Matthew 5:23 (WEB)

Passage

“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’Exodus 20:13 and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

Matthew 5:22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

Matthew 5:23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

Matthew 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But I tell you that everyone who..." into verse 24's "leave your gift there before the altar...", so "therefore" and "offering" 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 "offering" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.