Matt. 5:33-37: Learning how to swear biblically

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Not coincidentally, Yeshua’s warning about taking oaths in Matthew 5 follows His reminder that God’s allowance for divorce is very narrow. Marriage vows are serious business, and oaths to or referencing God are even more grave.

“ ‘Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not make false vows [ἐπιορκήσεις] [Lev. 19:12], but shall fulfill your vows [ὅρκους] to the Lord” [Deut. 30:2]. ³⁴ But I say to you, make no oath [ὀμόσαι] at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. ³⁶ Nor shall you make an oath [ὀμόσῃς] by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ “But let your statement be, “Yes, yes” or “No, no”; anything beyond these is of evil.’ ” (Matt. 5:33–37)

“ ‘Woe to you, blind guides, who say, “Whoever swears [ὀμόσῃ] by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears [ὀμόσῃ] by the gold of the temple is obligated.” ¹⁷ You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? ¹⁸ And, “Whoever swears [ὀμόσῃ] by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears [ὀμόσῃ] by the offering on it, he is obligated.” ¹⁹ “You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? ²⁰ Therefore, whoever swears [ὀμόσας] by the altar, swears [ὀμνύει] both by the altar and by everything on it. ²¹ And whoever swears [ὀμόσας] by the temple, swears [ὀμνύει] both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. ²² And whoever swears [ὀμόσας] by heaven, swears [ὀμνύει] both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.’ ” (Matt. 23:16–22)

Oaths vs. vows
- In Matt. 5:33, the Greek compound word ἐπιορκέω epiorkeō (G1964) means swear falsely. It’s derived from¹:
  - ἐπί epi (G1909), a preposition whose base meaning on or upon.
    - It is used to communicate about, above, against, beyond, under, etc.
  - ὅρκος horkos (G3727), which literally means to shut in or out.
    - The word comes from ἔργω ergo, which means work.
      - Using the sense of put to work, ergo comes into English from Latin for therefore.
    - Horkos appears 57 times in the LXX.²
      - A common use for it is to translate באר שׁבע Beer-Sheba, or the Well of the Oath, in the Torah and in Amos 5:5.
        
        שְׁבוּעָה shevu’ah (H7621) for oath or curse, comes from שבוע for seven.
        
        In the rest of the TaNaKh and in Amos 8:14, the transliteration βηρσαβεε Bersabee is used.
      - Horkos and ὀμνύω omnuō are used in the LXX to translate the Hebrew שְׁבוּעָה shevu’ah in the TaNaKh.
        
        Because the LXX tends to be a thought-for-thought, or dynamic, translation, it makes sense as to why the two Greek words translate one Hebrew word.
- ὀμνύω omnuō (G3660) means to swear; to affirm, promise, threaten, with an oath.³
  - In other words, to omnuo is to vow with an oath.
  - In the LXX, omnumi is used 179 times.⁴
- Hebrew: נֶדֶר neder (H5088), from the verb נָדַר nadar (H5087) to make a vow.
  - Neder is used 91 times in the TaNaKh.⁵
  - Usually, it refers to a promise sealed with an offering, as in a nazir’s gift of service and hair and in Channah’s gift of Samuel in service, described like that of a nazir.
The citation on vows in Matt. 5:33 comes from Lev. 19:12 and largely Num. 30:2.“ ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. ¹² You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.’ ” (Lev 19:11–12)
“ ‘If a man makes a vow [נֵדֶר] to the LORD, or takes an oath [שְׁבוּעָה] to bind [אָסַר] himself with a binding obligation [אִסָּר], he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.’ ” (Num. 30:2)
Note in the passage from Leviticus 19, a chapter about living differently from the world — being holy — and as a consequence, loving your neighbor as if he were yourself (Lev. 19:18), relates to oaths taken in God’s name (e.g., “… I swear to God” added to the end of a statement as a stamp of authenticity). Making God’s name of no effect is a big no-no.“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Ex. 20:7; cf. Deut. 5:11)

take = נָשָׂא, נָסָא nas’a (H5375), means “to lift, carry, take”
vain = שָׁוְא shaw’e, shav’e (H7723), means emptiness, vanity, destruction or worthless, unrestrained, the latter sense sometimes used to communicate deceitful.⁶

