Analysis
This verse asserts that just as great a crime as murder itself, is the anger that leads to it. Schweizer notes that this view is not particularly new to Jesus, appearing in the Old Testament at places such as Ecclesiastes 7:9 and in works such as Sirach, the Slavonic Enoch, Pesahim, and Nedraim. A similar teaching also appears at 1 John 3:15. Gundry notes that "I say to you" is one of Matthew's favourite phrases using it 68 times. Schweizer feels it is used here to link to the word of God in the previous verse.
Davies and Allison note that the references to brothers is probably an allusion to the story of Cain and Abel. Nolland notes that the word usually translated as brother is gender neutral in the original Greek, and is more accurately translated as "brother or sister." Harrington notes that brother does not literally refer to sibling, or even to just the small group of followers or disciples. Rather he states that the verse should be read as referring to all Israelites or all human beings. France disagrees, feeling that in this particular verse Jesus is referring only to the group of disciples.
Early manuscripts are divided between whether this verse should read "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment" or "whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment." The two versions are significantly different in implication and most modern scholars feel that "without a cause" was a later addition by a copyist trying to make the statement less radical.
Read more about this topic: Matthew 5:22
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