Bible Strands

Matthew 5:33

Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples and the crowds on the Mount, mid-sermon, having just redefined divorce (v. 32) and now turning to oaths. This is the third in a series of "You have heard… but I say to you" contrasts.

The words — ἐπιορκήσεις (epiorkēseis, G1964) carries the force: it means "swear falsely," not merely "break an oath," which is narrower than the BSB's "do not break your oath" and closer to Leviticus 19:12's prohibition against false swearing by God's name.

The thread — The command echoes Deuteronomy 23:21 (fulfill your vow), Leviticus 19:12 (do not swear falsely by My name), and Ecclesiastes 5:4 (do not delay fulfilling it). Jesus quotes the first two strands, not the third.

Why it lands — The verse is a setup: by quoting the old command at its narrowest (false swearing), it makes the next verse's "not at all" (v. 34) land harder. The reader is asked to notice that Jesus is not restating the rule but preparing to dissolve the category of oath-taking itself.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ΠάλινPalinAgainἠκούσατεēkousateyou have heardὅτιhotithatἐρρέθηerrethēit was saidτοῖςtoisto theἀρχαίοις·archaioisancients;οὐκoukNotἐπιορκήσεις,epiorkēseiswill you swear falsely,ἀποδώσειςapodōseisyou will keepδὲdenowτῷtōto theκυρίῳkuriōLordτοὺςtoustheὅρκουςhorkousoathsσου.souof you.

King James Version

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Cross-references