2596
Cross-references for Matthew 5:23
- Matthew 8:4And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
- Matthew 23:19Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
- Deuteronomy 16:16“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
- 1 Samuel 15:22So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
- Isaiah 1:10Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah:
- Hosea 6:6For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
- Amos 5:21“I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
- Genesis 41:9Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.
- Genesis 42:21Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
- Genesis 50:15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”
- Leviticus 6:2“If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor,
- 1 Kings 2:44The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head.
- Lamentations 3:20My soul still remembers And sinks within me.
- Ezekiel 16:63that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God.’ ”
- Luke 19:8Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
Commentaries on Matthew 5:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Therefore if thou bring thy gift - Evil must be nipped in the bud. An unkind thought of another may be the foundation of that which leads to actual murder. A Christian, properly speaking, cannot be an enemy to any man; nor is he to consider any man his enemy, without the fullest evidence: for surmises to the prejudice of another can never rest in the bosom of him who has the love of God in his heart, for to him all men are brethren. He sees all men as…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar - The Pharisees were intent only on the external act in worship. They looked not at all to the internal state of the mind. If a man conformed to the external rites of religion, however much envy, and malice, and secret hatred he might have, they thought he was doing well. Our Saviour taught a different doctrine. It was of more consequence to have the heart right than to perform the outward act. If…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. 23-26Jesus provides two examples of making peace in communities and society.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. Therefore--to apply the foregoing, and show its paramount importance. if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught--of just complaint "against thee."Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:23
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries