Matthew 5 35

Matthew 5:35 kjv

Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:35 nkjv

nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:35 niv

or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

Matthew 5:35 esv

or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:35 nlt

And do not say, 'By the earth!' because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, 'By Jerusalem!' for Jerusalem is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5 verses

Matthew 5 35 Meaning

This verse expands upon Jesus' prohibition against making casual or insincere oaths. It specifically forbids swearing by the earth or by Jerusalem, grounding this prohibition in God's ultimate sovereignty. The earth is declared God's "footstool," signifying His complete dominion and ownership over all creation. Similarly, Jerusalem is designated as the "city of the great King," referring unequivocally to God Himself, indicating His special presence, authority, and rightful ownership over this holy place. By forbidding such oaths, Jesus challenges the cultural practice of assigning different levels of sanctity or binding power to various oaths. He insists that since all things ultimately belong to and are under the authority of God, any oath made by them indirectly involves God, thereby demanding absolute truthfulness in all speech and negating the need for any additional pledges or guarantees.

Matthew 5 35 Context

Matthew 5:35 is part of Jesus' iconic "Sermon on the Mount" (Matt 5-7), His pivotal discourse on the nature of righteousness for those in God's kingdom. Specifically, it falls within Jesus' fifth "antithesis" (Matt 5:33-37), where He confronts the prevailing interpretations of the Old Testament Law regarding oaths. Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who distinguished between oaths considered binding and those deemed negligible based on the object sworn by (e.g., the gold of the temple versus the temple itself), Jesus dismantles such legalistic distinctions. He emphasizes that all speech should reflect a fundamental commitment to truthfulness. This teaching challenges the societal norm where oaths were frequently used to bolster unreliable statements, advocating instead for an inherent honesty in believers that renders such embellishments unnecessary. By linking the earth and Jerusalem directly to God's universal and particular sovereignty, Jesus highlights that there is no 'neutral' object by which to swear, as all things derive their very existence and significance from the Creator.

Matthew 5 35 Word analysis

• Nor by the earth (μηδὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ - mēde en tē gē): The word "Nor" (μηδὲ) links this prohibition directly to the previous one in Matthew 5:34 regarding heaven, demonstrating that Jesus' injunction covers all parts of creation, from the celestial to the terrestrial. "Earth" refers to the entire planet and its elements. In the contemporary context, people commonly swore by elements of the natural world, assuming this to be less sacred or binding than an oath by God Himself. Jesus dismisses this distinction, emphasizing the profound sacredness inherent in all creation as God's handiwork.
• for it is His footstool (γάρ ἐστιν ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ - gar estin hypopodion tōn podōn autou): The Greek conjunction "gar" (for) introduces the theological basis for the prohibition. The imagery of a "footstool" is directly drawn from Old Testament scripture (e.g., Isa 66:1; Psa 110:1), depicting an ancient Near Eastern royal practice where a king would place his feet on a conquered foe or symbol of his domain. In this divine context, the earth being God's footstool signifies His absolute dominion, sovereign ownership, and complete authority over all creation. To swear by the earth is therefore to inadvertently swear by God, who is its supreme owner and ruler, rendering such oaths weighty beyond human attempts to make them otherwise.
• nor by Jerusalem (μηδὲ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις - mēde en Hierosolymois): This extends the prohibition from general creation to a specific, uniquely sacred location. Jerusalem was the spiritual, cultural, and political heart of Judaism, revered as the dwelling place of God's Temple and His presence. People swore by Jerusalem to invoke its holiness or a blessing, believing it could authenticate their statements.
• for it is the city of the great King (ὅτι ἐστὶν πόλις τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως - hoti estin polis tou megalou basileōs): The Greek "hoti" (for) again provides the divine rationale. This phrase directly alludes to Psalm 48:2, which identifies Jerusalem as "the city of our God" and "the city of the great King." This "Great King" is God Himself, emphasizing His supreme reign and personal connection to Jerusalem. To swear by Jerusalem is, therefore, to swear by the city directly governed by the Most High King, an act that implies invoking God's very authority and presence.

• Words-group Analysis:
• "Nor by the earth… nor by Jerusalem": This pairing demonstrates that whether one attempts to swear by something vast and seemingly general ("the earth") or something distinct and supremely sacred ("Jerusalem"), all things are fundamentally connected to God's sovereignty. There is no category of creation or human construct that falls outside His ultimate authority and ownership, thus rendering any oath made by them ultimately an appeal to God Himself.
• "His footstool" and "city of the great King": These two powerful, allusive phrases underscore the singular reason for Jesus' prohibition: God's universal, active, and inescapable dominion. They highlight that every element of the cosmos, from the humblest piece of ground to the holiest city, is impregnated with the divine presence and subject to the divine will. The very things people might use as "lesser" objects of oath are, in reality, direct testimonies to God's unparalleled greatness and reign.

Matthew 5 35 Bonus section

This verse powerfully integrates Old Testament theology into Jesus' New Covenant teaching, affirming God's immutable character and sovereignty across both testaments. By quoting or alluding to Old Testament passages like Isaiah 66:1 and Psalm 48:2, Jesus grounds His revolutionary ethics in established divine truth, emphasizing continuity rather than outright novelty. The deeper implication of the prohibition extends beyond just verbal oaths; it challenges any attempt to segment life into secular and sacred realms where different standards of truthfulness might apply. If the entire earth is God's footstool, and even the holy city belongs utterly to Him, then every word, every act, and every facet of existence falls under His purview and judgment. This perspective calls for a life of constant awareness of God's omnipresence and universal claim. It teaches that one's commitment to truth is not merely a social courtesy but a profound spiritual matter, directly related to one's reverence for God. A life lived recognizing God's absolute ownership over all things will naturally manifest integrity in speech, because to utter a falsehood while invoking anything in creation is to subtly disrespect the Creator Himself. The essence is cultivating such intrinsic honesty that external guarantees become superfluous, reflecting a kingdom standard of unwavering righteousness.

Matthew 5 35 Commentary

Matthew 5:35, as part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, serves not merely as a legalistic prohibition against certain forms of speech but as a radical redefinition of integrity and truthfulness for His followers. Jesus forbids swearing by the earth and Jerusalem, revealing a profound theological principle: nothing in creation exists independently of God's direct sovereignty. The earth is declared God's "footstool," a symbol of His complete dominion and ownership, indicating that every speck of creation is under His control. Similarly, Jerusalem, while holy to man, is fundamentally the "city of the great King" – God Himself – underscoring that even humanity's most cherished and sacred places derive their significance entirely from Him. The core message is that all things are inherently sacred by virtue of God's ownership and constant presence. Therefore, to swear by anything in creation is to swear, whether directly or indirectly, by the Creator Himself. This necessitates an uncompromising commitment to truth in every word spoken, rendering complex systems of oaths and distinctions between them utterly obsolete. Believers are called to a character of such transparent honesty that their simple "Yes" or "No" is inherently reliable, needing no external oath for validation because their lives reflect the truthfulness of God Himself. This demands a transformed heart, where words are consistently aligned with truth, honoring God's pervasive dominion.