Matthew 5:23
New International Version
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,

New Living Translation
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,

English Standard Version
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Berean Standard Bible
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore, if you shall offer your gift at the altar, and there shall remember that your brother has something against you,

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

New King James Version
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

New American Standard Bible
Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,

NASB 1995
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

NASB 1977
“If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Amplified Bible
So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you,

Christian Standard Bible
So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,

American Standard Version
If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,

Contemporary English Version
So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you,

English Revised Version
If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you,

Good News Translation
So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,

International Standard Version
"So if you are presenting your gift at the altar and remember there that your brother has something against you,

Majority Standard Bible
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

NET Bible
So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

New Heart English Bible
"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore if thou shalt bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee;

Weymouth New Testament
If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar, you remember that your brother has a grievance against you,

World English Bible
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If, therefore, you may bring your gift to the altar, and there may remember that your brother has anything against you,

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore, if you shall offer your gift at the altar, and there shall remember that your brother has something against you,

Young's Literal Translation
'If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything against thee,

Smith's Literal Translation
If therefore, thou bring thy gift upon the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother has anything against thee,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee;

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, if you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,

New American Bible
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,

New Revised Standard Version
So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If it should happen therefore that while you are presenting your offering upon the altar, and right there you remember that your brother has any grievance against you,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If therefore you bring your offering to the altar, and there you remember that your brother holds any grudge against you,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
If, therefore, you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has any thing against you,

Godbey New Testament
Therefore if you may bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Haweis New Testament
If therefore thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Mace New Testament
When therefore you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has reason to be displeas'd with you:

Weymouth New Testament
If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar, you remember that your brother has a grievance against you,

Worrell New Testament
If, therefore, you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has ought against you,

Worsley New Testament
Therefore, if thou bring thine offering to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath any complaint against thee;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Anger and Reconciliation
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.…

Cross References
Matthew 18:15-17
If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. / But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ / If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Mark 11:25
And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”

Luke 17:3-4
Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. / Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. / And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

Ephesians 4:26-27
“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, / and do not give the devil a foothold.

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

Romans 12:18
If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. / Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. / For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

Genesis 4:3-7
So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, / while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, / but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. ...

Leviticus 19:17-18
You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. / Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: / haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, / a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, ...

Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Isaiah 1:11-17
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has ought against you;

thou.

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.

Matthew 23:19
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Deuteronomy 16:16,17
Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: …

rememberest.

Genesis 41:9
Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

Genesis 42:21,22
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us…

Genesis 50:15-17
And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him…

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Altar Aught Gift Grievance Making Mayest Mind Offer Offering Ought Presenting Remember Rememberest Shouldest Something
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Matthew 5
1. Jesus' sermon on the mount:
3. The Beattitudes;
13. the salt of the earth;
14. the light of the world.
17. He came to fulfill the law.
21. What it is to kill;
27. to commit adultery;
33. to swear.
38. He exhorts to forgive wrong,
43. to love our enemies;
48. and to labor after perfection.














Therefore
This word serves as a connective, linking the preceding teachings of Jesus to the practical application He is about to present. In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, "therefore" indicates that the following instruction is a direct consequence of the principles of reconciliation and righteousness that Jesus has been discussing. It emphasizes the importance of internalizing His teachings and acting upon them.

if you are offering your gift at the altar
The phrase "offering your gift at the altar" refers to the Jewish practice of bringing sacrifices to the temple as an act of worship and atonement. The "altar" was central to Jewish religious life, symbolizing the place where humans meet God. In the Greek, the word for "gift" (δῶρον, dōron) implies a voluntary offering, highlighting the personal nature of worship. This phrase underscores the importance of approaching God with a pure heart, free from unresolved conflicts.

and there remember
The act of remembering here is significant. It suggests a moment of introspection and divine prompting. The Greek word for "remember" (μνησθῇς, mnēsthēs) implies a sudden recollection, possibly inspired by the Holy Spirit. This highlights the importance of being sensitive to God's leading, especially in matters of reconciliation.

