Matthew 5 · Verse 23

Matthew 5:23

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Matthew 5:23, King James Version

Matthew 5:23 in other translations

BSBSo if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
WEB“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,
ASVIf therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,
YLT‘If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything against thee,
DARBYIf therefore thou shouldest offer thy gift at the altar, and there shouldest remember that thy brother has something against thee,
BBEIf then you are making an offering at the altar and there it comes to your mind that your brother has something against you,
WebsterTherefore if thou shalt bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee;

What does Matthew 5:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. Therefore--to apply the foregoing, and show its paramount importance. if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught--of just complaint "against thee."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verses 23,24. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, etc. The Pharisees were intent only on the external act in worship. They looked not at all to the internal acts of the mind. If a man conformed to the external rites of religion, however much envy, and malice, and secret hatred he might have, they thought he was doing well. Our Saviour taught a different doctrine. It was of more consequence to have the heart right, than to perform the outward act. If therefore, says he, a man has gone so far as to bring his gift to the very altar, and should remember that any one had anything against him, it was his duty there to leave his offering, and go and be reconciled. While a difference of this nature existed, his offering could not be acceptable. He was not to wait till the offended brother should come to him; he was to go and seek him out, and be reconciled. So now, the worship of God will not be acceptable, however well performed externally, until we are at peace with those that we have injured. "To obey is better than sacrifice." He that comes to worship his Maker filled with malice, and hatred, and envy, and at war with his brethren, is a hypocritical worshipper, and must meet with God's displeasure. God is not deceived; and he will not be mocked.

Thy gift. Thy sacrifice. What thou art about to devote to God as an offering. To the altar. The altar was situated in front of the temple, see the representation on following page and was the place on which sacrifices were made. Mt 21:12. To bring a gift to the altar, was expressive of worshipping God, for this was the way in which he was formerly worshipped.

Thy brother. Any man, especially any fellow-worshipper. Any one of the same religious society.

Hath aught. Is offended, or thinks he has been injured by you in any manner:

First be reconciled. This means to settle the difficulty; to make proper acknowledgment, or satisfaction, for the injury. If you have wronged him, make restitution. If you owe him a debt which ought to be paid, pay it. If you have injured his character, confess it, and seek pardon. If he is under an erroneous impression; if your conduct has been such as to lead him to suspect that you have injured him, make an explanation. Do all in your power, and all you ought to do, to have the matter settled. From this we learn,

(1.) that in order to worship God acceptably, we must do justice to our fellow-men.

(2.) Our worship will not be acceptable, unless we do all we can to live peaceably with others.

(3.) It is our duty to seek reconciliation with others when we have injured them.

(4.) This should be done before we attempt to worship God.

(5.) This is often the reason why God does not accept our offerings, and we go empty away from our devotions. We do not do what we ought to others; we cherish improper feelings, or refuse to make proper acknowledgments, and God will not accept such attempts to worship him.

(t) "thy gift" De 16:16,17

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift - Evil must be nipped in the bud. An unkind thought of another may be the foundation of that which leads to actual murder. A Christian, properly speaking, cannot be an enemy to any man; nor is he to consider any man his enemy, without the fullest evidence: for surmises to the prejudice of another can never rest in the bosom of him who has the love of God in his heart, for to him all men are brethren. He sees all men as children of God, and members of Christ, or at least capable of becoming such. If a tender forgiving spirit was required, even in a Jew, when he approached God's altar with a bullock or a lamb, how much more necessary is this in a man who professes to be a follower of the Lamb of God; especially when he receives the symbols of that Sacrifice which was offered for the life of the world, in what is commonly called the sacrament of the Lord's supper!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 5:21-26

The Jewish teachers had taught, that nothing except actual murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they explained away its spiritual meaning. Christ showed the full meaning of this commandment; according to which we must be judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be ruled now. All rash anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are…

Read the full comment on Matthew 5:21-26 →

Matthew 5:23 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἘὰνEanIfG1437
οὖνounthereforeG3767
προσφέρῃςprospherēsyou shall offerG4374
τὸtotheG3588
δῶρόνdōrongiftG1435
σουsouof youG4771
ἐπὶepiatG1909
τὸtotheG3588
θυσιαστήριονthusiastērionaltarG2379
κἀκεῖkakeiand thereG2532
μνησθῇςmnēsthēasshall rememberG3403
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ὁhotheG3588
ἀδελφόςadelphosbrotherG80
σουsouof youG4771
ἔχειecheihasG2192
τιtisomethingG5100
κατὰkataagainstG2596
σοῦ,souyou,G4771

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 5:23

  • Mark 11:25

    And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

  • Leviticus 6:2-6

    If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. …

  • Matthew 5:24

    Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

  • Matthew 23:19

    Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

  • Matthew 8:4

    And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

  • Luke 19:8

    And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

  • 1 Samuel 15:22

    And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

  • Hosea 6:6

    For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

  • Lamentations 3:20

    My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

  • Amos 5:21-24

    I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

  • Isaiah 1:10-17

    Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. …

  • Ezekiel 16:63

    That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thou.
8:4; 23:19; De 16:16,17; 1Sa 15:22; Isa 1:10-17; Ho 6:6; Am 5:21-24
rememberest.
Ge 41:9; 42:21,22; 50:15-17; Le 6:2-6; 1Ki 2:44; La 3:20; Eze 16:63
Lu 19:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 5:22

    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.

  • Matthew 5:23

    Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

  • Matthew 5:24

    Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Read all of Matthew 5

Matthew 5:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Por tanto, si trajeres tu presente al altar, y allí te acordares de que tu hermano tiene algo contra ti,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Si donc tu offres ton don à l’autel, et que là il te souvienne que ton frère a quelque chose contre toi,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn du nun deine Gabe darbringst zu dem Altar und dich daselbst erinnerst, daß dein Bruder etwas wider dich habe,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si ergo offers munus tuum ad altare, et ibi recordatus fueris quia frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te: