Matthew 5:23 (DRB)

Passage

If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee;

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment.

Matthew 5:22 But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 5:23 If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee;

Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift.

Matthew 5:25 Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "thou", "offer", "gift", "altar", "remember", and "brother". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But I say to you that whosoever..." into verse 24's "Leave there thy offering before the altar...", so "therefore" and "thou" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.