Matthew 5:35 is part of Jesus’ teaching that his followers should not use oaths to make their words sound more trustworthy. He says that swearing by the earth or by Jerusalem is still an appeal to something that belongs to God, so it does not make a promise any more binding. The words come from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus speaks to a crowd of disciples and listeners gathered on a hillside in Galilee.
Nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Matthew 5:35 (WEB)
What Matthew 5:35 Means
In the verse, Jesus names two things people commonly swore by: the earth and Jerusalem. He explains that the earth is God’s footstool, and Jerusalem is the city of the great King. In both cases, the thing invoked belongs to God, so swearing by it is a way of calling God as a witness without saying his name. Jesus is pointing out that an oath which leans on God’s property still leans on God.
The verse does not forbid speaking seriously or telling the truth under pressure. It does not promise that a person’s word will be believed simply because they refuse to swear. What it addresses is a habit of using impressive language to cover a lack of honesty. Jesus wants a person’s plain word to be reliable enough that extra vows are unnecessary.
The Context of Matthew 5:35
Matthew, traditionally identified as the tax collector who became one of the twelve apostles, wrote this Gospel mainly for a community of Jewish followers of Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount opens the first major teaching section of the book, and in it Jesus repeatedly contrasts what “was said of old” with his own deeper instruction about the heart. Verses 33 to 37 deal specifically with oaths and vows.
Just before verse 35, Jesus refers to the commandment not to break vows made to the Lord. He does not cancel that command but moves it inward, so that honesty becomes a matter of character rather than careful wording. Right after verse 37, he turns to the principle of retaliation, which shows that his concern throughout this passage is with truthfulness, restraint, and a trustworthy life.
Key Phrases in Matthew 5:35
Matthew 5:37
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
(WEB)
Verse 37 finishes the thought that verse 35 begins. Jesus asks for speech so consistent that a simple yes or no is enough, and he says anything beyond that comes from the evil one. Reading the two together shows that the problem is not the words themselves but the attempt to manufacture trust through them.
Numbers 30:2
When a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
(WEB)
This passage from the Law sets out that a person who makes a vow to the Lord must not break it. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 builds on this seriousness about vows, moving the focus from formal oath wording to the integrity of the heart behind every promise.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 5:35
Lord, you are the King over heaven and earth, and nothing I own is truly mine to pledge. Forgive me for the times I have reached for stronger words because my plain word did not feel like enough. Make my yes be yes and my no be no, so that people can rely on what I say without needing anything more. Shape my speech and my heart so that I tell the truth quietly and faithfully every day. Amen.
