< < Matthew 5:37 >>

New International Version (©1984)
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

New Living Translation (©2007)
Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Let what you say be simply ?Yes? or ?No?; anything more than this comes from evil.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes ‘ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

International Standard Version (©2008)
Instead, let your message be ‘Yes’ for ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ for ‘No.’ Anything more than that comes from the evil one.”

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But your statement shall be, ?Yes, yes? and, ?No, no?; anything more than these is from The Evil One.

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Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible

Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay – That is, a positive affirmation, or negation, according to your knowledge of the matter concerning which you are called to testify. Do not equivocate; mean what you assert, and adhere to your assertion. Hear what a heathen says on this subject: –

? ? ,

?’ , ?.

Hom. Il. ix. 312

“He whose words agree not with his private thoughts is as detestable to me as the gates of hell.”

See on Joshua 2 (note) at the end.

See the subject of swearing particularly considered in the note at the conclusion of Deuteronomy 6 (note).

Whatsoever is more than these – That is, more than a bare affirmation or negation, according to the requirements of Eternal Truth, cometh of evil; or, is of the wicked one – , i.e. the devil, the father of superfluities and lies. One of Selden’s MSS. and Gregory Nyssen, a commentator of the fourth century, have , is of the devil.

That the Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, for which our Lord particularly reprehends them, and warns his disciples against, and that they swore by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, by their head, etc., the following extracts, made by Dr. Lightfoot from their own writings, amply testify: –

“It was customary and usual among them to swear by the creatures. ‘If any swear by heaven, by earth, by the sun, etc., although the mind of the swearer be, under these words, to swear by Him who created them, yet this is not an oath. Or, if any swear by some of the prophets, or by some of the books of the Scripture, although the sense of the swearer be to swear by Him that sent that prophet, or that gave that book, nevertheless, this is not an oath. Maimonides.’

“If any adjure another by heaven or earth, he is not guilty. Talmud.

“They swore by Heaven, ? hashshamayim, ken hu, ‘By heaven, so it is.’ Bab. Berac.

“They swore by the Temple. ‘When turtles and young pigeons were sometimes sold at Jerusalem for a penny of gold, Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said, By this habitation (that is, by this Temple) I will not rest this night, unless they be sold for a penny of silver.’ Cherituth, cap. i.

“R. Zechariah ben Ketsab said, ‘By this Temple, the hand of the woman departed not out of my hand.’

continued…

Wesley’s Notes

5:37 Let your conversation be yea, yea; nay, nay – That is, in your common discourse, barely affirm or deny.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

5:33-37 There is no reason to consider that solemn oaths in a court of justice, or on other proper occasions, are wrong, provided they are taken with due reverence. But all oaths taken without necessity, or in common conversation, must be sinful, as well as all those expressions which are appeals to God, though persons think thereby to evade the guilt of swearing. The worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less there is need for them. Our Lord does not enjoin the precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, but such a constant regard to truth as would render oaths unnecessary.

On this day...

• Joshua 4 - 2023
• Joshua 3 - 2023
• 1 Peter 4:6 - 2011
• MANNA - 2010
• LIAR - 2010
• INTERCESSION - 2010
• HATE - 2010
• GROW - 2010
• GIFT - 2010
• Victory Assured - 2008