Matthew 5:25

Matthew 5:25 is the twenty-fifth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. In this first of the 6 Antitheses Jesus has been attacking anger and advocating reconciliation. In this verse he states that it is prudential to quickly reach agreement with one's adversary.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou

art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary

deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver

thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are

with him in 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.

For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 5:25

This verse is very similar to Luke 12:58. In the Gospel of Matthew this verse could be interpreted as practical advice for staying out of prison. In Luke the context makes clear that it is an eschatological metaphor, with the judge being God and prison eternal punishment.^[1] Most interpret Matthew the same way. Albright and Mann have difficulty with this metaphor, as there is no space for an accuser who should be reconciled in the last judgement. Albright and Mann are also uncomfortable at how closely this verse links good behaviour to the promise of avoiding punishment. They thus feel that some material is likely missing from this section.^[2]

References

1. Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975
2. Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.