“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The common interpretation focuses on the prohibition against false oaths, but Jesus is actually addressing a far more subtle error: the Jewish practice of making many oaths in everyday conversation, believing that only oaths sworn by God's actual name were truly binding. He's correcting the casual disregard for any oath that wasn't explicitly "God's name," showing that even swearing by heaven or earth was a serious matter, an appeal to God's authority.
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, tackling misinterpretations of the Law common among religious leaders. Here, he addresses the commandment against false oaths, highlighting how the Jewish authorities had twisted it into a system of loopholes, allowing casual swearing by created things while claiming it wasn't truly binding. Jesus aims to restore the integrity and seriousness of all promises made in God's name.
Did God really just want people to avoid lying under oath? Or was there more to it?
Jesus is calling out a dangerous loophole the religious leaders had created. The Old Testament law, as found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, clearly forbids false oaths and requires keeping promises made to God.
But by Jesus' time, the rabbis had developed a system where oaths were categorized. They taught that you only had to keep the really serious, formal oaths sworn directly by God's name. Oaths sworn by things like 'heaven,' 'earth,' 'Jerusalem,' or even 'your head' were considered less binding, or not binding at all.
This was a clever way to seem pious while still allowing for dishonesty. They were essentially saying, 'As long as I don't directly use God's name falsely, I can get away with breaking my promise.' Jesus saw right through this. He declared that any oath, even those sworn by created things, was a serious matter because it invoked God as the witness and guarantor. Swearing by creation was essentially swearing by the Creator, and treating it lightly was a profound disrespect to God.
Jesus doesn't just want us to avoid lying. He wants us to live in a way where lying isn't even necessary.
The prevailing interpretation of the law focused narrowly on the act of perjury – outright lying when under oath. Jesus, however, pushes beyond this outward observance to the heart of the matter. He's not just correcting a misunderstanding of the law; He's elevating its intent.
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His instruction, 'Swear not at all' (which is clarified immediately by the examples given), isn't a blanket prohibition against all forms of affirmation or testimony. Instead, it's a call to such profound integrity that our simple word becomes utterly trustworthy.
When our 'yes' means yes and our 'no' means no, it reflects a life lived in truth. This radical honesty means we don't need to resort to oaths, especially the casual, everyday oaths that the rabbis had normalized. Such oaths, Jesus implies, often stem from a place of untrustworthiness – we swear because people won't believe our plain word. By living with unwavering integrity, our speech itself becomes a testament to truth, honoring God far more than any casual oath.
Understand the original words
epiorkeō · Greek Verb
To commit perjury or to swear an oath with the intent to deceive; failing to keep a promise made under oath.
apodidōmi · Greek Verb
To give back, render, or fulfill an obligation; specifically, to carry out a vow or promise made to God.
kyrios · Greek Noun
A title of supreme authority and sovereignty, identifying God as the Master and Ruler to whom all allegiance is due.
horkos · Greek Noun
A solemn pledge, vow, or oath taken to confirm the truth of a statement or the certainty of a promise.
Jesus confronts a prevalent rabbinic loophole that allowed for casual, less binding oaths by created things, pushing his followers toward a higher standard of truthfulness rooted in sincere speech, not mere adherence to a legal technicality.
c. 1400-400 BC
Mosaic Law Promulgated
The Law given through Moses, including commandments against false oaths (Leviticus 19:12) and directives on fulfilling vows made to God (Deuteronomy 23:23), forms the foundation of Jewish religious and ethical practice.
c. 100 BC - AD 30
Rabbinic Interpretation of Oaths Flourishes
During the Second Temple period, Jewish rabbis developed complex and often contradictory interpretations of the Law, including detailed rules about oaths. Some interpretations allowed for casual oaths by created things, distinguishing them from oaths sworn directly by God's name.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Delivers the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus, addressing his disciples and a large crowd, proclaims teachings that often challenge conventional interpretations of the Law. This includes his discourse on oaths, where he corrects the common rabbinic practice of distinguishing between different types of oaths.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus Condemns Casual Oaths
Jesus directly confronts the practice of swearing by created things (heaven, earth, Jerusalem, one's head), asserting that all such oaths, even if not directly invoking God's name, are ultimately appeals to God and thus carry binding weight.
c. AD 60-62
Paul's Epistles Include Oaths and Affirmations
In his letters, the Apostle Paul uses solemn affirmations and appeals to God as witness, demonstrating that oaths were still considered valid in certain contexts, aligning with Jesus' emphasis on sincerity rather than total prohibition.
c. AD 65
James Warns Against Oaths
The Epistle of James echoes Jesus' teaching, urging believers to let their 'yes' be 'yes' and their 'no' be 'no,' and stating that 'whatever is more than these comes from the evil one,' reinforcing the call for simple, truthful speech.
This passage from Leviticus contains the foundational command that Jesus is referencing, prohibiting false oaths and specifying the importance of upholding sworn promises to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 23:23This verse is another Old Testament source for the prohibition against breaking oaths, emphasizing the seriousness of performing what one has vowed, and directly connects to the 'perform to the Lord what you have sworn' part of Jesus' quote.
Matthew 23:16-22Here, Jesus confronts the Pharisees about their twisted logic regarding oaths, highlighting their attempts to evade vows by swearing by created things rather than God directly, which clarifies the 'swear not at all' command in Matthew 5.
James 5:12The Apostle James echoes Jesus' teaching directly, stating 'Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No,'' reinforcing the idea that simple, truthful speech should suffice and that oaths (or anything beyond that) come from the evil one.
barnesMatthew 5:33: "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:"
Thou shalt not forswear thyself - Christ here proceeds to correct another false interpretation of the law. The law respecting oaths is found in Leviticus 19:12 , and Deuteronomy 23:23 . By those laws people were forbid to perjure themselves, or to forswear, that is, swear falsely. Perform unto the Lord - Perform literally, really, and rel…
calvinMatthew 5:33-37: "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:"
- Again, ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not perjure thyself: but thou shalt perform to the Lord what thou hast sworn. 34. But I charge you, swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God: 35. Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King…
The common interpretation focuses on the prohibition against false oaths, but Jesus is actually addressing a far more subtle error: the Jewish practice of making many oaths in everyday conversation, believing that only oaths sworn by God's actual name were truly binding. He's correcting the casual disregard for any oath that wasn't explicitly "God's name," showing that even swearing by heaven or earth was a serious matter, an appeal to God's authority.
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, tackling misinterpretations of the Law common among religious leaders. Here, he addresses the commandment against false oaths, highlighting how the Jewish authorities had twisted it into a system of loopholes, allowing casual swearing by created things while claiming it wasn't truly binding. Jesus aims to restore the integrity and seriousness of all promises made in God's name.
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, tackling misinterpretations of the Law common among religious leaders. Here, he addresses the commandment against false oaths, highlighting how the Jewish authorities had twisted it into a system of loopholes, allowing casual swearing by created things while claiming it wasn't truly binding. Jesus aims to restore the integrity and seriousness of all promises made in God's name.
"“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’" — The common interpretation focuses on the prohibition against false oaths, but Jesus is actually addressing a far more subtle error: the Jewish practice of making many oaths in everyday conversation,…
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Last reviewed October 2026