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NASB | Matthew 5:22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 5:22 "But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice against him shall be guilty before the court; and whoever speaks [contemptuously and insultingly] to his brother, Raca (You empty-headed idiot)!' shall be guilty before the supreme court (Sanhedrin); and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fiery hell. |
Bible Question:
22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause[s] shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. What does Raca mean here? |
Bible Answer: Gomer371: The word you inquired about, 'raca' appears in Matthew 5:22. The passage reads, in the KJV, as follows: "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." ..... Raca was a Hebrew or Aramaic expression of contempt. It has been translated 'vain fellow' or 'empty head.' The context of this verse compels one to conclude that 'raca' was a somewhat weaker word than the Greek 'moros' that follows and is translated 'thou fool.' Please note that the penalty is greater for 'thou fool' (Gr. moros) than for raca. 'Thou fool' (moros) means 'stupid' and from moros comes the English word 'moron.' ...... 'Hell fire' in this passage translates the Greek 'Gehenna' which refers to the valley of Hinnom at Jerusalem, where fires provided a powerful and graphic picture of the ultimate destruction of hell and the lake of fire -- not a pretty picture by any means. ...... Evidently the thrust and meaning of this verse is this: If one makes light of his fellowman (raca), he will be in danger of slander before the council, i.e., the Jewish religious council called the Sanhedrin. But if one makes malicious, bitter, damning statements (moros: thou fool!) to his brother, he will actually be in danger of hell fire, as the passage clearly says. ...... It is a lesson on that "unruly evil, full of deadly poison" that no man can tame: the tongue, "a fire, a world of iniquity... that defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell." (See James 3:6-8) --Hank |