SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:34
Mas yo os digo: No juris en ninguna manera; ni por el cielo, porque es el trono de Dios;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:34
Verse 34. - 35. Neither by heaven, &c.] It was a custom among the Scythians, when they wished to bind themselves in the most solemn manner, to swear by the king's throne; and if the king was at any time sick, they believed it was occasioned by some one's having taken the oath falsely. Herod. l. iv. Who is there among the traders and people of this world who obey this law? A common swearer is constantly perjuring himself: such a person should never be trusted. When we make any promise contrary to the command of God, taking, as a pledge of our sincerity, either GOD, or something belonging to him, we engage that which is not ours, without the Master's consent. God manifests his glory in heaven, as upon his throne; he imprints the footsteps of his perfections upon the earth, his footstool; and shows that his holiness and his grace reign in his temple as the place of his residence. Let it be our constant care to seek and honour God in all his works.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 34. But I say unto you, swear not at all , etc.] Which must not be understood in the strictest sense, as though it was not lawful to take an oath upon any occasion, in an affair of moment, in a solemn serious manner, and in the name of God; which may be safely done: but of rash swearing, about trivial matters, and by the creatures; as appears by what follows, neither by heaven ; which is directly contrary to the Jewish canons f326 , which say, they that swear ymb , by heaven, and by earth, are free.
Upon the words in ( Song of Solomon 2:7), I adjure you, etc. it is asked f327 , by what does she adjure them? R. Eliezer says, by the heavens, and by the earth; by the hosts, the host above, and the host below.
So Philo the Jew says that the most high and ancient cause need not to be immediately mentioned in swearing; but the earth, the sun, the stars, ouranon , heaven, and the whole world. So R. Aben Ezra, and R. David Kimchi, explain ( Amos 4:2). The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness; that is, say they, ymb , by heaven: which may be thought to justify them, in this form of swearing; though they did not look upon it as a binding oath, and therefore if broken they were not criminal f329 . He that swears ymb by heaven, and by the earth, and by the sun, and the like; though his intention is nothing less than to him that created them, this is no oath.
The reason why it is forbidden by Christ to swear by heaven, is, for it is Gods throne ; referring to ( Isaiah 66:1) where he sits, the glory of his majesty shines forth, and is itself glorious and excellent, and not to be mentioned in a vain way; and especially, for the reason Christ elsewhere gives, ( Matthew 23:22) that he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon; so that they doubly sinned, first, by openly swearing by that which is Gods creature; and then, by tacitly bringing God into their rash and vain oaths.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 commo conversation, must be sinful, as well as all those expressions whic 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 no enjoin the precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, but such constant regard to truth as would render oaths unnecessary.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 P-1NS δε 1161 CONJ λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S υμιν 5213 P-2DP μη 3361 PRT-N ομοσαι 3660 5658 V-AAN ολως 3654 ADV μητε 3383 CONJ εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSM ουρανω 3772 N-DSM οτι 3754 CONJ θρονος 2362 N-NSM εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:34 {Swear not at all} (me omosai holws). More exactly "not to swear at all" (indirect command, and aorist infinitive). Certainly Jesus does not prohibit oaths in a court of justice for he himself answered Caiaphas on oath. Paul made solemn appeals to God (#1Th 5:27; 1Co 15:31). Jesus prohibits all forms of profanity. The Jews were past-masters in the art of splitting hairs about allowable and forbidden oaths or forms of profanity just as modern Christians employ a great variety of vernacular "cuss-words" and excuse themselves because they do not use the more flagrant forms.
