Matthew 5:34

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

Complete Jewish Bible:

But I tell you not to swear at all -- not `by heaven,' because it is God's throne;

Berean Standard Bible:

But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

American Standard Version:

but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

But^{G1161} I^{G1473} say^{G3004} unto you^{G5213}, Swear^{G3660} not^{G3361} at all^{G3654}; neither^{G3383} by^{G1722} heaven^{G3772}; for^{G3754} it is^{G2076} God's^{G2316} throne^{G2362}:

Cross-References (KJV):

James 5:12

¶ But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Isaiah 66:1

¶ Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest?

Deuteronomy 23:21

When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

Deuteronomy 23:23

That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; [even] a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

Matthew 23:16

Woe unto you, [ye] blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Matthew 23:22

And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Ecclesiastes 9:2

All [things come] alike to all: [there is] 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; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.

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Commentary for Matthew 5:34

Matthew 5:34 is part of the Sermon on the Mount, a discourse delivered by Jesus Christ, which is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. This particular verse addresses the issue of swearing oaths, a common practice in the Jewish tradition of the time. Historically, oaths were taken very seriously, and they often invoked God or heavenly elements as guarantors of the promise. However, there was a tendency among some to use oaths loosely or deceitfully, which led to a lack of integrity in their words.

In this verse, Jesus teaches against the practice of swearing oaths, emphasizing that his followers should not swear by heaven because it is the throne of God. The underlying theme here is the importance of honesty and integrity; Jesus is urging his listeners to be truthful and reliable in their speech, so much so that their "yes" should mean yes, and their "no" should mean no (Matthew 5:37). By instructing not to swear at all, Jesus is calling for a radical shift in behavior, where one's word is so trustworthy that it does not require additional oaths or promises to be considered credible.

This teaching reflects the higher moral standard that Jesus sets for his followers, moving beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. It challenges the notion that one can lead a compartmentalized life where outward piety (like swearing by God's throne) can coexist with inward dishonesty. Instead, Jesus calls for a consistency between one's inner life and outward actions, advocating for a life of authenticity and truthfulness that mirrors the character of God.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

Strong's Number: G1161
There are 2556 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: δέ
Transliteration: dé
Pronunciation: deh
Description: a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).
Strong's Number: G1473
There are 334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἐγώ
Transliteration: egṓ
Pronunciation: eg-o'
Description: a primary pronoun of the first person I (only expressed when emphatic):--I, me. For the other cases and the plural see ἐμέ, ἐμοί, ἐμοῦ, ἡμᾶς, ἡμεῖς, ἡμῖν, ἡμῶν, etc.
Strong's Number: G3004
There are 1244 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: λέγω
Transliteration: légō
Pronunciation: leg'-o
Description: a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas ἔπω and φημί generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while ῥέω is properly to break silence merely, and λαλέω means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.
Strong's Number: G5213
There are 567 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ὑμῖν
Transliteration: hymîn
Pronunciation: hoo-min'
Description: irregular dative case of ὑμεῖς; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).
Strong's Number: G3660
There are 21 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ὀμνύω
Transliteration: omnýō
Pronunciation: om-o'-o
Description: a prolonged form of a primary, but obsolete , for which another prolonged form is used in certain tenses; to swear, i.e. take (or declare on) oath:--swear.
Strong's Number: G3361
There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: μή
Transliteration: mḗ
Pronunciation: may
Description: a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas οὐ expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas οὐ expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations. See also ἐὰν μή, ἵνα μή, οὐ μή, μῆκος, μηκύνω, μήν, μὴ οὐκ.
Strong's Number: G3654
There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ὅλως
Transliteration: hólōs
Pronunciation: hol'-oce
Description: adverb from ὅλος; completely, i.e. altogether; (by analogy), everywhere; (negatively) not by any means:--at all, commonly, utterly.
Strong's Number: G3383
There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: μήτε
Transliteration: mḗte
Pronunciation: may'-teh
Description: from μή and τέ; not too, i.e. (in continued negation) neither or nor; also, not even:--neither, (n-)or, so as much.
Strong's Number: G1722
There are 2129 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἐν
Transliteration: en
Pronunciation: en
Description: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between εἰς and ἐκ); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (… sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.
Strong's Number: G3772
There are 264 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: οὐρανός
Transliteration: ouranós
Pronunciation: oo-ran-os'
Description: perhaps from the same as ὄρος (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):--air, heaven(-ly), sky.
Strong's Number: G3754
There are 1189 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ὅτι
Transliteration: hóti
Pronunciation: hot'-ee
Description: neuter of ὅστις as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.
Strong's Number: G2076
There are 812 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἐστί
Transliteration: estí
Pronunciation: es-tee'
Description: third person singular present indicative of εἰμί; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:--are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.
Strong's Number: G2316
There are 1172 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: θεός
Transliteration: theós
Pronunciation: theh'-os
Description: of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with ὁ) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).
Strong's Number: G2362
There are 50 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: θρόνος
Transliteration: thrónos
Pronunciation: thron'-os
Description: from (to sit); a stately seat ("throne"); by implication, power or (concretely) a potentate:--seat, throne.

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