Matthew 5:37 (DBY)

Passage

But let your word be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; but what is more than these is from evil.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:37 But let your word be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; but what is more than these is from evil.

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it has been said, Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.

Matthew 5:39 But *I* say unto you, not to resist evil; but whoever shall strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "word", "than", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "word" and "than", 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 has been...", so "word" and "than" 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 "word" and "than" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.