King James Bible
"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
Jesus asserts his authority by contrasting his teaching with traditional interpretations, elevating the standard from external murder to internal anger. He equates unjustified anger with murder in terms of moral culpability, making it subject to divine judgment rather than merely human courts. "Raca" was an Aramaic term of contempt meaning "empty-headed" or "worthless," representing verbal abuse that dehumanizes others. Jesus warns that such speech warrants judgment before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court, showing how seriously God views attacks on human dignity. This escalation to calling someone a "fool" (Greek: moros) implies moral worthlessness and spiritual contempt, essentially denying their value before God. The progression from anger to insult to character assassination demonstrates increasing severity, with the ultimate consequence being gehenna—the valley of burning associated with final judgment.