22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 5:21-26:
y´The Bible says, “Don’t murder!” and “Condemn a murderer!”
But I condemn you for being angry and hating someone
or for calling anyone a worthless nobody —
Do this, and you will be doomed and in danger of hell!
When you kneel to worship God, try to remember —
Is someone angry with you?
If so, forget about worship, until you run and make peace!
Has someone accused you of doing wrong?
Hurry and settle the matter
before you are thrown into prison and impoverished.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
But I say to you is best understood as a contrast to the last clause of verse 21 (“whoever kills shall be liable to judgment”) rather than to the entire command. What is significant and unprecedented is the phrase But I say, in which I stands in an emphatic position, thus placing the authority of Jesus parallel with the hidden name of God in the phrase “it was said to the men of old.”
Good News Translation has shown this emphasis on the first person I with “now” in the phrase “But now I tell you.” Translators can also say “But what I tell you is….”
As the RSV footnote indicates, every one who is angry is found in some manuscripts in the expanded form “… angry without cause.” The UBS Greek text reflects the opinion that “without cause” was added by scribes in order to soften Jesus’ remark (so TC-GNT). Apparently none of the modern standard translations include it in their text, though several of them provide a footnote, indicating the alternative possibility (for example, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible).
Every one can be “any person who” or “whoever.”
The frequent usage of brother throughout this passage in particular and throughout the Sermon as a whole suggests that the ethical concern is not about general rules for human behavior; in this context the concern may be for disciples in their relations to one another. Certainly, the use of brother for people not physically related was distinctively Christian.
Many languages use brother to mean a close friend, associate, or fellow member of some group. In these cases “brother” will be understood correctly. In languages where the word is understood only to refer to a blood brother, or where it means one’s fellow men in general, then a better translation may be “fellow disciple” or “fellow believer” (but not “fellow Christian”!).
Shall be liable to judgment translates the same expression used in verse 21 (see comments there). Several scholars affirm without hesitation that in each instance the reference is to God’s final judgment, “for carrying out a death sentence according to the Law of Moses is the same as executing God’s final judgment. The Pentateuch did not think in terms of a judgment after death, and God’s judgment can only be performed in this world.” The confusion arose “when the continuation was added with its mention of the Council (the Sanhedrin or supreme judicial body in Palestine),” at which time the meaning of the first judgment was restricted to that of the local authority.
Some scholars see an ascending scale of sins: anger, the accusation “Raca,” and the accusation “you fool.” However, it is difficult to see how judgment can refer to human courts, since human courts judge a person according to one’s deeds, not one’s attitude. Although this conclusion may nullify the possibility of discovering here a neatly marked-out ascending scale of sins and their corresponding punishments, it does seem to be the most valid interpretation in light of what the text itself says.
For these reasons, then, judgment here should probably be translated “be brought before God for judgment,” “God will judge him,” or “will be a person to come before God and be judged.”
Insults: the term Raca (see RSV footnote) is generally assumed to be of Aramaic origin, with the root meaning “empty.” Several scholars indicate that it may have meant something like “good-for-nothing” (so Good News Translation) or “fool.” Some translations have followed the Revised Standard Version fairly closely when translating insults, and said “whoever says insults (or, bad things) to his brother” or “whoever calls his brother bad names.” Others have chosen to use direct speech as Good News Translation does, and say something like “whoever calls his brother, ‘You worthless person’ or ‘You no-good.’ ” This can also be in indirect speech, as in “whoever calls his brother a worthless person (or, a no-good).” Most languages have an insulting expression from their language which they can use. The important consideration is to be sure a term with a strong emotive force is used.
The council was the supreme judicial body of the Jews. In cultures where it is the elders who judge violations of tradition or religion, this can be translated as “the elders of the Jews” or “the Council of our elders.” Other translations may say “the highest court of our people” or “the most senior judges in our land.” Thus be liable to the council means “will be taken to be judged by the council” or “they will carry that person before our senior elders so they can judge him.”
Fool (Good News Translation “worthless fool”), in addition to the usual meaning of “senseless,” would probably have suggested “religious impiety” as well. Several scholars interpret it to mean “one who rebels against God.” Fool is used in the Old Testament primarily of the godless (Psa 14.1; 94.8; Isa 32.6; Deut 32.6; Jer 5.21).
In translation, both “Raca” and fool should be given the component of “foolishness,” with the second term somewhat stronger, possibly implying impiety as well. Elsewhere in the Gospel of Matthew, the word is used in 7.26; 23.17, 19; 25.2, 3, 8. No other Gospel writer uses it, though it is found four times in 1 Corinthians (1.25, 27; 3.18; 4.10), and once each in 2 Timothy (2.23) and Titus (3.9). Fool has sometimes been translated as “godless,” “you don’t know God at all,” or “you are a wicked fool.”
The hell of fire (Good News Translation “the fire of hell”) is literally “the Gehenna of fire” (see RSV footnote). Gehenna was the name of a valley southwest of Jerusalem, where human sacrifices had once been offered and where garbage from the city was constantly burning. Later this picture was combined with the idea of God’s judgment, and so the notion of a fiery hell developed. Most commentators assume that the reference is to hell, and a number of translations make this information explicit. However, some few interpreters dogmatically deny that Gehenna was equated with hell in New Testament times. Therefore Anchor Bible has “merits a fiery death.” See comments on “hell” in verse 29.
The person who is liable to the hell of fire can be said to be a person “who will be sent to hell (or, the fires of hell).”
Hell is sometimes an unknown concept. There are contexts where “the place of the dead” is a good translation, but not here. “The place of torture (or, punishment)” would be better, or possibly “the place of torture of the dead.” Here, then, translations can have “the place of fiery punishment.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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.
5:22a
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 (Good News Translation)
-or-
But I say to you (English Standard Version)
-or-
But me, I tell you
-or-
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 Berean Standard Bible 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 Berean Standard Bible translates as brother can refer to one of the following:
(a) fellow believer
(b) 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 (Contemporary English Version)
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 (New Century Version)
-or-
will be judged ⌊and punished⌋
-or-
will be brought to trial (Good News Translation)
• Use an active form. For example:
⌊God⌋ will judge him
5:22b
Again: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible 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 Berean Standard Bible 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’)
-or-
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!’ (Good News Translation)
-or-
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 (Revised Standard Version)
will be subject: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible 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 (New Century Version)
-or-
will be brought before (Good News Translation)
to the Sanhedrin: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible 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’
-or-
the supreme court (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
the group of judges/elders
5:22c
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:
(1) 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. (New Century Version)
-or-
Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire. (God’s Word)
(Good News Translation, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
(2) 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. (King James Version)
(Probably New International Version, King James Version, Berean Standard Bible)
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 (Good News Translation)
will be subject to: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible 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
-or-
will go to
-or-
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 (English Standard Version)
-or-
the place where the dead are made to suffer in fire
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.