Matthew 23:22
New International Version
And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

New Living Translation
And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

English Standard Version
And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Berean Standard Bible
And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

Berean Literal Bible
And the one having sworn by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the One sitting upon it.

King James Bible
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

New King James Version
And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

New American Standard Bible
And the one who swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

NASB 1995
“And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

NASB 1977
“And he who swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

Legacy Standard Bible
And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

Amplified Bible
And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

Christian Standard Bible
And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne and by him who sits on it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne and by Him who sits on it.

American Standard Version
And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Contemporary English Version
To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on that throne.

English Revised Version
And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
And to swear an oath by heaven is to swear by God's throne and the one who sits on it.

Good News Translation
and when someone swears by heaven, he is swearing by God's throne and by him who sits on it.

International Standard Version
And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

Majority Standard Bible
And he who swears by heaven swears by God?s throne and by the One who sits on it.

NET Bible
And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

New Heart English Bible
He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth upon it.

Weymouth New Testament
and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

World English Bible
He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he who swore by Heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting on it.

Berean Literal Bible
And the one having sworn by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the One sitting upon it.

Young's Literal Translation
and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he having sworn by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him sitting above it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.

New American Bible
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.

New Revised Standard Version
and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And whoever swears by Heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits upon it.

Godbey New Testament
And the one swearing by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth upon it.

Haweis New Testament
So he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him who is seated upon it.

Mace New Testament
and he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Weymouth New Testament
and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

Worrell New Testament
and he who swears by Heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him sitting thereon.

Worsley New Testament
and he, that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth upon it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it. 23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:34-35
But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; / or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Isaiah 66:1
This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?

Acts 7:49
‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?

Hebrews 8:1
The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

Revelation 4:2
At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it.

Psalm 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.

Psalm 103:19
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.

Isaiah 6:1
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.

2 Chronicles 6:18
But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.

Acts 17:24
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.

Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.

Revelation 21:22
But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

John 14:2
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

1 Timothy 6:16
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.


Treasury of Scripture

And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon.

by the.

Matthew 5:34
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

Psalm 11:4
The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Isaiah 66:1
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

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God's Heaven Oath Seat Seated Sits Sitteth Sitting Swear Sweareth Swears Thereon Throne
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God's Heaven Oath Seat Seated Sits Sitteth Sitting Swear Sweareth Swears Thereon Throne
Matthew 23
1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5. His disciples must beware of their ambition.
13. He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness,
34. and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem.














And he who swears by heaven
In the cultural context of first-century Judaism, oaths were a common practice, often used to affirm truthfulness. Swearing by heaven was seen as a way to avoid directly invoking God's name, which was considered sacred and not to be used lightly. However, Jesus emphasizes that heaven is not a separate entity but is intrinsically connected to God, thus making any oath by heaven an oath by God Himself. This reflects the Jewish understanding of heaven as God's dwelling place, as seen in Isaiah 66:1, where God declares, "Heaven is My throne."

swears by God’s throne
The throne of God symbolizes His sovereign rule and authority over all creation. In biblical imagery, the throne is often associated with God's majesty and judgment, as depicted in visions such as those in Isaiah 6:1 and Revelation 4:2-3. By swearing by God's throne, one is invoking the ultimate authority and acknowledging God's supreme power. This underscores the seriousness of making oaths and the importance of truthfulness, as God is the ultimate judge of all words and actions.

and by the One who sits on it.
This phrase directly points to God Himself, who is seated on the throne. It emphasizes the personal nature of God, who is not an abstract force but a sovereign being who actively rules and judges. The imagery of God sitting on the throne is consistent throughout Scripture, highlighting His eternal kingship and divine authority, as seen in Psalm 47:8, "God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne." This also connects to the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ, who is described as sitting at the right hand of God, sharing in His authority and glory (Hebrews 1:3). The phrase serves as a reminder of the reverence due to God and the accountability of one's words before Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, addressing the scribes and Pharisees in a series of woes, highlighting their hypocrisy and misunderstanding of the law.

2. Scribes and Pharisees
Jewish religious leaders who are being criticized by Jesus for their legalism and lack of true understanding of God's commandments.

3. Heaven
The dwelling place of God, often used in Jewish culture as a way to refer to God indirectly.

4. God’s Throne
Symbolizes God's sovereign rule and authority over all creation.

5. The One who sits on it
Refers to God Himself, emphasizing His ultimate authority and presence.
Teaching Points
Understanding Authority
Recognize that swearing by heaven is not a trivial matter because it involves God's throne and His authority. Our words should reflect our respect for God's sovereignty.

Integrity in Speech
Jesus calls us to be people of integrity, where our 'yes' means 'yes' and our 'no' means 'no.' Avoid making oaths that invoke God's name or His creation lightly.

Reverence for God
This passage reminds us to hold a deep reverence for God and His dwelling place. Our actions and words should reflect our respect for His holiness.

Hypocrisy Warning
Like the Pharisees, we must guard against hypocrisy in our spiritual lives, ensuring that our external actions align with our internal beliefs and commitments.

God’s Sovereignty
Acknowledge God's ultimate authority in all aspects of life. Trust in His rule and submit to His will, knowing that He is the One who sits on the throne.Verse 22. - By heaven. The Talmndists affirm that an oath "by heaven" or "by earth" was not binding, on the ground, probably, that these were mere creatures. Christ again dissipates such sophistries. To swear by the creature is virtually to swear by the Creator. A brute, inanimate thing cannot be witness to an oath; he alone can be appealed to who owns all. Thus we "kiss the book," calling God to witness our words. Christ had already given a lesson to his followers on this subject in the sermon on the mount (ch. Matthew 5:34-37). He inculcates true reverence, that fear and awe of God's dignity and God's presence which constrains a man to avoid all profaneness and carelessness in regard to things that are concerned with God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

he who
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

swears
ὀμόσας (omosas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3660: A prolonged form of a primary, but obsolete omo, for which another prolonged form omoo is used in certain tenses; to swear, i.e. Take oath.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

heaven
οὐρανῷ (ouranō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

swears
ὀμνύει (omnyei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3660: A prolonged form of a primary, but obsolete omo, for which another prolonged form omoo is used in certain tenses; to swear, i.e. Take oath.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

God’s
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

throne
θρόνῳ (thronō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2362: From thrao; a stately seat; by implication, power or a potentate.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the [One]
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

who sits
καθημένῳ (kathēmenō)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2521: To sit, be seated, enthroned; I dwell, reside. From kata; and hemai; to sit down; figuratively, to remain, reside.

on
ἐπάνω (epanō)
Preposition
Strong's 1883: From epi and ano; up above, i.e. Over or on.

it.
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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