leave him unpunished = נָקָה naqah (H5352, 667a), means to be empty or clean, i.e., not guilty.
So, one who carries the name of the Lord with behavior that destroys or makes worthless the reputation of God won’t be declared not guilty of doing so. It’s not a light matter to destroy the reputation of the Creator and Savior of the world.
Other passages refer to God’s expectation that oaths and vows be completed.
- “ ‘When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. ²² However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. ²³You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised.’ ” (Deut. 23:21–23)
  - This is mentioned just after not charging interest to fellow Israelites in the Land, which is an inheritance from God, and just before not eating more than you need to avoid hunger when traveling through a vineyard.
  - These are instructions regarding societal contracts between people and between people and God.
- Psalm 50 by Asaph offers an interesting parallel between fulfilling vows and wickedness.The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. ² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. ³ May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him. ⁴ He summons the heavens above, And the earth, to judge His people: ⁵ ‘Gather My godly ones to Me, Those who have made a covenant [ברית] with Me by sacrifice.’ ⁶ And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah.
  ⁷ ‘Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God. ⁸ I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me. ⁹ I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. ¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹ I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. ¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. ¹³ Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats? ¹⁴ “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay [שָׁלֵם] your vows [נֶדֶר] to the Most High; ¹⁵ Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.’
  ¹⁶ But to the wicked God says, ‘What right have you to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth? ¹⁷ For you hate discipline, And you cast My words behind you. ¹⁸ When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, And you associate with adulterers. ¹⁹ You let your mouth loose in evil And your tongue frames deceit. ²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son. ²¹ These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes. ²² Now consider this, you who forget God, Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver. ²³ He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation [ישע] of God.’ ” (Psa. 50:1–23)
  - Note how the “wicked” make vain the statutes and covenant of God by talking about them without a lifestyle that incorporates them.
  - שלם salam, from which comes שלום shalom, is commonly used for “pay your vows.”
    - Salam means to be complete or sound. So, biblical paying of vows is to complete them, usually to give what one promised God.
    - In 1^st Sam. 1:11, Channah gives Samuel as a neder to God in her request to have a son.
- In a passage about avoiding empty worship of God in Ecclesiastes 5, the Qohelet (Preacher) admonishes Israel that just as empty prayers are an offense, so are empty vows, or empty, promises of gifts to God.Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. ² Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. ³ For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. ⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! ⁵ It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶ Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.” (Eccl. 5:1–7)
Some commentators on Matthew have claimed that Yeshua’s warning about vows and oaths abrogates the Torah’s instruction about vows and oaths.
- However, these instructions concern follow-through on oaths and vows taken, not the necessity of making them.
- Apostle Ya’akov and Proverbs contain similar warnings:
  - It is a trap for a man to say rashly [יָלַע fromלעע], ‘It is holy!’ And after the vows [נֵדֶר] to make inquiry.” (Prov. 20:25)
  - Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. ¹⁰ As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. ¹² But above all, my brethren, do not swear [ὀμνύω], either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath [ὅρκος]; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.” (Jas. 5:9–12)
- The sages also warned about making vows and taking oaths⁷:
  - Are not the prohibitions laid down in the Torah sufficient for you, that you should seek to impose upon yourselves still other prohibitions?” (y. Nedarim 9:1)
  - Is it not written [Deut. 23:22], ‘If you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you’? And further written [Eccl. 5:5], ‘It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.’ And it has been taught, ‘Better than both is he who does not vow at all!’ This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir.” (b. Chullin 2a)
  - It was taught, ‘Never make a practice of vowing, for ultimately you will trespass in the matter of oaths.’ ” (b. Nedarim 20a)
  - Rabbi Nathan said, ‘Whoever vows is as though he built a high place.’ ” (b. Nedarim 60b)
  - Rabbi Eleazar said, ‘ “No” is an oath and “Yes” is an oath.” (b. Shevu’ot 36a)
  - Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel ben Yitzchak, ‘The “Yes” of the righteous is a yes, and the “No” of the righteous is a no.” (Ruth Rabbah 7:6)
    - Josephus records that the Essenes took this approach.
- That applies to things dedicated to God, as seen in the Matthew 23 passage quoted at the outset of this discussion.

