Matthew 5:33-37
Chapter 5
33
You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept.
34
But I tell you this: do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne;
35
nor by the earth, because it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king.
36
Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Commentaries
Jesus and the Law.
Jesus clarifies his view on the Law, the Torah. First, he discusses it in general, including all Scripture in the well-known phrase “the Law and the Prophets”; then, in six clearly defined contrasts, highlighted by Matthew’s famous antitheses: “You have heard that it was said… but I say to you.” Jesus speaks with authority that goes beyond the old legislation.
Jesus restores the commandments to their core and ultimate purpose: serving life, justice, love, and truth. He does not oppose the old Law with a new one but transforms it and brings it to fulfillment. At the heart is sacred respect for the person and a denunciation of anything that, even if disguised by legality, attacks their dignity.