The Sermon on the MountNäide

Oaths

Do not break your oath means "to go against the oath". The ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16) was about bearing false witness, while the third commandment (Exodus 20:7) forbade the misuse of the Lord's name. These two commandments were applied to exhort people to keep their vows to the Lord (Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21).

It seems, however, that the combination of Do not break your oath with the phrase fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made had been taken to mean that oaths made to men were of lesser importance. In fact, the Pharisees had found the loophole: swearing not "by God" but "by heaven" or something else, meant that this obligation of the Law need not apply (Matthew 23:16-22). Believers must always speak clearly and simply to demonstrate their sincerity (2 Corinthians 1:17-20; James 5:12).

Jesus' advice not to use oaths is not applicable to official oaths, such as those taken in court, which are used by others to verify the truthfulness of a statement or testimony. Jesus himself was put under oath by the High Priest, and even though He had not spoken before, He agreed to answer after hearing a public charge to testify (Leviticus 5:1; Matthew 26:62-64).

It is therefore a matter of avoiding those oaths or curses that people use of their own free will to reinforce what they say. Matthew Henry, the Bible commentator, says in this regard, "An oath is a remedy that presupposes a disease." Lies, deception, and the distorted use of truth are diseases that the believer should not suffer from.

• What is your speech like?
• Full of expressions such as "I swear to you", or the truth without embellishments?