that your brother
"Brother" in this context is not limited to biological siblings but extends to fellow believers and, by broader application, to all people. The Greek word (ἀδελφός, adelphos) emphasizes the familial bond among believers, reflecting the unity and love that should characterize the Christian community. This term reminds us of our interconnectedness and the call to live in harmony with one another.

has something against you
This phrase indicates that there is an unresolved issue or grievance. The Greek construction suggests an active state of conflict or offense. It is noteworthy that the responsibility for reconciliation is placed on the one who is aware of the grievance, regardless of who is at fault. This underscores the proactive nature of Christian love and the priority of mending relationships.

(23) If thou bring thy gift to the altar.--Literally, If thou shouldst be offering. Our Lord was speaking to Jews as such, and paints, therefore, as it were, a scene in the Jewish Temple. The worshipper is about to offer a "gift" (the most generic term seems intentionally used to represent any kind of offering), and stands at the altar with the priest waiting to do his work. That is the right time for recollection and self-scrutiny. The worshipper is to ask himself, not whether he has a ground of complaint against any one, but whether any one has cause of complaint against him. This, and not the other, is the right question at such a moment--has he injured his neighbour by act, or spoken bitter words of him?

Verse 23. - Therefore. Seeing that the consequences of an angry spirit are so terrible. For there is no thought here of an unforgiving spirit spoiling the acceptance of the gift (vide infra). Our Lord is insisting that it is so important to lose no time in seeking reconciliation with a person whom one has injured, that even the very holiest action must be put off for it. If thou bring; Revised Version, if... thou art offering; ἐὰν... προσφέρῃς (similarly, πρόσηερε, ver. 24), the technical word coming some sixty times in Leviticus alone. Christ implies that the action has already begun. Thy gift; a general word for any sacrifice. To the altar. Since those to whom he spoke were still Jews, Christ illustrates his meaning by Jewish practices. A perverse literalism has found here a direct reference to the Eucharist. For reasonable adaptations (cf. even in ' Didache,' § 14.) of these two verses to this, see Waterland, 'Doctrine of the Eucharist,' ch. 13. § 4 (pp. 359-362, Oxford, 1868). And there rememberest, etc. For the spirit of recollection may well culminate with the culminating action. Lightfoot ('Hor. Hebr.') shows that even the Jews taught such a postponement of the sacrifice if theft was remembered. He therefore thinks that the stress is on "ought" (τι): "For that which the Jews restrained only to pecuniary damages, Christ extends to all offences against our brother." But he overlooks the fact that, while the Jewish precept had reference to a sin (or even the neglect of some ceremonial rule, cf. Mishna, 'Pes.,' 3:7) vitiating the offering, there is no thought of this hero (vide supra). Thy brother (ver. 22, note). Ought. So from Tyndale downwards. Revised Version, aught, here and apparently always, after the spelling now preferred as marking the difference from the verb.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Therefore
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

if
Ἐὰν (Ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

you are offering
προσφέρῃς (prospherēs)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4374: From pros and phero; to bear towards, i.e. Lead to, tender, treat.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

gift
δῶρόν (dōron)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1435: A gift, present. A present; specially, a sacrifice.

at
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

altar
θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2379: An altar (for sacrifice). From a derivative of thusia; a place of sacrifice, i.e. An altar.

and there
κἀκεῖ (kakei)
Conjunction
Strong's 2546: And there, and yonder, there also. From kai and ekei; likewise in that place.

remember
μνησθῇς (mnēsthēs)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3403: To remember, call to mind, recall, mention. A prolonged form of mnaomai; to remind, i.e. to recall to mind.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

brother
ἀδελφός (adelphos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

has
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

something
τι (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

against
κατὰ (kata)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

you,
σοῦ (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 5:23 If therefore you are offering your gift (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 5:22
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