Matthew 5:23 (GNV)

Passage

If then thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee,

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:21 Ye haue heard that it was sayd vnto them of the olde time, Thou shalt not kill: for whosoeuer killeth shalbe culpable of iudgement.

Matthew 5:22 But I say vnto you, whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly, shalbe culpable of iudgment. And whosoeuer sayth vnto his brother, Raca, shalbe worthy to be punished by the Councill. And whosoeuer shall say, Foole, shalbe worthy to be punished with hell fire.

Matthew 5:23 If then thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee,

Matthew 5:24 Leaue there thine offring before the altar, and goe thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Matthew 5:25 Agree with thine aduersarie quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him, lest thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge, and the Iudge deliuer thee to ye sergeant, and thou be cast into prison.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But I say vnto you whosoeuer is..." into verse 24's "Leaue there thine offring before the altar...", so "thou" and "bring" 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 "thou" and "bring" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.