Section 5:33–37
Jesus taught about making oaths
In this section, Jesus continued to explain the difference between the way that Jewish religious leaders interpreted the law of Moses and the correct interpretation of the law. Jewish teachers of the law said that there are two kinds of oaths. If a person made an oath in God’s name, he had to keep his promise. But if he made an oath in the name of something that did not use God’s name, he did not have to keep his promise. In this section, Jesus taught that we must keep our promises but not use oaths.
This teaching on oaths refers to making oaths when an oath is not required. Sometimes an oath is required by law, such as in speaking before a judge in court. Jesus himself spoke under oath in court (Matthew 26:63–64).
If people in your area will think that the teaching on oaths here is prohibiting all oaths, you may want to include a footnote. A sample footnote is:
This teaching on oaths refers to making oaths when an oath is not required. This teaching is not prohibiting making an oath when one is required, such as in speaking before a judge in court.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Keep your promises without using oaths
-or-
Stop using oaths
-or-
Teaching about oaths
Paragraph 5:33–37
5:33a
Again: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Again here indicates that Jesus would talk about another command.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
Also
-or-
Furthermore
you have heard that it was said to the ancients: This clause is the same as in 5:21. You should translate it the same way in both places.
5:33b
Do not break your oath: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do not break your oath:
(1) It refers to not keeping an oath or promise. For example:
Do not break your promise (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
(2) It refers to not giving false testimony. For example:
You shall not swear falsely (Revised Standard Version)
(Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English versions. It also fits the context better. In 5:34, Jesus continued by saying that his followers should not make any oaths at all.
break your oath: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as break your oath refers to a strong promise to do something using the name of God (or something related to God in some way). People made oaths to show that they were telling the truth or that they would keep their promise. If someone broke such an oath, it was considered a misuse of God’s name.
An oath is stronger than simply saying “I promise that I will do it.” An oath is a strong promise like “I swear to God that I will do it.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
You must not break your vows (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Do not break a promise/vow you have made in God’s name
5:33c
but: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between “breaking your oaths” in 5:33b and keeping them in 5:33c.
Here are some other ways to show this contrast:
however
-or-
rather
fulfill your vows to the Lord: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fulfill your vows to the Lord can also be translated as “keep the oaths you have made to the Lord” (as in the New International Version). This clause is the opposite of “break your oath” in 5:33b.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
fulfil your oaths (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
keep the promises that you make to the Lord in/using his name
-or-
do what you have sworn to the Lord that you would do
to the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Lord is here a title for God himself. The Greek word means “master,” “owner,” or “a person who has great authority.” If the word in your language for Lord is too general, you may want to include “God” in the way you translate it. For example:
the Lord God
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