Matthew 5:33 (ASV)

Passage

Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:31 It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

Matthew 5:32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.

Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Matthew 5:34 but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;

Matthew 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "again", "heard", "said", "time", "thou", "shalt", "forswear", and "thyself". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "again" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "but I say unto you that every..." into verse 34's "but I say unto you swear not...", so "again" and "heard" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "again" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.