Matthew 5:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Given the widespread nature of idolatry, He aimed to prevent these objects from being seen as having worth in themselves, instead revealing the glory of God. He did not claim that heaven is admirable or that the earth is beneficial; rather, He affirmed that heaven is the throne of God and the earth is His footstool, guiding His audience to uplift the Lord in all things.

This guidance can be seen as a concession to their immaturity, much like allowing children to make offerings, provided they are directed toward God and not false idols. Thus, swearing by the name of God is permitted, not as an ideal practice, but because it is preferable to invoking demons. Ultimately, the truth of the Gospel does not endorse swearing, as all that is said should stand without the need of oaths, aligning with the idea that every honest word is sufficient.

The honor of these things comes from God Himself, not from their own essence. Through the prophet, the Lord declares, “The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isaiah 66:1), demonstrating that He is present in all creation, just as He states, “I do not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24). Additionally, David proclaimed, “the hail of the great King” (Ps. 47:3).

However, casual oaths, made without significant reason or justification, are forbidden as they breach the eternal command of God: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (Exodus 20:7). Such vows and oaths diminish the reverence for God within a person's heart and subtly instill a propensity to lie, fostering contempt for sacred oaths and often result in a grave breach of them. Therefore, in order to eradicate the root of this sin from our hearts, the Savior instructs us not to swear by the holy and awe-inspiring name of God, nor by heaven, which is God’s throne, nor by the earth, which serves as His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, held sacred by the Jews as the city of the King of Israel, nor by our own heads, which are masterpieces created by God's hands. We are incapable of creating even a single hair or altering its color from white to black, or from black to white. Jesus Christ affirms the truth by emphasizing simple affirmations: yes or no; anything beyond these is inspired by the malevolent adversary of our salvation, the devil, who, as the father of lies, seeks to sow and firmly root deceitful thoughts in our hearts, steadily leading us to the grave breach of our oaths. The most insidious tactic of the evil spirit is to suggest that disobedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ is trivial, while exaggerating the consequences for those who breach them, thus attempting to strip away our fear of God's judgment, which serves to protect our souls. Once he succeeds in displacing this divine guardian from within a believer, he infiltrates their heart unobstructed, plunders the treasures of grace, holds their soul captive, and manipulates their body for evil deeds. It is essential for us, dear brethren, to vigilantly guard our hearts, which are sanctified as the dwelling place of God Himself, so that all the faculties of our bodies may serve purely to fulfill His commandments. As stated in the Scriptures: guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23). We should consistently pray to our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, asking Him to protect our hearts with the saving fear of His righteous judgment, to fill them with His love, that we may love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, strength, and thoughts (Matthew 22:37), so that we may walk blamelessly in the light of His commandments and inherit eternal life. Amen.

It is not merely a grievous act, but any absence of love; not only a blatant violation of chastity and purity, but even sinful intentions; not only breaking an oath, but any form of injustice that one would guard against by an oath; not only a clear infraction of fairness towards others, but the inhumane pursuit of one’s own rights—all these acts contradict the law that the Messiah establishes for His realm. The defining and essential quality of the members of this kingdom is love without exception, even towards adversaries, reflecting in all things a resemblance to the perfection of the Heavenly Father.

The lack of this mental disposition in a person often manifests in their attempts to enhance their piety, similar to the actions of the Pharisees.

Additionally, it is clear from the explanation of what an oath entails that the form established by the Lord—simply yes or no—does not imply that an individual either refrains from swearing altogether or swears only in that specified manner. Instead, the Lord highlights the inward essence of the oath. For instance, the Apostle Paul also swears, though he articulates his oath differently. The fundamental principle of oaths, as stated by Christ, intertwines the affirmation of a past truth with a future promise made to God, confirmed by divine witness. In the time of Christ, the Jews would swear by heaven or earth or even by their own heads to avoid misusing God’s name. Yet, the Lord clarified that regardless of these varied forms, a person ultimately swears by the name of God. Beyond a mere calm assertion or denial, every such oath is fundamentally influenced by evil. This can refer either to the general evil present in the world or specifically to the devil, since anyone who commits sin is under the devil's sway. This understanding encompasses both meanings, as the evil in the world stems from the original sin—the work of the adversary.

Due to this directive, the Jews of Christ's time avoided using God's name in dishonest or frivolous oaths, instead opting to swear by heaven, the earth, Jerusalem, or their own heads, thereby still engaging in both false and frivolous swearing without invoking God's name directly. This misuse is exactly what the divine Lawgiver in the New Testament instructs against, saying, "I say to you not to swear by any oath, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by Jerusalem..." The term "any" (in Greek) should be understood in conjunction with what follows and not in an absolute sense; oaths invoking God's name did occur in both the Old and New Testaments (refer to Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:23; Phil. 1:8; 1 Thess. 2:5, 10; Rev. 10:6). Therefore, when interpreting this passage alongside specific examples of oaths, it becomes clear that the Lord's words effectively convey: by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, in no circumstance should one swear. Those who cite this passage to dismiss all forms of oaths tend to interpret the Greek term σ῞λως in a general context.

The term appears three times in the New Testament: first, in 1 Cor. 5:1, where it is used to imply conditionality, not based on what the Corinthians desire or how the apostle will approach them (see Matt. 4:21); second, in Matthew 6:7, where it may convey a similar notion; and third, in Matthew 15:20, conveying a query about the purpose of baptism if resurrection is not guaranteed—implying neither the baptized nor the unbaptized would rise. In none of these examples does ὅλως suggest totality or absoluteness; rather, it carries the implication of a conditional state. This leaves some questions unaddressed while affirming other truths, as seen in Matthew 5:33. The instruction translates to: what is prohibited to the ancients remains prohibited; nonetheless, do not swear by heaven or earth. Thus, Jesus reinforces the essence of the third commandment, which, while forbidding the misuse of oaths, does not prohibit the act of calling upon God as a witness to our commitments and seeking His assistance in fulfilling them. However, He unmistakably forbids swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or one’s head. Why is this the case? The Apostle notes that "men swear by the highest things" (Heb. 6:16). Consequently, the Jews swore by these significant entities, viewing them as close to the divine and valued by humanity. The Lord supports this understanding, indicating that heaven serves as God's throne, the earth as His footstool, and Jerusalem as the city of the great King. In these realms—the heavens, the earth, and Jerusalem—the unique presence of the divine is revealed, along with His glory and sovereignty. Even our heads, though seemingly our own, are under God's authority and are cared for by Him. These entities represent profound aspects of divine majesty and goodness for the faithful. Yet, swearing by them evolved as a way to evade swearing by God's name when people felt anxious, ultimately leading to deceitful or hollow assurances.

In such instances, the Pharisees crafted a means to bypass the commandment by circumventing God's name, instead invoking heaven, the earth, or Jerusalem for false oaths. This Pharisaic subterfuge is condemned by the Lord in His rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:20-22), particularly in the Sermon on the Mount, where swearing by these created elements as an act of deceit is absolutely prohibited (Matt. 23:37). The directive is clear: let your communication be straightforward—neither elevated assertions nor frivolous oaths. Instead of the previously mentioned oaths, the Lord instructs to simply affirm or deny, asserting that such empty oaths originate from the evil one, meaning the devil.

As moral integrity diminished and mutual suspicion increased among the Jews, simple assurances were no longer considered adequate in their interactions. In trivial matters, they often resorted to oaths frivolously, using them for less than honorable purposes, which led to a culture where oaths became masks for deceit. Fearing the violation of the third commandment that prohibits invoking God’s name in vain, they devised oaths that referenced various objects instead of God: they swore by heaven, the earth, Jerusalem, or even their own heads. In response to this misuse, the Lord commanded, “You shall not swear at all.” This admonition serves to prohibit swearing in trivial exchanges about ordinary life, where no one should feel compelled to swear; honesty should suffice with a simple “yes” or “no,” for anything beyond this is from evil.

The Savior also rejected oaths that did not invoke God's name, as such oaths rely on His divine authority and are not to be disregarded. Anyone who swears by heaven, earth, or Jerusalem without acknowledging the omnipresence of God therein dishonors His name. Likewise, in swearing by one's own life or head, one must remember that it is God who governs even the smallest details, as not a single hair can fall from one's head without Him (Luke 21:18). The Lord calls believers to view the oath as a sacred commitment and discourages any casual or superstitious alterations that detract from its solemnity, for it is rooted in the name of God, who is omnipotent, all-knowing, and righteous (Deut. 6:13).

The misuse of oaths among the Jews is also evident in the epistle of James, written to Jewish converts. The Holy Apostle urged them to control their speech, echoing the Lord's teaching: “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but let your 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no' be 'no,' so that you will not fall under condemnation” (James 5:12). However, to conclude from the teachings of Christ and the Apostle that all oaths are unconditionally forbidden would misinterpret their intent. The Lord did not nullify the ancient laws concerning oaths (Deut. 6:13; 10:20); instead, He renewed their spirit, reminding us that God witnesses every oath, and those who swear without invoking His name will face judgment.

Jesus confirmed by His own example that taking a lawful and necessary oath, whether in public or private, is not sinful, as demonstrated when He affirmed the high priest’s inquiry under oath with “You have said so” (Matt. 26:63, 64). The Old Testament contains numerous instances of God’s own sworn promises (Gen. 22:16; 26:3; Ps. 88:4, 5, 36; 131:11) as well as the oaths made by the patriarchs, often tied to significant actions (Gen. 14:22, 23; 21:23; 26:28, 31; 47:29, 31; Deut. 4:26; Num. 14:9; 1 Sam. 24:23; 26:10; Ps. 118:106). In summary, a sincere and truthful oath, undertaken with reverence and the intent to fulfill its promises, aligns with the Lord’s teachings. Thus, it is not only permissible but, in significant and necessary instances, we are encouraged to make use of oaths and vows when called upon by legitimate authority.