Commandment #5: Fifth Commandment

Lesson

Jesus and the Adulteress by Paolo Veronese and workshop (1585)

As enumerated by Canon Francis Ripley, the 5^th Commandment of our Lord prohibits willful murder, abortion, suicide, fighting, quarreling, scandal, bad example, anger, hatred and revenge.  Our Lord Himself clarified the Old Testament prohibit against murder on the Sermon on the Mount saying, “You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:21-22)

The Douay Rheims translation of the Bible (http://drbo.org) clarifies the meaning of “Raca”:

“A word expressing great indignation or contempt. Shall be in danger of the council ... That is, shall deserve to be punished by the highest court of judicature, called the Council, or Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy-two persons, where the highest causes were tried and judged, which was at Jerusalem.”