Matthew 5:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’

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.'

NASB: You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’

CSB: "You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.

NLT: You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’

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:

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.’

In the preceding verse, Jesus set what seemed like an impossibly high standard. He declared that unless a person's righteousness exceeds or surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, he or she would never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Since the scribes and Pharisees were their culture's role models of extreme righteousness for many everyday Jewish people, how could anyone hope to get into the kingdom of heaven? Now Christ begins to expand on His meaning by discussing the connection between sins of action and sins of attitude.

In making His earlier statements, Jesus teaches two points, one immediate and part of a broader sense of what it means to be saved as a Christian. First, He implies that the scribes and Pharisees were not truly righteous enough to be allowed into the kingdom. Despite outward appearances, their supposed "perfection" did not reach their hearts. Second, and key to many of the illustrations in the Sermon on the Mount, is the idea that no person is worthy of heaven. This teaching will become essential to the gospel of Jesus.

In His first example, Jesus points to the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees by saying, "You have heard it said." He will use this phrase repeatedly to describe what was common knowledge about the Old Testament commands. Jesus does not necessarily mean that those statements are wrong, but He will often clarify how they should be interpreted. This command is clear enough. This is the sixth of the Ten Commandments: You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). The judgment for murderers was also clear, prescribed as death (Numbers 35:31).

While "don't murder" seems like an easy standard to follow, Jesus is about to make a stunning connection between thoughts and actions. God's intent behind the sixth commandment goes far beyond "just" not killing people. It's meant to be applied at the deepest levels of our thoughts and feelings toward every single person.

Matthew 5:21–26 begins to expand Jesus' comments about righteousness. The underlying theme is that sin involves more than just physical actions: it also includes thoughts and attitudes. It's relatively easy to say, ''I do not murder,'' but very difficult to say, ''I'm not unfairly angry towards other people.'' The point is not that anger is literally-and-exactly the same as murder. Rather, it's that unrighteous anger is undeniably a sin, in and of itself. True righteousness—the kind that would be needed to earn heaven—requires that level of perfection. Not only does this teaching counter superficial religious hypocrisy, it underscores the fact that salvation must be by grace through faith, and can never be earned by good works.

The Sermon on the Mount contains some of Jesus' most challenging teaching. It begins with the unlikely blessings of the Beatitudes. Jesus' disciples must do good works in order to be a powerful influence: as the salt of the earth and light of the world. The superficial righteousness of the Pharisees is not good enough to earn heaven. Sins of the heart, such as angry insults and intentional lust, are worthy of hell just as much as adultery and murder. Easy divorce and deceptive oaths are forbidden. Believers should not seek revenge. Instead, God intends us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. In short, we should strive to be perfect, as God is perfect.

Matthew 5 follows Matthew's description of the enormous crowds that were following Jesus (Matthew 4:25). One day, Jesus sits down on a hill to teach them, in an address we now call the Sermon on the Mount. He describes as blessed those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, and who are persecuted. Christ also explains how God's standards of righteousness go far beyond behaviors and speech; they also include our thoughts and attitudes. Meeting God's standards means perfection. Chapter 6 continues this sermon, with more examples of Jesus clarifying God's intent for godly living.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.