Matthew 5:34 (GNV)

Passage

But I say vnto you, Sweare not at all, neither by heauen, for it is the throne of God:

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:32 But I say vnto you, whosoeuer shall put away his wife (except it be for fornication) causeth her to commit adulterie: and whosoeuer shall marrie her that is diuorced, committeth adulterie.

Matthew 5:33 Againe, ye haue heard that it was sayd to them of old time, Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe thine othes to the Lord.

Matthew 5:34 But I say vnto you, Sweare not at all, neither by heauen, for it is the throne of God:

Matthew 5:35 Nor yet by the earth: for it is his footestoole: neither by Hierusalem: for it is the citie of the great King.

Matthew 5:36 Neither shalt thou sweare by thine head, because thou canst not make one heare white or blacke.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "Againe ye haue heard that it was..." into verse 35's "Nor yet by the earth for it...", so "vnto" and "sweare" 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 "vnto" and "sweare" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.