First. Joined in the Authorized Version and Revised Version to "be reconciled,'' and rightly, since the point is not "the unavoidable, surprising, nay, repellent removal of one's self from the temple" (Meyer), but reconciliation. Be reconciled ( διαλλάγηθι); here only in the New Testament. There seems to be no essential difference between this and καταλλάσσω (vide Thayer).
Parallel passage: Luke 12:58, Luke 12:59. The question of the relation of the two passages, as regards both language and original connexion, is exceedingly difficult. As to the former, the verbal differences seem to be such as would hardly have been made on purpose, and to be rather due to memory; yet the agreement is too minute to be the result of memory of a Gospel only oral. Perhaps memory of a document best satisfies the conditions. As to the original connexion of the verses, they, especially Luke 12:26, can hardly have been spoken twice. Most critics suppose that St. Luke gives them in their proper context; but if so, it is curious that two of his words, ὑπάγεις ἀπήλλαχθαι, seem to recall our preceding verse 24. One word might have been a mere coincidence, but hardly two. It is not likely that these words in verse 24 were derived from Luke, for this supposes a double process in St. Matthew's mind, rejecting them from verse 25 and placing them in verse 24. It is more natural also to regard the first clause of Luke 12:58, "As … him," as an expansion of the corresponding clause in our Luke 12:25 rather than this as a compression of that. This apparent reminiscence in Luke of what is given in our verses 24 and 25a points to the connexion of verses 24-26 in Matthew being original, and to it having been broken by Luke or by the framer of the source that he used.
A further stage in our Lord's warning. A man must not only seek reconciliation with the injured person (verse 23), and that in preference to fulfilling the holiest service (verse 24), but he must do so the more because of the danger of postponing reconciliation. It is noteworthy that our Lord in this verse does not define on whose side the cause of the quarrel lies.