253:: But what we could not understand by mere words, from the conduct of the saints we may gather in what sense should be understood what might easily be drawn the contrary way, unless explained by example. The Apostle has used oaths in his Epistles, and by this shows us how that ought to be taken, I say unto you, Swear not at all, namely, lest by allowing ourselves to swear at all we come to readiness in swearing, from readiness we come to a habit of swearing, and from a habit of swearing we fall into perjury. And so the Apostle is not found to have used an oath but only in writing, the greater thought and caution which that requires not allowing of slip of the tongue. Yet is the Lord's command so universal, Swear not at all, that He would seem to have forbidden it even in writing. But since it would be an impiety to accuse Paul of having violated this precept, especially in his Epistles, we must understand the word at all as implying that, as far as lays in your power, you should not make a practice of swearing, not aim at it as a good thing in which you should take delight.
45:
265:: Lastly, consider that the Saviour does not here forbid to swear by God, but by the Heaven, the Earth, by Jerusalem, by a man's head. For this evil practice of swearing by the elements the Jews had always, and are thereof often accused in the prophetic writing's. For he who swears, shows either reverence or love for that by which he swears. Thus when the Jews swore by the Angels, by the city of Jerusalem, by the temple and the elements, they paid to the creature the honour and worship belonging to God; for it is commanded in the Law that we should not swear but by the Lord our God.
393:
259:: Therefore, in his writings, as writing allows of greater circumspection, the Apostle is found to have used an oath in several places, that none might suppose that there is any direct sin in swearing what is true; but only that our weak hearts are better preserved from perjury by abstaining from all swearing whatever.
174:
This verse departs somewhat from the structure of the previous
Antitheses. The standard pattern was after presenting the former rule to present the new one, then explain it, then present examples. Here Jesus presents the new rule "swear not at all" and then moves directly to examples. The explanation
201:
to emphasize his point, or failing to mention exceptions to this rule that would have been implicit to his audience. Others interpret the original Greek as being less absolute than its
English translations. Thus most Christian churches believe that only false and vain oaths are prohibited.
242:, was that while oaths to God were binding, oaths to other subjects, such as heaven, were not. Schweizer thinks that Jesus is indicating here that swearing by heaven is swearing by God as heaven is God's throne.
237:
in
Matthew is often used as a periphrasis for God's name it is quite clearly not so used in this verse. At the time of Christ oaths were a much debated issue in the Jewish community. One view, expressed in
271:: Note how He exalts the elements of the world, not from their own nature, but from the respect which they have to God, so that there is opened no occasion of idolatry.
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182:
Very few
Christians interpret this verse literally to mean that all oaths are prohibited as in other parts of the Bible oaths are looked upon more favourably. In
1802:
1087:
214:
firmly reject all oaths, a stance that has led to their persecution by governments that insist on oath taking and has given rise to the allowance of an
50:"Sermon on the Mount". An etching by Jan Luyken from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations housed at Belgrave Hall, Leicester, England.
239:
218:
in its place. Tolstoy also understood this verse as banning all oaths, and it led him to support the abolition of all courts as a result.
834:
1624:
1530:
1163:
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argued that only oaths counter to God are wrong. Several important
Christian groups do not accept these caveats. Most notably the
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387:"Catena Aurea: commentary on the four Gospels; collected out of the works of the Fathers. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thomas Aquinas"
44:
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1170:
1827:
866:
463:
1580:
1817:
1019:
483:
1545:
1812:
134:
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827:
197:
God himself swears an oath. Most
Christian apologists have thus concluded that this verse is either Jesus using
772:
183:
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820:
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449:
114:
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1138:
843:
793:
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86:
60:
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A Critical and
Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew
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165:ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως· μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅτι θρόνος ἐστὶν τοῦ Θεοῦ
90:
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34:
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
325:
The Gospel
According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.
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1393:
262:
1489:
1469:
1338:
851:
118:
102:
340:. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark, 1988–1997. p. 82.
245:
97:. This verse is part of either the third or fourth
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381:
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150:but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither
835:
821:
464:
450:
128:neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
372:
336:Davies, W.D. & Dale C. Allison, Jr.
152:by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
1841:
842:
816:
445:
126:But I say unto you, Swear not at all;
1625:The Gospel According to St. Matthew
367:The Good News According to Matthew.
314:New York: Doubleday & Co, 1971.
13:
246:Commentary from the Church Fathers
14:
1870:
391:
43:
369:Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975.
353:. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981.
327:Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
286:Oath § Christian tradition
773:Thou shalt not commit adultery
356:
343:
330:
317:
298:
81:is the thirty-fourth verse of
1:
291:
175:for the new rule waits until
307:& C.S. Mann. "Matthew."
