Matthew 5:37 (DRB)

Passage

But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:35 Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: nor by Jerusalem, for 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 speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.

Matthew 5:38 You have heard that it hath been said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

Matthew 5:39 But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "speech", "over", "above", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "speech" and "over", 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 "You have heard that it hath been...", so "speech" and "over" 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 "over" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.