Matthew 5:37 (LSB)

Passage

But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "statement", "anything", "beyond", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "statement" and "anything", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "Nor shall you make an oath by..." into verse 38's "You have heard that it was said...", so "statement" and "anything" 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 "statement" and "anything" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.