Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 5:21

"Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:" — Matthew 5:21 (ASV)

Antiquity is often pleaded as an authority, but our King makes short work of them of old time. He begins with one of their alterations of his Father's law. They added to the sacred oracles.

The first part of the saying that our Lord quoted was divine, but it was dragged down to a low level by the addition about the human court and the murderer's liability to appear there. It thus became more a proverb among men than an inspired utterance from the mouth of God. Its meaning, as God spoke it, had a much wider range than when the offense was restricted to actual killing, such as could be brought before a human judgment-seat.

To narrow a command is effectively to annul it. We may not do this even with antiquity as our warrant. Better the whole truth newly stated than an old falsehood in ancient language.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

God had said, Thou shalt not kill; but the remainder of the verse was the gloss of the Rabbis, a true one, yet one that very much diminishes the force of the divine command.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

Antiquity is often pleaded as an authority, but our King makes short work of "them of old time." He begins with one of their alterations of his Father's law. They added to the sacred oracles.

The first part of the saying which our Lord quoted was divine, but it was dragged down to a low level by the addition about the human court, and the murderer's liability to appear there. It thus became rather a proverb among men than an inspired utterance from the mouth of God.

Its meaning, as God spoke it, had a far wider range than when the offence was restrained to actual killing, such as could be brought before a human judgment seat. To narrow a command is measurably to annul it. We may not do this even with antiquity for our warrant.

Better the whole truth newly stated than an old falsehood in ancient language.

You have heard that it was said by those of old, You shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.

This is a proof that Christ did not come to abolish the law, or to reduce its demands in any degree whatsoever.