Matthew 5:22
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.
Study Note
Study Note
Jesus' extension of the commandment against murder to include anger and contemptuous speech ('fool' / 'Raca') belongs to the Sermon's antithetical pattern — not abolishing Torah but radicalising it to address motivation as well as action. The three escalating consequences (judgment, council, Gehenna fire) map anger, contempt, and verbal abuse onto increasing levels of legal and eschatological seriousness, suggesting that the full weight of the sixth commandment extends to the attitudes that precede and generate murderous acts. The rabbinic principle of building a 'fence around the Torah' by extending observance to peripheral behaviours is here deployed, but Jesus' authority is distinguished from scribal tradition by the 'but I say unto you' formula rather than rabbinic citation. 1 John 3:15 ('whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer') provides the most direct epistolary parallel to this teaching.
Other Translations
but 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.
but 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.
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be in danger of being judged; and he who says to his brother, Raca, will be in danger from the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, You foolish one, will be in danger of the hell of fire.
Cross References
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
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And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and …
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, …