Matthew 5:34 (WEB)
but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
Catechism · 3
The Second Commandment
“Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one."” — Catechism footnote: Mt 5:33-34, 37; Cf. Jas 5:12.
The Fifth Commandment
“Going further, Christ asks his disciples to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 5:22-39; 5:44.
Jesus and Israel
“But I say to you. . ."” — Catechism footnote: Mt 5:33-34.
Fathers and councils · 33
Irenaeus of Lyons
“He says: “Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
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Jerome
“…fasting;who calls them blessed that hunger and thirst;who says that He has food, not that which the disciples surmised, but such as would not perish for ever;who forbids us to think of the morrow; who, though He is said to have hungered and thirsted, and to have gone frequently to various meals, except in celebrating…” — editor's note: S. Matt. v. 34. (Rather, not to be anxious about it.)
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Ambrose of Milan
“The Lord therefore in the Gospel bids us not to swear at all, that there be no cause for perjury, and no need of offending.” — editor's note: S. Matt. v. 34.
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Origen
- Origen, De Principiis II.1Book II
“…and by the Saviour’s words, when He says that we are to swear “neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool.”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis II.4Book II
“…down respecting oaths, saying that we ought not to “swear either by heaven, because it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, because it is His footstool,” harmonize most clearly with the words of the prophet, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool?”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34, 35.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis IV.1Book IV
“…no doubt can be entertained that very many of these are to be literally observed, as, e.g., when our Lord says, “But I say unto you, Swear not at all;” and when He says, “Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart;” the admonitions also which are…” — editor's note: Cf. Matt. v. 34.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis IV.2Book IV
“And again, “But I say unto you, Swear not at all.”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Man is justly forbidden to swear: lest by the habit of swearing, since a man may be deceived, he fall into perjury.” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
Read the whole comment“Doth the Lord, who forbiddeth men to swear, Himself swear?” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
Read the whole comment“And this indeed came of evil, as it is said, “Whatever is more than these is of evil:” not however from evil of his own, but from the evil of infirmity which was in them, in whom he even in this way endeavored to work faith.” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34, 37
Read the whole comment“But another saith, it is to be so taken as the Apostle Paul took our Lord’s saying, “But I say unto you, Swear not at all.”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34
Read the whole comment“…passage our Lord also bears testimony, when He says, “Swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool,”—what wonder if the devil, being placed on earth, stood before the feet of God, and spoke something in His presence?” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34, 35.
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John Chrysostom
“But I say unto you, swear not at all.”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 33, 34.
Read the whole comment“Thus, both when He was speaking of Jerusalem, He called it “the city of the Great King;”and when He mentioned Heaven, He spake of it again as “God’s throne;”and when He was discoursing of His economy in the world, to Him again He attributes it all, saying, “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and…” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
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Basil the Great
“Swearing is absolutely forbidden, and it is only reasonable that the oath which tends to evil should be condemned.” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
Read the whole comment“Oaths were shunned by Gregory, that pure soul, worthy of the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, content with yea and nay, in accordance with the commandment of the Lord Who said, “I say unto you swear not at all.”” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34.
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Tertullian
“In the next place proceeding to mendacity, the minister of covetousness (of false swearing I am silent, since even swearing is not lawful)—is trade adapted for a servant of God?” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34–37; Jas. v. 12.
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Cyprian of Carthage
“But let your discourse be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: (for whatever is fuller than these is of evil.”)” — editor's note: Matt. v. 34–37. All these passages are wanting in the Oxford text; [also in ed. Paris, 1574].
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Lord has hitherto taught to abstain from injuring our neighbour, forbidding anger with murder, lust with adultery, and the putting away a wife with a bill of divorce. He now proceeds to teach to abstain from…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
This was allowed under the Law, as to children; as they offered sacrifice to God, that they might not do it to idols, so they were permitted to swear by God; not that the thing was right, but that it were better done…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For no man can swear often, but he must sometimes forswear himself; as he who has a custom of much speaking will sometimes speak foolishly.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Inasmuch as the sin of perjury is a grievous sin, he must be further removed from it who uses no oath, than he who is ready to swear on every occasion, and the Lord would rather that we should not swear and keep…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
This precept also confirms the righteousness of the Pharisees, not to forswear; inasmuch as he who swears not at all cannot forswear himself. But as to call God to witness is to swear, does not the Apostle break this…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
But what we could not understand by mere words, from the conduct of the saints we may gather in what sense should be understood what might easily be drawn the contrary way, unless explained by example. The Apostle…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Therefore in his writings, as writing allows of greater circumspection, the Apostle is found to have used an oath in several places, that none might suppose that there is any direct sin in swearing what is true; but…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Lastly, consider that the Saviour does not here forbid to swear by God, but by the Heaven, the Earth, by Jerusalem, by a man’s head. For this evil practice of swearing by the elements the Jews had always, and are…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or; It is added, “By the Heaven, &c.” because the Jews did not consider themselves bound when they swore by such things. As if He had said, When you swear by the Heaven and the Earth, think not that you do not owe…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Note how He exalts the elements of the world, not from their own nature, but from the respect which they have to God, so that there is opened no occasion of idolatry.
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Having forbidden swearing, He instructs us how we ought to speak, “Let your speech be yea, yea; nay, nay.” That is, to affirm any thing it is sufficient to say, ‘It is so;’ to deny, to say, ‘It is not so.’ Or, “yea,…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
Otherwise; They who live in the simplicity of the faith have not need to swear, with them ever, what is is, what is not is not; by this their life and their conversation are ever preserved in truth.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Therefore Evangelic verity does not admit an oath, since the whole discourse of the faithful is instead of an oath.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
And he who has learned that an oath is to be reckoned not among things good, but among things necessary, will restrain himself as much as he may, not to use an oath without necessity, unless he sees men loth to…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or; “of evil,” that is, from their weakness to whom the Law permitted the use of an oath. Not that by this the old Law is signified to be from the Devil, but He leads us from the old imperfection to the new abundance.
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Cross-references · 25
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.
Cited together in Concerning Virgins III.6.
Cited together in Concerning Virgins III.6.
Cited together in Concerning Virgins III.6.
Cited together in Concerning Virgins III.6.
Cited together in Concerning Virgins III.6.
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.
Cited together in On Lying Chapter 28.
Cited together in Letters Letter 207.
Cited together in Letters Letter 207.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 5:33–37 (2) (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in On Lying Chapter 37.
Cited together in On Lying Chapter 28.
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.
Cited together in Catechism §2153 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.13.
Cited together in Glossa Ordinaria on Matthew 5:33–37 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in De Principiis II.1.
Cited together in Letters Letter 207.
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.
Cited together in On Lying Chapter 37.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.13.
Cited together in Letters Letter 199.