![]() ![]() However, elsewhere in the Bible this verb always seems to have some sense of the meaning “anger.” 8 Furthermore, the two parallels to this verb in Psalms 37:8, both synonyms for anger, suggest that the verb in Matthew 5 must also have that meaning. It thus appears that the verb translated “fret” or “be vexed” is correctly translated. This supposition is strengthened by the second half of Psalms 37:1 that, as it is usually translated, advises that one should not be envious of such evildoers. This Hebrew maxim is usually translated, “Do not fret because of evildoers,” or “Do not be vexed by evildoers.” Bible translators apparently have supposed from the contexts of this maxim in Psalm 37 and Proverbs 24, which emphasize that evildoers will be destroyed, that the righteous should not be concerned about evildoers or pay them any attention. It is usually translated, “Do not resist evil,” or “Do not resist one who is evil.” However, when Jesus’ saying is translated back into Hebrew, it is seen to be a quotation of a well-known Hebrew proverb that appears with slight variations in Psalms 37:1, 8 and Proverbs 24:19. 5 Although most recent translations of the Bible have corrected this mistake, 6 the use of “kill” in the King James Version and its successors has strongly influenced many English-speaking Christians’ views of self-defense.Īnother saying of Jesus on which his supposed pacifism is based is found in Matthew 5:39a. ![]() In spite of this, the King James Version of 1611, and the revisions of 1885 (Revised Version) and 1952 (Revised Standard Version), used “kill” rather than “murder” in translating Jesus’ quotation of this commandment. The sixth commandment, therefore, must be a prohibition against murder, not killing as such. However, God himself commanded capital punishment for such crimes as deliberate murder (Ex 21:12–15), rape (Deut 22:25–26), kidnapping (Ex 21:16), adultery (Lev 20:10 Deut 22:22), sorcery (Ex 22:18), and many other crimes. The words phoneuo and ratsah are both ambiguous and can mean either “kill” or “murder,” depending upon the context. It seems quite certain that in Matthew 5:21 Jesus was quoting the sixth commandment. Ratsah is the word used in the sixth commandment in both Exodus 20:13 and its parallel, Deuteronomy 5:17. This verb was always used as the equivalent of the Hebrew verb ratsah in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. One verse that is commonly cited in support of Jesus’ pacifism is Matthew 5:21, which most English versions of the Bible render, “You shall not kill.” The Greek word translated “kill” in this passage is a form of the verb phoneuo. These apparent contradictions may be reconciled by recognizing the Hebraic nuances of the gospel texts, and by developing a deeper understanding of the Jewish background to Jesus’ words. In Romans 12:9, for example, Paul says that one should “hate what is evil,” and in James 4:7 we read that we are to “resist the devil.” It is clear from passages in Luke 22 that Jesus’ disciples were armed, 3 and Jesus himself advised them to purchase swords. ![]() ![]() 2īut did Jesus teach that it is wrong to defend oneself against attack? Did he really mean that we should not resist evil? Such a view seems to contradict what we read elsewhere in the Bible. 1 Jesus’ teachings seem very much like those of such popular pacifists as Tolstoy and Gandhi, and indeed, Tolstoy based his views on gospel passages. Here was a man who apparently was willing to die rather than defend himself, a man who taught his disciples not to kill, not to resist evil, to love their enemies, not to fear those who kill the body, and that only those who are willing to lose their lives will be able to save them. Many people over the years have seen Jesus as a pacifist - and for good reason. When viewed from a Jewish perspective, the gospel passages on which pacifism is based point to a quite different conclusion. Chapter excerpt from New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus, with permission.)The idea that Jesus taught pacifism arose primarily due to the misunderstanding of a number of his sayings. ![]()
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