What is the meaning of Matthew 5:21? You have heard that it was said Jesus begins by reminding His listeners that the command in question is familiar, publicly proclaimed, and already accepted as God-given truth. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount He uses this formula (see Matthew 5:27, 31, 33) to affirm the Law’s authority before pressing its intent deeper into the heart. The Lord is not correcting Scripture but correcting shallow, external interpretations of it (cf. Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:3-9). By introducing the topic this way, He invites everyone who “has ears to hear” (Matthew 11:15) to reconsider what obedience really looks like. to the ancients The phrase points back to the original recipients at Sinai—real people in real history. God spoke “face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:4), and that command has never been repealed. Jesus’ reference honors the continuity of God’s moral order across generations (Psalm 119:89-90). It underlines that divine standards do not shift with cultural trends: the same word that governed the fathers governs us (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). ‘Do not murder’ This is the sixth commandment—“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13). Human life is sacred because every person bears God’s image (Genesis 1:27; 9:6). • The command forbids the intentional, unjust taking of innocent life, distinguishing it from killing in self-defense, capital punishment, or just war as recognized elsewhere in Scripture (Numbers 35:9-34; Romans 13:4). • Jesus will soon show that the root of murder is anger and contempt (Matthew 5:22), calling disciples to purity of heart (1 John 3:15). • By quoting the command without alteration, He reinforces its ongoing authority (Matthew 19:18). and ‘Anyone who murders’ The original Law did not stop at a prohibition; it spelled out consequences for violators (e.g., Numbers 35:16-21). Jesus echoes that fuller teaching: accountability is inevitable. Civil courts may act (“Whoever kills a man shall be put to death,” Leviticus 24:17), but so will God, who “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7). Romans 13:3-4 speaks of governing authorities as God’s avengers, yet even hidden crimes fall under His perfect justice (Hebrews 4:13). will be subject to judgment. Every act of murder summons judgment—earthly and eternal. Local tribunals in Israel sat at the city gate (Deuteronomy 16:18); higher courts such as the Sanhedrin handled capital cases (John 18:31). Beyond all human forums stands the divine court: “It is appointed for men to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Jesus’ next words expand the circle of accountability to angry thoughts and insulting words, showing that God’s courtroom reaches the motives of the heart (Psalm 139:1-4; Ecclesiastes 12:14). summary Matthew 5:21 reaffirms the timeless sixth commandment and its attached penalties, anchoring them in God’s unchanging character and the sanctity of human life. Jesus sets the stage for exposing the heart-level roots of murder, urging His disciples to pursue righteousness that flows from within rather than merely avoiding outward violations. |
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