Matthew 23:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Humanity calls upon God Himself as a witness to their integrity and earnestness; consequently, every vow, regardless of its perceived weight, stands on equal ground: THOSE WHO affirm by the sacrifice do so with it and everything that accompanies it; and THOSE WHO affirm by the temple do not only invoke it, but also the Lord God who resides within, so that he who swears by the temple effectively swears by heaven itself;

For the temple is far more sacred than the gold that resides within it, sanctified solely by what the temple represents; and the altar, which sanctifies the offering upon it, holds greater significance than the offering itself. How can you not perceive that anyone who swears by the altar is thereby swearing by everything laid upon it? And likewise, one who swears by the temple commits to all the gold contained therein, as well as to God Himself who is invisibly present, just as one who swears by heaven swears by its all-encompassing Creator. The blessed Theophylact affirms that anyone who swore by a golden vessel or a sacrificial animal and subsequently violated that oath must provide restitution to the temple associated with their oath. The Pharisees prioritized gold and sacrifices over the temple, motivated by the profits derived from those offerings. Since it was infeasible to demand restitution from one who swore by the temple yet broke their vow, and without the ability to gain from such a breach, they permitted the violation of such oaths.

Although the second temple lacked the Ark, the Lord still revealed His presence there, particularly as the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies once a year, bringing the blood of the atoning sacrifice (Hebrews 9:7). Thus, swearing by the temple parallels swearing by heaven, which is described as the throne of God (see note on Matthew 5:34-35). Heaven represents the realm of God's glorious presence, where His majesty and unapproachable light reside. In all these statements, the Lord emphasizes that to swear by any entity is to ultimately swear by God; otherwise, the oath lacks significance. The crucial aspect of an oath is the invocation of God as a witness to the truthfulness and integrity of the one who makes the promise; without this, the oath is void. For a broader exploration of oaths, refer to the note on Matthew 5:33.

On this occasion, He strongly condemned the deliberate ignorance displayed by the blind leaders of the people, declaring: “Woe unto you, ye leaders of the blind men,” who say, “Whosoever swears by the church is nothing, and whosoever swears by the gold of the church must be.” He questioned their understanding: “But you blind men, which is greater: the gold or the church that sanctifies the gold?” Furthermore, He stated, “Whosoever swears by the altar shall eat nothing, but whosoever swears by the gift that is on it shall eat.” He reiterated their folly: “But you blind men, which is greater, the gift or the altar, the holy gift?” The esteemed Theophylact explained that, according to the Pharisees’ teachings, one who swore by a golden vessel, or an ox, or a sheep set aside for sacrifice and later broke that oath was required to present to the temple what he had sworn by. They valued the gift over the altar for the sake of the advantage gained from the offerings. The essence of an oath is to call upon the all-knowing and ever-present God as a witness of the truth. Thus, restoring the meaning of an oath in contemporary terms, the Lord pointed out: “If anyone swears by the altar, he swears by it and by Him who is upon it; and if anyone swears by the church, he swears by it and by Him who resides in it; and if anyone swears by heaven, he swears by the Throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.”