26/08/2024
**Boi raca(in Zambia laka)* Here are some different versions of Matthew 5:22:
*King James Version (KJV)*
"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."
*New American Standard Bible (NASB)*
"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ('You ~`good-for-nothing,~ ) shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell."
*English Standard Version (ESV)*
"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever ~insults~ his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire."
*New Living Translation (NLT)*
"But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an ~idiot~ , you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell
"Raca" is an Aramaic word that was used in the time of Jesus. It's a derogatory term that can be translated to English as:
- "Empty-headed" or "Foolish" (as in, lacking common sense or good judgment)
- "Good-for-nothing" or "Worthless"
- "Vain" or "Proud"
- "Wicked" or "Evil"
In the context of Matthew 5:22, Jesus is saying that calling someone "Raca" is a serious offense, equivalent to insulting or demeaning them. It's not just a casual or harmless word; it's a term that can cause harm and damage to a person's reputation or self-worth.
The Aramaic word "Raca" is thought to be derived from the word "rekah," which means "empty" or "void." So, when someone calls another person "Raca," they're essentially saying that they're empty-headed, foolish, or without value.
Jesus is teaching that even our words have consequences, and we should be mindful of how we speak to others.... Zambians like using the word raca(laka) stop🛑 it
