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Murder.
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `do not murder', and anyone
who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with
his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca', is
answerable to the Sanhedrin; but anyone who says `you fool', will be in danger of the
fire of hell" (5: 21, 22, N.I.V.).
There is a threefold grading of guilt here. What must be remembered is that the Lord
Jesus is not just dealing with the outward act or word, but the inward state that is behind
it all. If we miss this, we shall have endless difficulties with verse 22 and other
statements in this sermon. Let us note too the words "You have heard that it was said",
not "it was written". Many of those listening to Him could neither read nor write. Their
knowledge of the Law came from the public instruction of the synagogue, where the
spirit of the law was frequently missed or obscured. It was right that a murderer should
be liable to prosecution, but there was more that should have been taught than this.
The command "thou shalt not kill" is based on the principle "thou shalt not hate", and
these words again rested on the command "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"
(Lev. 19: 18, 34). This, later on in the N.T., is expressed as "whosoever hateth his
brother is a murderer" (I John 3: 15), so the condition of the mind is bound up with the
action that follows.
Thus, in the eyes of divine justice, such a person is liable to the same punishment as
an actual murderer. When one reflects, it is obvious that Christ is not nullifying the law;
rather is He applying it more intensely, for He knows the human mind through and
through and looks at it before action takes place.
The grades of punishment to which He refers are the local court; the supreme court
at Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin; and the fiery Gehenna; dealing with (1) aroused anger,
(2) insolent speech and (3) worse language such as Raca, a term of contempt, a word of
deeper insolence than the English word `fool'.
Gehenna and Hades are often confused in the Authorized Version which is a pity.
Locally Gehenna referred to a valley, south-east of Jerusalem, where refuse and dead
bodies of criminals were cast. Since fire was always needed to consume the refuse it was
known as a place of perpetual burning. Here idolatrous Israelites offered their children to
Moloch (II Kings 23: 10). It was a term of utmost degradation to a Jew. The words
"where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" which occur elsewhere in the
Gospel are a quotation from Isa. 66: 24:
"And they shall . . . . . look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed
against Me: for their worm (i.e. of the carcasses) shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched . . . . .".
We must not assume from this context in Matthew that the Lord is condemning all use
of the word `fool', for He Himself uses it of the Pharisees (23: 17, 19), also calling
them hypocrites and vipers. But then the Lord was holy and righteous in His assessment
of these men and could not use these words untruthfully.