Matthew 5:37 (ASV)

Passage

But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil [one].

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:37 But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil [one].

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

Matthew 5:39 but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "speech", "whatsoever", "than", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "speech" and "whatsoever", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head..." into verse 38's "Ye have heard that it was said...", so "speech" and "whatsoever" 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 "speech" and "whatsoever" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.