Matthew 5:33 (DBY)

Passage

Again, ye have heard that it has been said to the ancients, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt render to the Lord what thou hast sworn.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:31 It has been said too, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a letter of divorce.

Matthew 5:32 But *I* say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for cause of fornication, makes her commit adultery, and whosoever marries one that is put away commits adultery.

Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it has been said to the ancients, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt render to the Lord what thou hast sworn.

Matthew 5:34 But *I* say unto you, Do not swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is [the] throne of God;

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "again", "heard", "been", "said", "ancients", "thou", "shalt", and "forswear". 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 whosoever..." into verse 34's "But I say unto you Do 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.