Mat 5:22 | CPDV | STEP | But I say to you, that anyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. But whoever will have called his brother, ‘Idiot,’ shall be liable to the council. Then, whoever will have called him, ‘Worthless,’ shall be liable to the fires of Hell.

Matthew 5:22

22 But I say to you, that anyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. But whoever will have called his brother, ‘Idiot,’ shall be liable to the council. Then, whoever will have called him, ‘Worthless,’ shall be liable to the fires of Hell. ^{▼▼5:22If a man is accused of murder, he is liable to judgment, in order to determine if he is guilty of murder or if the deceased was guilty (as in cases of self-defense). Similarly, if a man is angry with his brother, he is liable to judgment to determine if he is sinning by his anger, or if his brother is guilty (as in cases of righteous anger). The same applies to the other two cases. Calling someone a name (or, to the same effect, accusing someone of something) makes one liable to judgment. As it is said in the secular courts, the truth is an effective defense against accusations of slander. So the judgment is to determine if the accusation is true, in which case the judgment would be not guilty.(Conte)
,} ^{▼▼5:22 Raca: A word expressing great indignation or contempt.(Challoner)
,} ^{▼▼5:22 Shall be in danger of the council: That is, shall deserve to be punished by the highest court of judicature, called the Council, or Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy-two persons, where the highest causes were tried and judged, which was at Jerusalem.(Challoner)
,} ^{▼▼5:22 You fool: This was then looked upon as a heinous injury, when uttered with contempt, spite, or malice: and therefore is here so severely condemned.(Challoner)
,} ^{▼▼5:22 Shall be in danger of hell fire: literally, according to the Greek, shall deserve to be cast into the Gehenna of fire. Which words our Saviour made use of to express the fire and punishments of hell.(Challoner)}