Matthew 5:34

Matthew 5:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
• New International Version (NIV)But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
• English Standard Version (ESV)But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

Context of Matthew 5:34

32But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for cause of fornication, makes her commit adultery, and whosoever marries one that is put away commits adultery. 33Again, ye have heard that it has been said to the ancients, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt render to the Lord what thou hast sworn. But I say unto you, Do not swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is [the] throne of God; 35nor by the earth, because it is [the] footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is [the] city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:34 word by word

ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως, μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὅτι θρόνος ἐστὶν τοῦ θεοῦ,Read the interlinear

• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• swearὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Matthew 5:34

• Deuteronomy 23:21When thou vowest a vow to Jehovah thy God, thou shalt not delay to perform it; for Jehovah thy God will certainly require it of thee, and it shall be sin in thee.
• Ecclesiastes 9:2All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
• James 5:12But before all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, that ye do not fall under judgment.
• Matthew 23:16Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
• Isaiah 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, and whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy [place], and with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
• Isaiah 66:1Thus saith Jehovah: The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what is the house that ye will build unto me? and what is the place of my rest?

Commentaries on Matthew 5:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Neither by heaven, etc. - It was a custom among the Scythians, when they wished to bind themselves in the most solemn manner, to swear by the king's throne; and if the king was at any time sick, they believed it was occasioned by some one's having taken the oath falsely. Herod. l. iv. Who is there among the traders and people of this world who obey this law? A common swearer is constantly perjuring himself: such a person should never be trusted. When we…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34But I say unto you, Swear not at all - That is, in the manner which he proceeds to specify. Swear not in any of the common and profane ways customary at that time. By heaven; for it is God‘s throne - To swear by that was, if it meant anything, to swear by Him that sitteth thereon, Matthew 23:22. Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool - Swearing by that, therefore, is really swearing by God. Or perhaps it means: 1.that we have no right to pledge, or…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-37Verses 33-37 There is no reason to consider that solemn oaths in a court of justice, or on other proper occasions, are wrong, provided they are taken with due reverence. But all oaths taken without necessity, or in common conversation, must be sinful, as well as all those expressions which are appeals to God, though persons think thereby to evade the guilt of swearing. The worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 33-37Jesus explains the Old Testament's teachings on oaths (Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2–4; Deuteronomy 23:21–23; Psalm 50:14; Zechariah 8:17). The Pharisees had different levels of commitment for oaths. For example, oaths not mentioning God were less serious. Jesus teaches that everything connects to God. This includes heaven, earth, Jerusalem, my head (see also Matthew 23:16–22). So, breaking any oath disobeys God's command (see Exodus 20:7). The main idea…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:34

• Commandments
• Heaven
• Instruction
• Judaism
• Law
• Oath
• Religion
• Throne

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Communication
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit
• Jot

Commentaries on Matthew 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings