Mateo 5:34

Filipino Cebuano Bible

34 Apan magaingon ako kaninyo, Ayaw gayud kamo pagpanumpa, bisan pa kon tungod sa langit, kay kini mao ang trono sa Dios;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Swear: Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Ecclesiastes 9:2, James 5:12

heaven: Matthew 23:16-22, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 66:1

Reciprocal: Leviticus 19:12 - ye shall Numbers 30:2 - swear Deuteronomy 5:11 - General Psalms 11:4 - the Lord's Ezekiel 43:7 - and the place Daniel 4:26 - the heavens Matthew 5:22 - I say Matthew 23:22 - by the Matthew 26:72 - with Mark 6:23 - he Acts 7:49 - Heaven Acts 17:24 - seeing

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But I say unto you, swear not at all,.... Which must not be understood in the strictest sense, as though it was not lawful to take an oath upon any occasion, in an affair of moment, in a solemn serious manner, and in the name of God; which may be safely done: but of rash swearing, about trivial matters, and by the creatures; as appears by what follows,

neither by heaven; which is directly contrary to the Jewish canons m, which say,

"they that swear בשמים, "by heaven", and by earth, are free.''

Upon the words in Song of Solomon 2:7, "I adjure you", c. it is asked n,

"by what does she adjure them? R. Eliezer says, by the heavens, and by the earth by the hosts, the host above, and the host below.''

So Philo the Jew says o that the most high and ancient cause need not to be immediately mentioned in swearing; but the "earth", the sun, the stars, ουρανον, "heaven", and the whole world. So R. Aben Ezra, and R. David Kimchi, explain Amos 4:2. "The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness"; that is, say they, בשמים, "by heaven": which may be thought to justify them, in this form of swearing; though they did not look upon it as a binding oath, and therefore if broken they were not criminal p.

"He that swears בשמים by heaven, and by the earth, and by the sun, and the like; though his intention is nothing less than to him that created them, this is no oath.''

The reason why it is forbidden by Christ to swear by heaven, is,

for it is God's throne; referring to Isaiah 66:1 where he sits, the glory of his majesty shines forth, and is itself glorious and excellent, and not to be mentioned in a vain way; and especially, for the reason Christ elsewhere gives, Matthew 23:22 that "he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon"; so that they doubly sinned, first, by openly swearing by that which is God's creature; and then, by tacitly bringing God into their rash and vain oaths.

m Misn. Shebuot, c. 4. sect. 13. n Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 10. 4. o De Special. leg. p 770. p Maimon. Hilch. Shebuot, c. 12. sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But I say unto you, Swear not at all - That is, in the manner which he proceeds to specify. Swear not in any of the common and profane ways customary at that time.

By heaven; for it is God’s throne - To swear by that was, if it meant anything, to swear by Him that sitteth thereon, Matthew 23:22.

Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool - Swearing by that, therefore, is really swearing by God. Or perhaps it means:

1.That we have no right to pledge, or swear by, what belongs to God; and,

2.That oaths by inanimate objects are unmeaningful and wicked.

If they are real oaths, they are by a living Being, who has power to take vengeance. A footstool is that on which the feet rest when sitting. The term is applied to the earth to denote how lowly and humble an object it is when compared with God.

Jerusalem - See the notes at Matthew 2:1.

City of the Great King - That is, of God; called the Great King because he was the King of the Israelites, and Jerusalem was the capital of the nation, and the place where he was especially honored as king. Compare Psalms 46:4; Psalms 48:1-2; Psalms 87:3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. - 35. Neither by heaven, c.] It was a custom among the Scythians, when they wished to bind themselves in the most solemn manner, to swear by the king's throne and if the king was at any time sick, they believed it was occasioned by some one's having taken the oath falsely. Herod. l. iv.

Who is there among the traders and people of this world who obey this law? A common swearer is constantly perjuring himself: such a person should never be trusted. When we make any promise contrary to the command of God, taking, as a pledge of our sincerity, either GOD, or something belonging to him, we engage that which is not ours, without the Master's consent. God manifests his glory in heaven, as upon his throne; he imprints the footsteps of his perfections upon the earth, his footstool; and shows that his holiness and his grace reign in his temple as the place of his residence. Let it be our constant care to seek and honour God in all his works.