7:
274:
169:
145:translates the passage as:
10:
1875:
1556:Five Discourses of Matthew
108:
1823:American Standard Version
1795:
1659:
1649:The Visual Bible: Matthew
1601:
1508:
1442:
1306:
1159:Massacre of the Innocents
1129:
1018:
865:
850:
781:
735:
482:
66:
56:
42:
26:
21:
1576:Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
1223:Jesus preaches in a ship
233:. Hill notes that while
159:Novum Testamentum Graece
1581:Rabbinical translations
763:Turning the other cheek
310:The Anchor Bible Series
1854:Heaven in Christianity
1536:Augustinian hypothesis
1374:Mary, sister of Martha
155:
139:
1828:World English Version
1546:Matthean Posteriority
1541:Two-gospel hypothesis
1233:Feeding the multitude
1196:Behold the bridegroom
351:The Gospel of Matthew
193:swears oaths, and in
147:
123:
1593:Joseph Smith–Matthew
1278:Crucifixion of Jesus
101:, the discussion of
67:Christian Bible part
1201:Sermon on the Mount
768:Thou shalt not kill
758:Sermon on the Mount
143:World English Bible
95:Sermon on the Mount
93:and is part of the
1818:King James Version
1610:St Matthew Passion
1561:Calling of Matthew
1551:Genealogy of Jesus
1164:Return to Nazareth
184:2 Corinthians 1:23
115:King James Version
16:Verse of the Bible
1836:
1835:
1566:Kingdom of heaven
1248:Great Commandment
1228:Calming the storm
1186:Galilean ministry
1171:Kingdom of heaven
1154:Flight into Egypt
1144:Star of Bethlehem
1125:
1124:
844:Gospel of Matthew
810:
809:
805:
804:
794:Gospel of Matthew
753:Salt in the Bible
473:Gospel of Matthew
440:
439:
430:Succeeded by
421:Gospel of Matthew
363:Schweizer, Eduard
281:Affirmation (law)
221:The reference to
87:Gospel of Matthew
83:the fifth chapter
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75:
61:Gospel of Matthew
1866:
1813:Wycliffe Version
1787:Magdalen papyrus
1613:(Bach, 1727/29)
1531:Textual variants
1349:John the Baptist
1298:Great Commission
1268:Passion of Jesus
1253:Olivet Discourse
1238:Walking on water
863:
862:
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813:
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459:
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410:Preceded by
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121:the text reads:
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1243:Transfiguration
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52:
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17:
12:
11:
5:
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1636:(1971 musical)
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1573:
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1526:Gospel of Mark
1523:
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1500:Sea of Galilee
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1389:Pontius Pilate
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1371:
1369:Mary Magdalene
1366:
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1359:Judas Iscariot
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1191:Fishers of men
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1112:27:1–12; 52–66
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748:Salt and light
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305:Albright, W.F.
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191:Paul of Tarsus
188:Galatians 1:20
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1211:Lord's Prayer
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857:New Testament
853:
849:
845:
838:
833:
831:
826:
824:
819:
818:
815:
801: →
800:
797:
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787:←
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1652:(1993 film)
1644:(1973 film)
1628:(1964 film)
1399:Simon Peter
1273:Last Supper
1258:Ten Virgins
1216:Golden Rule
1132:and phrases
492:Matthew 5:1
240:M. Shebuoth
231:Isaiah 66:1
229:comes from
216:affirmation
204:John Calvin
1843:Categories
1803:Greek Text
1602:In culture
1288:Empty tomb
1206:Beatitudes
1181:Temptation
743:Beatitudes
292:References
269:Chrysostom
212:Mennonites
99:antithesis
1849:Matthew 5
1667:Papyrus 1
1617:Structure
1480:Jerusalem
1465:Capernaum
1460:Bethsaida
1455:Bethlehem
1434:Sanhedrin
1429:Sadducees
1424:Pharisees
1263:Anointing
1028:Matthew 1
875:Matthew 1
799:chapter 6
789:chapter 4
476:chapter 5
425:Chapter 5
257:Augustine
251:Augustine
199:hyperbole
161:text is:
1641:Godspell
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1586:Shem Tob
1571:Immanuel
1521:M source
1516:Q source
1334:Jeremiah
1319:Caiaphas
867:Chapters
275:See also
170:Analysis
132:—
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1509:Related
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1475:Galilee
1450:Bethany
1409:Zebedee
1379:Matthew
1176:Baptism
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225:as the
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109:Content
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37: →
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1415:Groups
1404:Thomas
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1384:Philip
1354:Joseph
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1307:People
1283:Burial
1130:Events
1088:13:1–3
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263:Jerome
235:heaven
223:Heaven
1859:Oaths
1490:Judea
1470:Egypt
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1324:Herod
852:Bible
484:Verse
119:Bible
103:oaths
1364:Mary
1344:John
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210:and
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