Matthew 5:21

Anger and Murder

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ¹  ‘Do not murder,’ ²  and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’

Matthew 18:6

18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, ³  it would be better for him to have a huge millstone ⁴  hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. ⁵ 

[5:21]  ¹ tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”

[5:21]  ² sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.

[18:6]  ³ tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”

[18:6]  ⁴ tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.

[18:6]  ⁵ tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”