Matthew 5:34-36

Matthew 5:34-36

[34] But  say  Swear  not  at all;  neither  by  heaven;  for  God's  throne:  [35] Nor  by  the earth;  for  his  footstool:  neither  by  Jerusalem;  for  the city  of the great  King.  [36] Neither  shalt thou swear  by  head,  because  thou canst  not  make  hair  white  or  black. 

What does Matthew 5:34-36 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jesus cut through all the casuistry by saying that if oaths that God intended to guarantee truthfulness in speech become the instruments of deceit, it is better to avoid oaths altogether. Again Jesus got below the external act to the real issue at stake that had been God"s concern from the beginning. The way to dispense with false swearing is to avoid all swearing. Righteous people should not need to confirm their statements with an appeal to a higher authority. Their word should be enough (cf. James 5:12).
Jesus explained that whatever a person may appeal to in an oath has some connection with God. Therefore any oath is an appeal to God indirectly if not directly. To say that one could swear by one"s own head, for example, and then break his vow, because he did not mention God"s name, was shortsighted.