Matthew 5:22But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
The setting
Galilee hillside, ~30 AD. Jesus sits teaching thousands who walked miles to hear Him. Mount of Beatitudes, modern-day Israel, overlooking Sea of Galilee.
The emotion here: passionate urgency about heart transformation
The original word
orgizō (ὀργίζω) — settled anger that nurses a grudge, not momentary frustration
Why it matters
The term 'Raca' was Aramaic slang meaning 'empty-headed fool' — serious enough for religious court
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 5:22
This follows the Beatitudes — Jesus moves from blessing to building character
Common misconceptionPeople think this bans all anger, but Jesus was angry at injustice. He's targeting nursing grudges and verbal attacks that assassinate character.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 5:22
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 5:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 5:22 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the letter genre of biblical literature. Key themes include anger, judgment. Notable phrases: angry with his brother; fire of Gehenna. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Matthew 5:22 mean to you, today?
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