Matthew 5:35 is part of Jesus’ teaching that his followers should not make oaths that rely on something bigger than themselves to back up their word. In the verse, he rules out swearing by the earth and by Jerusalem as ways of guaranteeing a promise. The words are spoken by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount, addressed to the crowds and his disciples gathered on the 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
Jesus is continuing a point he has just made in verse 34, where he tells his listeners not to swear by heaven. Here he names two more things people commonly used as witnesses: the earth and the city of Jerusalem. He describes the earth as God’s footstool and Jerusalem as the city of the great King. In both cases, the image points back to God, who is the true owner of everything, so calling on them to vouch for you is really calling on God without saying his name.
The verse does not forbid speaking seriously or keeping your word. What Jesus is challenging is the habit of dressing up a promise with impressive oaths in order to make it sound more trustworthy. The deeper concern is honesty, so that an ordinary “yes” or “no” carries real weight without needing anything added. The verse does not promise that every oath is automatically sinful in every setting, since Scripture elsewhere records oaths made before God. It speaks to the everyday manipulation of truth through oath-making.
The Context of Matthew 5:35
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish followers of Jesus, and the Sermon on the Mount presents him as a teacher greater than Moses, who is giving the true meaning of the Law. In this section, Jesus repeatedly contrasts what “was said of old” with what he now says, moving from outward rules toward the heart. Verses 33 to 37 deal with vows, and verse 35 sits in the middle of a list of oaths people used to avoid saying God’s name directly.
Just before the verse, Jesus has said that his listeners should not swear at all. Just after it, he tells them that their “yes” should be “yes” and their “no” should be “no,” and that anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Read in that flow, verse 35 is not a separate rule about geography but one example in a larger call toward plain, reliable speech. The sequence shows that the goal is a life so truthful that extra oaths become unnecessary.
Key Phrases in Matthew 5:35
James 5:12
But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”; so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.
(WEB)
James repeats the teaching against swearing in nearly the same words, showing that the early church carried this concern forward. He adds that your “yes” and “no” should be simple and reliable, which echoes the call to honest speech in Matthew 5:35.
Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who do the truth are his delight.
(WEB)
This proverb links truthfulness to the character of God and to the way faithful people speak. It helps explain why Jesus cares so much about words that can be trusted without extra support, since lying lips are a serious problem in Scripture.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 5:35
Lord, you are the great King, and the earth is your footstool, so nothing I could use to back up my word is truly mine to offer. Forgive me for the times I have added oaths or dramatic promises to make myself sound more believable. Teach me to speak plainly and to keep my word, so that my “yes” can be trusted and my “no” can be honored. Let my life be honest enough that I never need to borrow weight from anything but you. Amen.
