Matthew 5:34 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "swear", "neither", "heaven", and "throne". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "swear" and "neither", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "Again ye have heard that it has..." into verse 35's "nor by the earth because it is...", so "swear" and "neither" 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 "swear" and "neither" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.