Strong’s Greek 2132 appears once in the New Testament: Matthew 5:25. “Reconcile quickly with your adversary while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Context within the Sermon on the Mount

Jesus is expanding the sixth commandment, showing that murder’s root is an unreconciled heart (Matthew 5:21-26). His command to seek reconciliation “quickly” shifts attention from mere avoidance of homicide to the active pursuit of peace. The isolated use of the verb intensifies its force: the disciple is not merely advised but urged to initiate conciliation before hostility hardens into litigation and judgment.

Reconciliation as a Kingdom Priority

1. Relationship before ritual: Matthew 5:23-24 places peacemaking ahead of sacrificial worship, underscoring that fellowship with God is inseparable from fellowship with neighbor.
2. Urgency: “quickly” conveys that delays amplify consequences. Paul echoes this immediacy in Ephesians 4:26, “Do not let the sun set upon your anger.”
3. Comprehensive reach: The call extends to every relational sphere—family, church, workplace, and civil society—fulfilling Proverbs 15:18; Romans 12:18.

Legal and Social Background

First-century debt proceedings could end in debtor’s prison. Jesus pictures two opponents walking to the magistrate, a setting familiar to Galilean hearers who knew that once judgment fell, freedom depended on full payment (Matthew 5:26). By urging pre-court settlement, Jesus spotlights the peril of stubbornness and the wisdom of humility.

Intertextual Parallels

• Proverbs 6:1-5 advises the debtor to humble himself and “press your plea” so that sleep may return to his eyes.
• Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 speaks of a poor man delivering a city through wisdom rather than force, reinforcing peace over confrontation.
• Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the LORD while He may be found,” parallels the “while you are on the way” motif—temporal opportunity preceding irreversible judgment.

Christological Perspective

Jesus embodies reconciliation (Colossians 1:20). His instruction prepares hearers to grasp the greater reconciliation God initiates through the cross. Persisting in estrangement toward a human adversary contradicts the gospel that freely reconciles enemies to God (Romans 5:8-10).

Pastoral and Discipleship Applications

• Personal inventory: Regularly review relationships, pursuing conversation and apology where tension exists.
• Church discipline: Matthew 18:15-17 operationalizes the principle, beginning with private appeal before public steps.
• Counseling: Encourage disputants to meet in neutral settings, acknowledging wrongs and proposing restitution, mirroring Zacchaeus’s response in Luke 19:8.
• Public witness: Swift peacemaking commends the gospel to onlookers who often see only litigation and online rancor.

Implications for Church Life and Evangelism

A reconciled community validates its message (John 13:35). Local assemblies that habitually “make friends on the way” model the kingdom ethic and avoid the scandal of prolonged quarrels. Evangelistically, believers who resolve conflicts graciously embody the invitation that God extends to sinners.

Historical Reception

Early Christian writers, such as Tertullian (Apology 42), cited Matthew 5:25-26 to discourage lawsuits among believers. Reformers applied the text to curtail dueling and vendettas. Contemporary peacemaking movements within the church often adopt this verse as a foundational charter.

Summary

Strong’s 2132, though appearing only once, anchors a far-reaching biblical mandate: initiate reconciliation promptly, lest estrangement ripen into judgment. The term points beyond human courts to the ultimate tribunal of God, urging all who have been reconciled to Him to practice the same urgency toward one another.