Bible Strands
Matthew 5:34
But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount, directly responding to the traditional teaching on oath-keeping. He interrupts a discussion about vows to issue a new command regarding swearing.
The words — The Greek term ὀμῶσαι (omosai) means "to swear," modified by ὅλως (holōs) for the absolute sense of "at all." Jesus uses the emphatic pronoun ἐγώ (egō) to underscore his personal authority in delivering this directive.
The thread — The prohibition against swearing appears again in James 5:12, which commands believers to let their yes be yes and no be no. The imagery of heaven as God’s throne and earth as His footstool echoes Isaiah 66:1.
Why it lands — The text commands absolute refusal to use oaths, whether by heaven, earth, or Jerusalem, because they ultimately invoke God’s presence and authority. A reader must recognize that their speech requires no external guarantees to be trustworthy.
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
King James Version
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Cross-references
- James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.
- Isaiah 66:1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?
- Deuteronomy 23:21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.
- Matthew 23:16 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.
- Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.