Matthew 5:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

NIV: or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

NASB: nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.

CSB: or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

NLT: And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.

KJV: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

NKJV: nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Jesus is showing how the shallow teaching of Israel's religious leaders misses the intent of God's Word. He has introduced statements using the phrase "you have heard…" and followed that with "but I say…" in order to give a fuller explanation.

One example of how shallow legalism wound up contradicting God's intent was in the category of oaths. Israel's leaders had apparently tolerated a system of promises between Israelites for various contractual agreements. Swearing by the Lord was considered a solemn thing, binding the oath-taker to follow through or face God's judgment (Numbers 30:2). Swearing by heaven, earth, or other things, though, was allowed as a less serious and perhaps less binding form of agreement. Unfortunately, many of those oaths provided room for deliberate deception.

The modern equivalent to this is the casual oath, which in English is often started with the phrase "I swear…" Using some additional promise or guarantee to earn trust is what Jesus has in mind here. His target is not official vows such as in courtrooms or legal contracts.

Jesus doesn't specify certain oaths as good and some as bad. Rather, He discards the value of casual oaths, entirely (Matthew 5:34). For one thing, swearing by something that belongs to God comes very close to swearing by the Lord Himself. So, Jesus has said not to swear by heaven because it is God's throne. Now He adds that they must not swear by earth because it belongs to God as His footstool, meaning that He can do anything He wants with it.

Also, Jesus adds, don't swear by Jerusalem—or possibly "towards" Jerusalem—because it belongs to the Great King. This may be another name for God. If so, swearing by or towards Jerusalem also comes dangerously close to swearing by the Lord.

The overall point is that a Christian's life should reflect a pattern of truth and integrity. When a born-again believer says "yes" or "no," they should mean it with complete honesty (Matthew 5:37). In such a case, there's nothing to be gained from adding oaths on top of one's word.

Matthew 5:33–37 continues a theme Jesus has been expanding in the Sermon on the Mount. The difference between righteousness and sin is not just a matter of following rules. It starts in the human heart. Here, Jesus attacks another way in which hypocrites would twist and abuse religious teachings. When Jesus speaks against swearing oaths, he's not referring to serious, formal commitments like marriage or a courtroom witness. He's condemning those who use the language of oaths to disguise dishonest intentions.

The Sermon on the Mount contains some of Jesus' most challenging teaching. It begins with the unlikely blessings of the Beatitudes. Jesus' disciples must do good works in order to be a powerful influence: as the salt of the earth and light of the world. The superficial righteousness of the Pharisees is not good enough to earn heaven. Sins of the heart, such as angry insults and intentional lust, are worthy of hell just as much as adultery and murder. Easy divorce and deceptive oaths are forbidden. Believers should not seek revenge. Instead, God intends us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. In short, we should strive to be perfect, as God is perfect.

Matthew 5 follows Matthew's description of the enormous crowds that were following Jesus (Matthew 4:25). One day, Jesus sits down on a hill to teach them, in an address we now call the Sermon on the Mount. He describes as blessed those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, and who are persecuted. Christ also explains how God's standards of righteousness go far beyond behaviors and speech; they also include our thoughts and attitudes. Meeting God's standards means perfection. Chapter 6 continues this sermon, with more examples of Jesus clarifying God's intent for godly living.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.