Matthew 5:35 (WEB)

Passage

nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4

Matthew 5:34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

Matthew 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "earth", "footstool", "feet", "jerusalem", "city", "great", and "king". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "earth" and "footstool", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 34's "but I tell you don t swear..." into verse 36's "Neither shall you swear by your head...", so "earth" and "footstool" 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 "earth" and "footstool" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.