Mat 5:22 | PNT | STEP | But I say unto you . Jehovah had spoken the Decalogue to Israel. Christ assumes the right to amend it. Such a claim is based on a claim of divinity. Whosoever is angry with his brother . Jesus goes back of the murderous act, and forbids the anger and the reproachful words that precede it and are likely to lead it. He places the murderous heart on the level of actual murder. Raca . An epithet of contempt; "empty head", or "spit out", that is, a heretic. The council . The Sanhedrin, the highest court of Israel. It corresponded to our Supreme Court, and had seventy members. Thou fool . The original implies a stupid, wicked fool. Of hell fire . The Greek is "the Gehenna of fire". The term "Gehenna" arose from the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the Canaanites burned human sacrifices to Moloch. After the return of the Jews from the Captivity they made it a place of defilement, where the refuse of the city was thrown and burned. The name was applied to the place of future punishment by the Jews. The word is often used in the New Testament ( ), and always denotes a place of future punishment.

Matthew 5:22

But I say unto you. Jehovah had spoken the Decalogue to Israel. Christ assumes the right to amend it. Such a claim is based on a claim of divinity.

Whosoever is angry with his brother. Jesus goes back of the murderous act, and forbids the anger and the reproachful words that precede it and are likely to lead it. He places the murderous heart on the level of actual murder.

Raca. An epithet of contempt; "empty head", or "spit out", that is, a heretic.

The council. The Sanhedrin, the highest court of Israel. It corresponded to our Supreme Court, and had seventy members.

Thou fool. The original implies a stupid, wicked fool.

Of hell fire. The Greek is "the Gehenna of fire". The term "Gehenna" arose from the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the Canaanites burned human sacrifices to Moloch. After the return of the Jews from the Captivity they made it a place of defilement, where the refuse of the city was thrown and burned. The name was applied to the place of future punishment by the Jews. The word is often used in the New Testament (Mt 23:33 5:29 10:28 18:9 Mr 9:43), and always denotes a place of future punishment.