the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Filipino Cebuano Bible
Mateo 5:35
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from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the earth: Psalms 99:5
the city: 2 Chronicles 6:6, Psalms 48:2, Psalms 87:2, Malachi 1:14, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:10
Reciprocal: Psalms 95:3 - a great Isaiah 66:1 - The heaven Jeremiah 46:18 - saith Ezekiel 43:7 - and the place Acts 7:49 - Heaven Hebrews 12:22 - the city
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool,.... That the Jews were wont to swear by the earth, is clear from the above mentioned instances; and is condemned by Christ for this reason, because the earth is God's "footstool", referring, as before, to Isaiah 66:1 on which he treads; and where he also manifests forth his glory, and is a considerable part of the work of his hands.
Neither by Jerusalem, which the Jews used to swear by: such forms of vows as these are to be met with in their writings q;
"as the altar, as the temple, כירושלם, "as Jerusalem";''
that is, by Jerusalem, I vow I will do this, or the other thing.
"R. Judah says, he that says Jerusalem (i.e. as Bartenora observes r, without the note of comparison, as) says nothing.''
In the Gemara s it is,
"he that says as Jerusalem, does not say anything, till he has made his vow concerning a thing, which is offered up in Jerusalem.''
Dr. Lightfoot t has produced forms of vowing and swearing, which have not occurred to me.
"Jerusalem; לירושלם, "for", or "unto Jerusalem", which exactly answers to εις Ιεροσολυμα, here; and "by Jerusalem";''
The reason given for prohibiting this kind of oath, is;
for it is the city of the great king: not of David, but of the King of kings, the Lord of hosts; who had his residence, and his worship, here; see Psalms 48:2.
q Misn. Nedarim, c. 1. sect. 3. r In. ib. s T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 11. 1. t In loc. ex Tosapht. in Nedarim, c. 1.
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.