Notes

1 NAS Greek, ἐπιορκέω, ἐπί, ὅρκος

2 Horkos in the LXX: Gen. 21:14, 32–33; 22:19; 24:8; 26:3, 23, 33; 28:10; 46:1, 5; Ex. 13:19; 22:10; Lev. 5:4; Num. 5:21; 30:3, 11, 14; Deut 7:8; Josh. 2:17, 19–20; 8:20; Judg. 21:5; 1 Sam. 14:26; 2 Sam 21:7; 1 Kgs 2:43; 1 Chr 16:16; 2 Chr 15:15; Neh. 10:30; Jdt. 8:11, 30; 1 Macc 7:18; 2 Macc 4:34; 7:24; 14:32; 15:10; 3 Macc. 5:42; 4 Macc. 5:29; Psa. 104:9; Prayer of Manasseh 9:73; Prov. 29:24; Eccl. 8:2; 9:2; Wis. 12:21; 18:6, 22; Sir. 23:9; 44:21; Psa. Sol. 4:4; 8:10; Amos 5:5; Zech. 8:17; Jer. 11:5; Dan. 9:11; 11:18.

3 Thayer, Joseph H., D.D., ed. ὀμνύω Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Public domain.

4 Omnumi in the LXX: Gen. 21:23–24, 31; 22:16; 24:7, 9; 25:33; 26:3, 31; 31:53; 47:31; 50:24; Ex. 13:5, 11; 22:7; 32:13; 33:1; Lev. 5:4, 22, 24; 19:12; Num. 11:12; 14:16, 23; 30:3; 32:10–11; Deut 1:8, 34–35; 2:14; 4:21, 31; 6:10, 13, 18, 23; 7:8, 12–13; 8:1, 18; 9:5, 27; 10:11, 20; 11:9, 21; 13:18; 19:8; 26:3, 15; 28:9, 11; 29:12; 30:20; 31:7, 20–21, 23; 32:40; 34:4; Josh 1:6; 2:12; 5:6; 8:15, 18–20; 13:9; 20:43–44; Judg 2:1, 15; 8:19; 15:12–13; 21:1, 7, 18; 1 Sam. 3:14; 19:6; 20:17, 42; 24:22–23; 28:10; 30:15; 2 Sam 3:9, 35; 19:8, 24; 21:2, 17; 1 Kgs. 1:13, 17, 29–30, 51; 2:8, 23, 35; 2 Kgs. 25:24; 2 Chr. 15:14–15; 1 Esd. 8:92; Ezra 10:5; Jdt 1:12; 8:9; Tob. 9:3; 10:7; 1 Macc. 6:61–62; 7:15, 18, 35; 9:71; 2 Macc. 13:23; 14:33; Psa. 14:4; 23:4; 62:12; 88:4, 36, 50; 94:11; 101:9; 109:4; 118:106; 131:2, 11; Pr. Man. 2:40; 9:73; Prov. 30:9; Eccl. 9:2; Wis. 14:29–31; Sir. 23:10–11; Psa. Sol. 17:4; Hos. 4:15; Amos 4:2; 6:8; 8:7, 14; Mic. 7:20; Zeph. 1:5; Zech 5:4; Mal. 3:5; Isa. 19:18; 45:23; 48:1; 54:9; 62:8; 65:16; Jer. 4:2; 5:2, 7; 7:9; 11:5; 12:16; 22:5; 28:14; 30:7; 39:22; 45:16; 47:9; 51:26; Bar. 2:34; Ezek. 6:9; 16:8; Dan. 12:7; 14:7.

5 Neder in the TaNaKh: Gen. 28:20; 31:13; Lev 7:16; 22:18, 21, 23; 23:38; 27:2, 8; Num 6:2, 5, 21; 15:3, 8; 21:2; 29:39; 30:3–15; Deut 12:6, 11, 17, 26; 23:19, 22–24; Judg 11:30, 39; 1 Sam 1:11, 21; 2 Sam 15:7–8; Isa 19:21; Jer 44:25; Jonah 1:16; 2:10; Nah 2:1; Mal 1:14; Ps 22:26; 50:14; 56:13; 61:6, 9; 65:2; 66:13; 76:12; 116:14, 18; 132:2; Job 22:27; Prov 7:14; 20:25; 31:2; Eccl 5:3–4.

6 NAS Hebrew and BDAG, שָׁוְא

7 Lancaster, Daniel. Torah Club: Chronicles of the Messiah. Vol. 4. First Fruits of Zion: Marshfield, Mo.:2010. p. 399