Matthew 5:33 (KJV)

Passage

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

Matthew 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

Matthew 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "again", "heard", "hath", "been", "said", "time", "thou", and "shalt". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "again" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "But I say unto you That whosoever..." into verse 34's "But I say unto you Swear not...", so "again" and "heard" 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 "again" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.