Matthew 5:37 (YLT)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:38 `Ye heard that it was said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth;

Matthew 5:39 but I--I say to you, not to resist the evil, but whoever shall slap thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other;

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "nor by thy head mayest thou swear..." into verse 38's "Ye heard that it was said Eye...", so "word" and "than" 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 "word" and "than" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.