Matthew 5:35 (YLT)

Passage

nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of a great king,

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:33 `Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths;

Matthew 5:34 but I--I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of God,

Matthew 5:35 nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of a great king,

Matthew 5:36 nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black;

Matthew 5:37 but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "earth", "footstool", "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--I say to you not to..." into verse 36's "nor by thy head mayest thou swear...", 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.