The Meaning of Matthew 5:24 Explained

Matthew 5:24

KJV: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

YLT: leave there thy gift before the altar, and go -- first be reconciled to thy brother, and then having come bring thy gift.

Darby: leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

ASV: leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Leave  there  thy  gift  before  the altar,  and  go thy way;  first  be reconciled  to thy  brother,  and  then  come  and offer  thy  gift. 

What does Matthew 5:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 5:17-26 - New Heart Righteousness
Our Lord's mission was not to destroy but to construct. As noon fulfils dawn, and summer, spring; as manhood fulfils childhood and the perfect picture, the rude sketch, so does Jesus gather up, realize and make possible the highest ideals ever inspired in human hearts or written by God's Spirit on the page of inspiration.
Under the terms, "the law and the prophets," our Lord includes the entire range of the Old Testament. See Luke 24:44; Acts 13:15. Nothing could exceed our Lord's reverence for the oracles of God. He repeatedly refers to them as of divine authority. His words and teachings are the endorsement of the venerable Scriptures which had nourished His people, preparing them for His further instruction. See Romans 3:31; Romans 8:4.
The local magistrates' court had the power of life and death, which was inflicted by beheading; the Sanhedrin executed by stoning; the outrageous criminal was cast out to Gehenna, Matthew 5:22. In Christ's kingdom unwarranted anger is equivalent to the first, contempt to the second, and vehement passion to the third. To allow hate to smolder is a capital offence. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for Matthew 5:24

First be reconciled [πρωτον διαλλαγητι]
Second aorist passive imperative. Get reconciled (ingressive aorist, take the initiative). Only example of this compound in the New Testament where usually καταλλασσω — katallassō occurs. Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, p. 187, New Ed.) gives a papyrus example second century a.d. A prodigal son, Longinus, writes to his mother Nilus: “I beseech thee, mother, be reconciled This because of δια — dia (two, between two). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 5:24

