Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mat C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Mat 5 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47
OET (OET-LV) But I am_saying to_you_all that everyone which being_angered by_the brother of_him, will_be liable to_the judgement, and whoever wishfully may_say to_the brother of_him:
Raca, will_be liable to_the council, and whoever wishfully may_say:
Foolish, will_be liable to the geenna of_ the _fire.
OET (OET-RV) But I’m telling you that anyone who gets angry at another will be liable for judgement, and anyone who calls another person a numbskull will have to face the court, and if you call them a fool, you’re liable for hellfire.
For many years, English versions and Christians have commonly referred to Matthew 5–7 as “The Sermon on the Mount.” In some translations, it may be helpful to include a heading for chapters 5–7 that is on a level above the section heading for 5:1–12.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The Sermon on the Mountain
The sermon that Jesus preached on a mountain
Jesus taught people on the side of a mountain/hill
In 5:21, Jesus continued his sermon. In some languages it may be natural to indicate that Jesus continued speaking here. For example:
Then Jesus said,
Jesus continued speaking
Here Jesus taught that a person’s inner attitudes are as important as his outer actions. He taught that we will also be judged for our inner attitudes.
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.
But now I tell you(plur) that anyone who is angry at his brother or sister will be judged.
But me, I tell you(plur), if any one of you is angry at another person, God will try/examine you(sing) and punish you.
But I tell you: The clause But I tell you indicates that there is a contrast between what the people had heard from their religious leaders and what Jesus taught. The Israelites understood that someone who murders deserves punishment. No one had ever taught them that anger and insults also deserve punishment.
Here are some other possible ways to translate this phrase:
But now I tell you (GNT)
But I say to you (ESV)
But me, I tell you
But I myself assure you
I: The pronoun I is emphatic in Greek.
you: In the Greek text, the pronoun for you is plural. It refers to Jesus’ disciples and the crowd of people listening to him at this time.
anyone who is angry: The Greek word that the BSB translates as angry is the most common Greek word for “anger” in the New Testament. It refers to a feeling of displeasure, and it often makes someone want to fight against the person causing the feeling.
This word does not refer to extreme anger like the word “furious.” But it is more than simply being slightly “annoyed” with someone.
brother: In this context, the Greek word that the BSB translates as brother can refer to one of the following:
fellow believer
fellowman
If people in your area will think that the word brother refers only to a real brother, you may want to use a more general term. Also, if people in your area will think that the word brother refers only to a fellow believer, but anger against a non-believer is acceptable, you may want to use a more general term. For example:
someone (CEV)
will be subject to judgment: In Greek, this clause is exactly the same as the clause in 5:21c. It is a passive. It is unlikely that a human court would judge someone for being angry. So here, this clause probably refers to God judging the angry person.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Use a passive form. For example:
will be judged (NCV)
will be judged and punished
will be brought to trial (GNT)
Use an active form. For example:
God will judge him
Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin.
And anyone who calls his brother or sister ‘Raca’ (‘stupid’) will be required to appear/stand before the supreme court.
Also, if you(sing) insult another human being by calling him stupid, the council of elders will try/examine you and punish you.
Again: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Again is a conjunction that is often translated as “and” or “but.” In 5:22b, Jesus continued with a teaching that is similar to 5:22a. For this reason, some versions begin 5:22b with the conjunction “and.” Other English versions use no conjunction. You should connect 5:22b to 5:22a in a way that is natural in your language.
anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca’: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca’ is literally, “whoever might say to his brother ‘Raca.’” The word Raca is a transliterated Aramaic word that means “empty-headed person” or “stupid.” This term is an insult.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Transliterate Raca, but show what it means in parentheses. For example:
whoever says to his brother ‘Raca’ (‘stupid’)
whoever calls his brother ‘Raca’ (‘idiot’)
Use a word or phrase in your language that means “stupid” or “idiot.” It may be an idiom. For example:
if you call your brother ‘You good-for-nothing!’ (GNT)
if you call your brother ‘hardheaded’
Transliterate Raca, and include a footnote explaining what it means. Here is a sample footnote:
“Raca” is a word in the Aramaic language that means “empty-headed person” or “stupid.” It was an insult to call someone “Raca.”
Use a general phrase that explains the meaning of Raca. For example:
whoever insults his brother (RSV)
will be subject: The Greek words that the BSB translates here as will be subject are the same as in 5:21c and 5:22a. (Notice that this time, the words “to judgment” are not present.)
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
will be judged (NCV)
will be brought before (GNT)
to the Sanhedrin: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Sanhedrin refers to the Supreme Court of the Jews. This court was the highest authority for the Jews. There were seventy two men in the Sanhedrin. Each member was either a priest, an elder, or a teacher of the law. The high priest was the leader of the council.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
the council called ‘the Sanhedrin’
the supreme court (JBP)
the group of judges/elders
But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
And anyone who says to his brother or sister ‘You fool!’ he will be guilty/deserving of the fire in hell.
If you(sing) tell someone that he is a worthless idiot, God will condemn you to the fires of the place where the dead are punished.
Verse 5:22c is similar to 5:22a and 22b in the sense that it also is dealing with anger.
