But now I tell you. Christ has the authority to amend the Law spoken by Jehovah. Whoever is angry with his brother. Jesus deals with motive, forbidding the anger and the harsh words which produce murder. You good-for-nothing. A strong insult. A worthless fool. These seemingly mild words were the supreme insult to a Jew. It meant one eternally cut off from God and doomed forever. Three degrees of guilt are shown here: murderous anger; verbal insult; solemn curse. The Canaanites burned human sacrifices to Moloch in Gehenna [valley of Hinnom] south of Jerusalem. This was symbolic of eternal punishment.

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Old Testament