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What is the significance of the word 'Raca' in Matthew 5:22?
Executive summary
Scholars and popular commentators agree that “Raca” in Matthew 5:22 is an Aramaic-derived insult expressing contempt or emptiness — often glossed “empty-headed,” “worthless,” or “good‑for‑nothing” — and Jesus uses it as an example of contemptuous speech that springs from sinful anger [1] [2] [3]. Translations and commentators differ about nuance and severity: many treat “Raca” as a milder insult in a three‑step escalation (anger → “Raca” → “you fool”), while some note alternate historical senses or social implications that affect interpretation [2] [4] [5].
1. “Raca” as an Aramaic insult: literal sense and mainstream gloss
Most sources identify the word preserved in the Greek text as an Aramaic transliteration related to a root meaning “empty” or “empty‑headed,” and therefore an insult implying someone is worthless or foolish; this is the explanation given by popular commentaries and translation notes [1] [2] [3]. Bible‑study and devotional sites likewise summarize the common view: “Raca” expresses indignation and contempt and was used as a term of reproach in first‑century speech [4] [6].
2. How Matthew uses it: an example in a moral escalation
Translation commentaries and exegetical discussions frame Matthew 5:22 as an escalating sequence: Jesus condemns anger, then the insult “Raca,” and finally the stronger charge “you fool,” linking inner attitude to outward speech and moral liability [2] [7]. TIPs’ translation note explicitly recommends treating “Raca” and “fool” as degrees of foolishness, with the latter potentially implying impiety and greater severity [2].
3. Judicial and social resonance: court, Sanhedrin, and perceived consequences
Several commentaries read Jesus’ warnings about being “answerable” or “in danger of the council” as signaling real social consequences for insult and slander — possibly before local courts or the Sanhedrin — although sources vary in how literally they take that legal reading [4] [8] [9]. Devotional writers interpret the verse as teaching that contempt can bring one before religious or civil authorities, but TIPs cautions that human courts judge deeds not attitudes, complicating a strict legal mapping [2] [8].
4. Translation choices shape meaning: literal preservation vs. dynamic equivalents
Some translations retain the transliterated form “Raca” to convey the original flavor; others translate the term into idioms like “worthless” or “you no‑good” to communicate force in modern languages [2] [10]. TIPs notes translators often render both “Raca” and “fool” with components of “foolishness” but calibrate strength differently — a choice that affects how readers perceive the moral escalation [2].
5. Minority readings and contested implications (sexuality, nuance)
Wikipedia notes that a minority of scholars have argued for a more specialized meaning — for example, that “Raca” could connote effeminacy or have been a term used against homosexuals in some polemical contexts — and that such readings have entered wider debates about New Testament attitudes on sexuality; this is a contested interpretation and not the majority gloss [5]. Available sources do not provide consensus evidence that this specialized meaning is the standard understanding [5].
6. Theological and pastoral significance: what Jesus is addressing
Across sources the theological thrust is consistent: Jesus is addressing the root of violent action — contemptuous anger expressed in speech — and calling for the eradication of that inner contempt because words reveal the heart [1] [7] [11]. Commentators and devotional writers draw a pastoral application: pursue reconciliation rather than demeaning speech, since insults like “Raca” fracture relationships and dishonor persons [12] [11].
7. Limits of the current reporting and remaining questions
The materials provided are mainly translation notes, Bible commentaries, devotional explanations, and summary articles; they converge on the “empty‑headed/insult” gloss but differ on legal‑social implications and rarer lexical proposals [1] [2] [5]. For deeper lexical, epigraphic, or Syriac/Aramaic philological evidence one would need specialist linguistic or patristic sources not included among the current items — not found in current reporting [1] [2] [5].
Summary takeaway: “Raca” functions in Matthew 5:22 as a preserved Aramaic insult meaning essentially “empty‑headed” or “worthless,” intentionally cited by Matthew to illustrate how anger becomes contemptuous speech liable to moral and (arguably) social judgment; debates persist about precise nuance and rarer semantic readings, but the mainstream scholarly and devotional consensus matches the glosses above [1] [2] [3].