But: There are two ways to interpret the way 5:22c is connected to 5:22a–b:
It is another example of insulting a person. According to this interpretation, 5:22c should begin with and, or it should be a new sentence. For example:
And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell. (NCV)
Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire. (GW) (GNT, NET, RSV, ESV, NJB, NASB, REB, GW, CEV, NLT, NCV, JBP)
It is a more severe way to insult someone, and the punishment is more severe. According to this interpretation, 5:22c should begin with but to show the contrast in the degree of punishment. For example:
but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (KJV) (Probably NIV, KJV, BSB)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The majority of commentators agree that Matthew did not intend to increase the degrees of anger and punishment from 5:22a to 5:22b to 5:22c.
fool: A fool is a stupid person; or one lacking in judgment and understanding. The word fool is an insult like “Raca.” Both expressions indicate that the person saying them despises his fellowman.
Here is another way to translate this word:
worthless fool (GNT)
will be subject to: The Greek words that the BSB here translates as will be subject to are the same words as in 5:21c and 5:22a. You may want to translate them here in the same way as you did in those verses.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
is worthy of
will go to
will be thrown in
the fire of hell: The phrase the fire of hell refers to the place of eternal punishment where God will send unbelievers following the final judgment. In that place, unbelievers will be punished with fire.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
the hell of fire (ESV)
the place where the dead are made to suffer in fire
the place where the dead are punished with fire
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Here, the word But introduces a contrast with what Jesus said in the previous verse ([5:21](../05/21.md)). Jesus is not contradicting what he said. Rather, he is making it stronger. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of contrast. Alternate translation: [However,] or [Even more,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐγὼ & λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Jesus uses the clause I say to you to emphasize what he is about to say and to contrast it with what “was said to the ancient ones” ([5:21](../05/21.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the emphatic contrast in another way. Alternate translation: [listen to this:] or [here is what you need to know:]
Note 3 topic: translate-textvariants
ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ
¬which ˓being˒_angered ˱by˲_the brother ˱of˲_him
Many ancient manuscripts read being angry with his brother. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts read “being angry with his brother without cause.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ & τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ
˱by˲_the brother ˱of˲_him & ˱to˲_the brother ˱of˲_him
Jesus is using the term brother to mean a person who follows Jesus and shares the same faith. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [with a fellow disciple … to a fellow disciple]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ & τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ
˱by˲_the brother ˱of˲_him & ˱to˲_the brother ˱of˲_him
Although the terms his and brother are masculine, Jesus is using the words in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If you retain the metaphor in your translation, and if it would be helpful in your language, you could say “his or her brother or sister” to indicate this.
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει
liable will_be ˱to˲_the judgment
See how you translated this clause in [5:21](../05/21.md). Alternate translation: [will be subject to judgment and punishment] or [deserves to be judged and punished]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τῇ κρίσει
˱to˲_the judgment
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of judgment, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [being judged] or [human authorities who will judge him or her]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations
εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται & εἴπῃ, μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται
˓may˒_say ˱to˲_the brother ˱of˲_him ˓may˒_say (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
It may be more natural in your language to have indirect quotations here. Alternate translation: [calls his brother Raka will be subject to … says that someone is a fool will be subject]
Note 9 topic: translate-transliterate
ῥακά
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Raka is a word borrowed from Aramaic. You will need to decide if you will also borrow this word into your language or if you will translate the meaning. Either approach has broad support. If you borrow the word, you could spell it the way it sounds in your language and then put the translation in a footnote. Alternate translation: [Fool] or [Idiot]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ
liable will_be liable will_be ˱to˲_the Sanhedrin
Here Jesus implies that any person who calls his brother a bad name like Raka deserves to be judged and punished by the council. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [will be subject to judgment and punishment by the council] or [deserves to be judged and punished by the council]
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
(Occurrence 2) ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Here Jesus implies that the person is speaking to his brother, just as with the earlier examples in the verse. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [And whoever says to his brother]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
μωρέ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
This is an insulting expression. Use an expression in your language that a person might use to insult another person. Alternate translation: [You are an idiot]
Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός
liable will_be liable will_be liable will_be to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Here Jesus implies that any person who calls a fellow disciple a fool deserves to be judged by God and punished in the Gehenna of fire. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [will be subject to judgment and punishment in the Gehenna of fire] or [deserves to be judged by God and punished in the Gehenna of fire]
Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τὴν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Here Jesus uses the name Gehenna to refer to hell. The valley named Gehenna was outside the city of Jerusalem and was a place where people disposed of and burned garbage. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a simile or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [a place of fire like the valley of Gehenna] or [fiery hell, which is like Gehenna valley]
Note 15 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τὴν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐγώ Δέ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ῥακά ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ Συνεδρίῳ ὅς δʼ ἄν εἴπῃ Μωρέ ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τήν Γέενναν τοῦ πυρός)
Here, Jesus is using the possessive form to describe Gehenna as a place that has much fire. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the fiery Gehenna] or [the fires in Gehenna]
OET (OET-LV) But I am_saying to_you_all that everyone which being_angered by_the brother of_him, will_be liable to_the judgement, and whoever wishfully may_say to_the brother of_him:
Raca, will_be liable to_the council, and whoever wishfully may_say:
Foolish, will_be liable to the geenna of_ the _fire.
OET (OET-RV) But I’m telling you that anyone who gets angry at another will be liable for judgement, and anyone who calls another person a numbskull will have to face the court, and if you call them a fool, you’re liable for hellfire.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.