1 Corinthians 7:11 Or else be reconciled to her husband [η τωι ανδρι καταλλαγητω]
Second aorist (ingressive) passive imperative of καταλλασσω — katallassō old compound verb to exchange coins as of equal value, to reconcile. One of Paul‘s great words for reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Romans 5:10). Διαλλασσω — Diallassō (Matthew 5:24 which see) was more common in the older Greek, but καταλλασσω — katallassō in the later. The difference in idea is very slight, δια — diȧ accents notion of exchange, κατ — kaṫ the perfective idea (complete reconciliation). Dative of personal interest is the case of ανδρι — andri This sentence is a parenthesis between the two infinitives χωριστηναι — chōristhēnai and απιεναι — aphienai (both indirect commands after παραγγελλω — paraggellō). And that the husband leave not his wife (και ανδρα μη απιεναι — kai andra mē aphienai). This is also part of the Lord‘s command (Mark 10:11). Απολυω — Apoluō occurs in Mark of the husband‘s act and απιεναι — aphienai here, both meaning to send away. Bengel actually stresses the difference between χωριστηναι — chōristhēnai of the woman as like separatur in Latin and calls the wife “pars ignobilior” and the husband “nobilior.” I doubt if Paul would stand for that extreme. [source]
2 Corinthians 5:18 Who reconciled us to himself through Christ [του καταλλαχαντος ημας εαυτωι δια Χριστου]
Here Paul uses one of his great doctrinal words, καταλλασσω — katallassō old word for exchanging coins. Διαλλασσω — Diallassō to change one‘s mind, to reconcile, occurs in N.T. only in Matthew 5:24 though in papyri (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 187), and common in Attic. Καταλλασσω — Katallassō is old verb, but more frequent in later writers. We find συναλλασσω — sunallassō in Acts 7:26 and αποκαταλλασσω — apokatallassō in Colossians 1:20.; Ephesians 2:16 and the substantive καταλλαγη — katallagē in Romans 5:11; Romans 11:15 as well as here. It is hard to discuss this great theme without apparent contradiction. God‘s love (John 3:16) provided the means and basis for man‘s reconciliation to God against whom he had sinned. It is all God‘s plan because of his love, but God‘s own sense of justice had to be satisfied (Romans 3:26) and so God gave his Son as a propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:20; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10). The point made by Paul here is that God needs no reconciliation, but is engaged in the great business of reconciling us to himself. This has to be done on God‘s terms and is made possible through (δια — dia) Christ. [source]
Colossians 1:20 Through him [δι αυτου]
As the sufficient and chosen agent in the work of reconciliation This double compound (απο κατα — apoαλλασσω — kata with καταλλασσω — allassō) occurs only here, Colossians 1:22; Ephesians 2:16, and nowhere else so far as known. Paul‘s usual word for “reconcile” is διαλλασσω — katallassō (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Romans 5:10), though απο — diallassō (Matthew 5:24) is more common in Attic. The addition of καταλλασσω — apo here is clearly for the idea of complete reconciliation. See note on 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 for discussion of τα παντα — katallassō Paul‘s great word. The use of εις αυτον — ta panta (the all things, the universe) as if the universe were somehow out of harmony reminds us of the mystical passage in Romans 8:19-23 which see for discussion. Sin somehow has put the universe out of joint. Christ will set it right. [source]
2 Timothy 1:5 First [πρῶτον]
With reference to Timothy, and with a comparative sense, as Matthew 5:24; Matthew 7:5; Mark 3:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, etc. This is shown by the last clause of the verse. The writer merely means that faith had already dwelt in Timothy's grandmother and mother before it did in him. How much farther back his believing ancestry went he does not say. Comp. Acts 16:1. [source]
Hebrews 12:7 God dealeth with you as with sons [ὡς υἱοῖς ὑμῖν προσφέρεται ὁ θεὸς]
The verb means to bring to: often to bring an offering to the altar, as Matthew 5:23, Matthew 5:24; Matthew 8:4. In the passive voice with the dative, to be born toward one; hence, to attack, assail, deal with, behave toward. See Thucyd. i. 140; Eurip. Cycl. 176; Hdt. vii. 6. The afflictive dealing of God with you is an evidence that you are sons. [source]
Revelation 10:8 Again speaking and saying [παλιν λαλουσαν και λεγουσαν]
Present active predicate participles feminine accusative singular agreeing with ην — hēn (object of ηκουσα — ēkousa), not with πωνη — phōnē (nominative) as most of the cursives have it Ordinarily it would be ελαλει και ελεγεν — elalei kai elegen See Revelation 4:1 for like idiom. This is the voice mentioned in Revelation 10:4. No great distinction is to be made here between λαλεω — laleō and λεγω — legō take Present active imperative of υπαγω — hupagō and second aorist active imperative of λαμβανω — lambanō The use of υπαγε — hupage (exclamation like ιδε — ide) is common in N.T. (Matthew 5:24; Matthew 8:4; Matthew 19:21; John 4:16; John 9:7). Charles calls it a Hebraism (Revelation 16:1). Note the repeated article here (το — to) referring to the open book in the hand of the angel (Revelation 10:2), only here βιβλιον — biblion is used, not the diminutive of βιβλαριδιον — biblaridion of Revelation 10:2, Revelation 10:9, Revelation 10:10. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 5:24 mean?

leave there the gift of you before the altar and go away first be reconciled to brother then having come offer
ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ὕπαγε πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε

ἄφες  leave 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀφίημι 
Sense: to send away.
δῶρόν  gift 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: δῶρον  
Sense: a gift, present.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἔμπροσθεν  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἔμπροσθεν  
Sense: in front, before.
θυσιαστηρίου  altar 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: θυσιαστήριον  
Sense: the altar for slaying and burning of victims used of.
ὕπαγε  go  away 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ὑπάγω  
Sense: to lead under, bring under.
πρῶτον  first 
Parse: Adverb, Superlative
Root: πρῶτον 
Sense: first in time or place.
διαλλάγηθι  be  reconciled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Passive, 2nd Person Singular
Root: διαλλάσσομαι  
Sense: to change.
ἀδελφῷ  brother 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
ἐλθὼν  having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
πρόσφερε  offer 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: προσφέρω  
Sense: to bring to, lead to.