Matthew 23:20

Matthew 23:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.

Context of Matthew 23:20

18You also say to people, “You may make a promise by the altar in the temple. Then it is not a serious promise. You do not have to do it. But you may also make a promise by the gifts on that altar. Then it is a serious promise and you must do it.” 19You are people who cannot understand what is true. Think about which of these things is more important. Is it the gifts on the altar? Or is it the altar itself? It is the altar that makes the gifts special. Remember this: Somebody may make a promise by the name of the altar. Then he is making a promise by God's name. The altar as well as all the gifts on it are special to God. 21Also, somebody may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then he is making a promise in the name of God, who lives there. 22Or somebody may make a promise by heaven. Then he is making a promise by the place where God sits and rules. So he is making a promise by the name of God himself.

Matthew 23:20 word by word

ὁ οὖν ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ὀμνύει ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whosoὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• thereonἐπάνωepanō · aboveG1883

Commentaries on Matthew 23:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Whoso - shall swear by the altar - As an oath always supposes a person who witnesses it, and will punish perjury; therefore, whether they swore by the temple or the gold, ( Matthew 23:16;), or by the altar or the gift laid on it, ( Matthew 23:18;), the oath necessarily supposes the God of the temple, of the altar, and of the gifts, who witnessed the whole, and would, even in their exempt cases, punish the perjury.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-33Verses 13-33 The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and form of godliness to be made a cloak to the greatest enormities. But dissembled piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party. Not for the glory of God and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-22The religious leaders said that some oaths were less binding, and this allowed them to deceive people. But Jesus called for honesty and for keeping every commitment (see Matthew 5:33–37).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2220-22. Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, &c.--See on Mt 5:33-37.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 23:20

• Blindness
• Church
• Ecclesiasticism
• Hypocrisy
• Oath
• Pharisees
• Satire
• Teachers
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Abase
• Bewray
• Devour
• Exalt
• Fill
• Gnat
• Ought
• Partaker
• Scribes
• Sit

Commentaries on Matthew 23

• 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