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:
• 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;
• New Living Translation (NLT)But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.

Context of Matthew 5:34

32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• Swearὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• notμήmē · notG3361
• at allὅλωςholōs · at allG3654
• neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• it isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• God’sθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362

Cross-references for Matthew 5:34

• Deuteronomy 23:21If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.
• Ecclesiastes 9:2All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.
• James 5:12Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
• Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’
• Isaiah 57:15For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
• Isaiah 66:1This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?

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