Matthew 5:22
KJV Reading Defended
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.
Why the KJV Reading Is Retained
The KJV phrase “without a cause” represents the Greek majority reading and is supported by a wide range of Greek manuscripts and ancient versions. The wording was known across multiple branches of transmission and gives the saying its received distinction between causeless anger and morally warranted anger.
Disputed unit
Presence of εἰκῇ (“without a cause”) after “whosoever is angry with his brother”. The neighbouring variants in “his brother”, “Raca” and “fool” are separate units.
Evidence assessment
εἰκῇ (“without a cause”) stands in Codex Bezae, seven further named uncials, Families 1 and 13, and the Byzantine tradition, and it is quoted by Irenaeus in the second century and Cyprian in the third. The earliest surviving Greek fragment, the P64/P67 codex of about AD 200–225, reads the short text, and Origen and Jerome both discuss the variant.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Broad Greek, Latin, Syriac and Coptic support
King James Bible reading
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.
Evidence sources
Sources used for the witnesses, readings, dates, and notes on this page. Complete citations appear in the References section at the end of the page.
Governing apparatus and count scope
Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.
Earliest KJV-supporting evidence
Earliest secure Greek support catalogued here
Late fourth–early fifth century — Codex Bezae (D) contains εἰκῇ ("without a cause"). The Sinaiticus support belongs to a later correcting or marginal hand whose date is not independently established.
Earliest surviving Greek support: Late fourth–early fifth century — Codex Bezae (D).
Primary support for the KJV reading
The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.
Majority Text standing
The words “without a cause”
The KJV/TR phrase is the numerical Majority Text reading and is preserved by the dominant Greek transmission.
Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,500 to 1,700 Greek manuscripts
This is a conservative working estimate based on the published Majority or Byzantine designation and the approximate number of continuous-text manuscripts that preserve the book. Lacunae and collation scope make the exact denominator vary by verse.
Source scope and denominator
Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.
Greek support in the cited corpus
13 named Greek witnesses plus Families 1 and 13 and the Byzantine tradition in Willker's apparatus
Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus
6 named Greek witnesses plus about 25 further manuscripts cited collectively
Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot
Evidence represented on this page
Greek manuscripts
Represented
Ancient versions
Represented
Church fathers
Represented
Printed editions
No entry listed
Complete source-scoped roster
This roster preserves every named or grouped state recovered in the governing sources, including exact readings, competing readings, corrections, related forms, lacunae, versions, and aggregate traditions. When Maj or Byz appears on the KJV side, it marks the numerically dominant Greek transmission at that unit. The green Majority Text card above supplies the best available passage-specific estimate. The grouped siglum is then retained so it is not mistaken for one individual manuscript.
Apparatus and roster scope
Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.
KJV/TR unit: εἰκῇ
01C 05 017 019 024 037 038 042 0233 0287 33 700 892
Grouped evidence: Family 1 · Family 13 · Byz
a (VL3) k (VL1) b (VL4) d (VL5) h (VL12) f (VL10) q (VL13) ff1 (VL9) l (VL11) g1 (VL7)
Sinaitic Curetonian Peshitta Harklean
Sahidic Bohairic Middle-Egyptian Gothic
Grouped evidence: Armenian · Georgian
P64/P67V 01* 03 372 1424mg 2737
Grouped evidence: about 25 further manuscripts cited collectively
aur (VL15)
Grouped evidence: principal Vulgate text · Ethiopic
Some Vulgate manuscripts include the word.
032
LaParola assigns 032 to inclusion; Willker's compact line places it in both columns.
04 22
Precisely located citations and additional names reported by the controlling apparatus are kept separate. An apparatus-level attribution is not presented as an independently verified exact quotation.
First Apology 16.2
Justin reproduces the anger saying without “without a cause”
Locator: 1 Apologia 16.2
Open sourceAgainst Heresies 2.32.1
Direct quotation in Against Heresies 2.32.1. Latin transmission.
Locator: Adversus haereses 2.32.1
Open sourceCommentary on Ephesians, fragment
Textual comment in Commentary on Ephesians, fragment.
Locator: Fragment printed at Willker TVU 36
Open sourceTestimonies 3.8
Direct quotation in Testimonies 3.8.
Locator: Ad Quirinum 3.8
Open sourceOn the Priesthood 3.14
Direct quotation in On the Priesthood 3.14.
Locator: De sacerdotio 3.14
Open sourceApostolic Constitutions 2.53
Direct quotation in Apostolic Constitutions 2.53.
Locator: Constitutiones apostolorum 2.53
Open sourceOn the Sermon on the Mount 1.9.25
Direct quotation in On the Sermon on the Mount 1.9.25.
Locator: De sermone Domini in monte 1.9.25
Open sourceCommentary on Matthew 1, at 5:22
Jerome states that “without a cause” is added in some copies and absent from the authentic copies
Locator: Commentarii in Matthaeum 1, at 5:22
Open sourceRoster distinctions
Evidence notes
Evidence assessment
εἰκῇ (“without a cause”) stands in Codex Bezae, seven further named uncials, Families 1 and 13, and the Byzantine tradition, and it is quoted by Irenaeus in the second century and Cyprian in the third. The earliest surviving Greek fragment, the P64/P67 codex of about AD 200–225, reads the short text, and Origen and Jerome both discuss the variant.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Broad Greek, Latin, Syriac and Coptic support
Evidence represented on this page
References
Willker, Wieland. A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels. Vol. 1, Matthew. 12th ed. Bremen, 2015.
Justin Martyr. The First Apology, §16. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1.
Mattison, William C., III. “Jesus’ Prohibition of Anger (Mt 5:22): The Person/Sin Distinction from Augustine to Aquinas”. Theological Studies 68 (2007): 839–864.
Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 1: Matthew. TVU 36, PDF p. 67.
LaParola Münster-linked verse apparatus. Matthew 5:22 — the W/032 assignment and versional leads.
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata. Physical dates for the named Greek manuscripts.
Vetus Latina Gospel manuscripts register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham). Identity and physical date of the named Old Latin manuscripts.
British Library Archives and Manuscripts record, Curetonian Syriac (Add MS 14451). Physical date of the Curetonian manuscript, c. AD 450–470.
New Advent Fathers of the Church. Justin, 1 Apol. 16.2; Irenaeus, Haer. 2.32.1; Chrysostom, De sacerdotio 3.14.
Catena Bible transcription of Jerome on Matthew 5:22. Commentarii in Matthaeum 1, at 5:22.