Matthew 5:25

KJV1611 – Modern English

Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχύ, ἕως ὅτου εἶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μετʼ αὐτοῦ· μήποτέ σε παραδῷ ὁ ἀντίδικος τῷ κριτῇ, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς σε παραδῷ τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ, καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν βληθήσῃ.

Transliteration

Isthi eunoōn to-the antidikō of-you tachy, while hotou ei in the hodō with him; lest you paradō the antidikos to-the kritē, and the kritēs you paradō to-the hypēretē, and into phylakēn blēthēsē.

Grammar Details

• *Isthi*: present active imperative, 2nd person singular - be!
• *eunoōn*: present active participle, nominative masculine singular - well-disposed/agreeing
• *antidikō*: dative masculine singular - to adversary/opponent
• *tachy*: adverb - quickly/speedily
• *hotou*: relative pronoun - while
• *ei*: present active indicative, 2nd person singular - you are
• *hodō*: dative feminine singular - in way/road
• *paradō*: aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might hand over
• *antidikos*: nominative masculine singular - adversary/opponent
• *kritē*: dative masculine singular - to judge
• *kritēs*: nominative masculine singular - judge
• *hypēretē*: dative masculine singular - to officer/servant
• *phylakēn*: accusative feminine singular - prison
• *blēthēsē*: future passive indicative, 2nd person singular - you will be thrown

Word Meanings

• *Isthi*: be/exist
• *eunoōn*: well-disposed/agreeing/favorable
• *antidikō*: adversary/opponent/legal opponent
• *tachy*: quickly/speedily/soon
• *hodō*: way/road/journey
• *paradō*: hand over/deliver/betray
• *antidikos*: adversary/opponent/legal opponent
• *kritē*: judge/magistrate
• *hypēretē*: officer/servant/attendant
• *phylakēn*: prison/guard post/watch
• *blēthēsē*: will be thrown/cast/put

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Settle matters quickly with your adversary while you are on the way to court. Otherwise, your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Agre with thyne adversary quicklye whyles thou arte in ye waye with hym lest that adversary deliver ye to ye iudge and ye iudge delivre ye to ye minister and the thou be cast into preson.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Agre with thine aduersary quicklye, whyle thou art in the waye with hym, lest that aduersary deliuer the to the iudge, and the iudge deliuer the to the minister, and then thou be cast in to preson.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Agree with thine aduersarie quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him, lest thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge, & the Iudge deliuer thee to ye sergeant, & thou be cast into prison.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Agree with thyne aduersarie quicklye, whyles thou art in the waye with him: lest at any tyme the aduersarie deliuer thee to the iudge, and the iudge deliuer thee to the minister, and then thou be cast into pryson.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `Be agreeing with thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, that the opponent may not deliver thee to the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and to prison thou mayest be cast,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Come to an agreement quickly with him who has a cause against you at law, while you are with him on the way, for fear that he may give you up to the judge and the judge may give you to the police and you may be put into prison.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.

Referenced Verses

• Luke 12:58-59 : 58 When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, as you are on the way, give diligence that you may be delivered from him; lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last penny.
• Job 22:21 : 21 Acquaint yourself with Him now and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.
• Prov 25:8 : 8 Do not go forth hastily to contend, lest you know not what to do in the end thereof, when your neighbor has put you to shame.
• Isa 55:6-7 : 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
• Ps 32:6 : 6 For this reason, everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely, in the floods of great waters, they shall not come near him.
• Prov 6:1-5 : 1 My son, if you become surety for your friend, if you have shaken hands with a stranger, 2 You are snared by the words of your mouth, you are taken by the words of your mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, when you have come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself, and make sure your friend. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
• 1 Kgs 22:26-27 : 26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 27 And say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
• Luke 13:24-25 : 24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate: for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has arisen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; and he will answer and say to you, I do not know you, where you are from:
• Luke 14:31-32 : 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and desires conditions of peace.
• Heb 3:7 : 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today if you will hear His voice,
• Heb 12:17 : 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
• Heb 3:13 : 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
• 2 Cor 6:2 : 2 For He says, I have heard you in an acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I have helped you; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
• 1 Sam 25:17-35 : 17 Now therefore know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household, for he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him. 18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep already prepared, five measures of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the hill, behold, David and his men were coming down toward her, and she met them. 21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missing of all that belonged to him, and he has repaid me evil for good. 22 So may God do to David's enemies, and more also, if by morning I leave anyone who urinates against the wall, of all who belong to him. 23 When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got off the donkey and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 24 And she fell at his feet and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. 25 Please do not let my lord regard this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now this blessing, which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant, for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil has not been found in you all your days. 29 Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life; but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies, He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. 30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, 31 that this will be no grief to you, nor a cause of remorse of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant. 32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. 33 And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For indeed, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal. 35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to your house; see, I have listened to your voice and respected your person.
• Gen 32:3-8 : 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you speak to my lord Esau; Your servant Jacob says this, I have lived with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5 And I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight. 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, herds, and camels, into two groups; 8 And said, If Esau comes to one group and attacks it, then the other group which is left shall escape.
• Gen 32:13-22 : 13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of what came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; 14 Two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 15 Thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten foals. 16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said to his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove. 17 And he commanded the first, saying, When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying, Whose are you? and where are you going? and whose are these ahead of you? 18 Then you shall say, They are your servant Jacob's; it is a present sent to my lord Esau: and behold, he is also behind us. 19 And so he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall you speak to Esau, when you find him. 20 And say moreover, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me. 21 So the present went over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the camp. 22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.
• Gen 33:3-9 : 3 And he passed over in front of them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 And Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept. 5 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with you? And he said, The children whom God has graciously given your servant. 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. 7 And Leah also with her children came near and bowed themselves; and afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed themselves. 8 And he said, What do you mean by all this company which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. 9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself. 10 And Jacob said, No, please, if now I have found grace in your sight, then receive my present from my hand; for therefore I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Take, I pray you, my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.