What is the meaning of Matthew 5:34?

But I tell you

Jesus speaks with divine authority, not merely offering an opinion.

• His words override the traditional rabbinic teaching just quoted (v. 33), showing that He fulfills and clarifies the Law (Matthew 5:17).

• Other moments when He authoritatively says “I tell you” include Matthew 5:22, 28 and Matthew 7:29, underscoring that His voice is the decisive standard.

• John 12:49–50 reminds us that the Father’s command is in every word Jesus utters, so we can receive this instruction as the very voice of God.

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not to swear at all

The command is comprehensive; Jesus removes every loophole.

• Leviticus 19:12 forbade false swearing, but people still took casual oaths; Christ shuts that door completely.

• James 5:12 echoes Him: “Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or any other oath.”

• The point is truthful speech that needs no embellishment (Ephesians 4:25). Our simple “Yes” or “No” should be so trustworthy that no oath is required.

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either by heaven

First-century Jews often used substitutes for God’s name, thinking it less binding.

• Matthew 23:16-22 details these evasive formulas (“by the temple,” “by the altar”) and shows Jesus dismantling them.

• Swearing by created things still invokes the Creator, so the dodge fails.

• Revelation 10:6 illustrates an angel swearing “by Him who lives forever,” reminding us that the only rightful object of an oath is God Himself.

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for it is God’s throne

Jesus exposes why swearing by heaven is still sacred.

• Isaiah 66:1—“Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool”—links the place to the Person.

• Acts 7:49 cites the same verse, affirming heaven’s intimate connection to God’s sovereignty.

• By calling heaven “God’s throne,” Jesus teaches reverence; every casual oath drags the holy into the ordinary.

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summary

Matthew 5:34 shuts down every attempt to prop up our words with oaths. Because heaven is God’s throne, even indirect vows still invoke His name. Therefore, followers of Christ must speak plainly and truthfully, relying on integrity rather than oaths to guarantee honesty.