You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Parallel translations
- WEB “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
- KJV Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
- NKJV “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
- NASB “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’
- NLT “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus recalls the command against murder and its judgment. It begins His exposition of the Law's true, heart-level intent.
Overview
Quoting the sixth commandment and its penalty, Jesus prepares to show that the command reaches further than outward acts. This is the first of several contrasts where He sets the Law's deeper meaning against shallow or distorted readings. He speaks with divine authority as the Law's rightful interpreter.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Deut 5:17You shall not murder.
- Exod 20:13You shall not murder.
- Num 35:30–34If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.
- Exod 21:12–14Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
- Num 35:16–21If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
- Deut 21:7–9and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.
- Num 35:12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
- Gen 9:5–6And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:
- Matt 5:33Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
- Matt 5:38You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’
- Matt 5:27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’
- Job 8:8–10Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.
- Matt 5:43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’
- 1 Kgs 2:5–6Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
- Deut 16:18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- 1 Kgs 2:31–32And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed.
- 2 Sam 20:18Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 5:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.