The Meaning of Matthew 5:36 Explained

Matthew 5:36

KJV: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

YLT: nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black;

Darby: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

ASV: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither  shalt thou swear  by  thy  head,  because  thou canst  not  make  one  hair  white  or  black. 

What does Matthew 5:36 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 5:27-37 - Pure Eyes And Clean Speech
The legislation of the old time insisted that no member of the commonwealth should commit adultery, and enforced terrible penalties. See Deuteronomy 22:22-24. But the Divine Man, who reads the human heart with perfect accuracy, goes behind the deed to its premonitory stages, legislates about the look that may inflame passion, and condemns the soul that does not instantly turn the eye from that which allures it, to the All-Holy, asking to be cleansed not with tears only but with blood. The first act in the religious life is to detect right and wrong in the thought or intention. If the tempter is arrested there, He is powerless to hurt. Kill the snake in the egg!
The prohibition against swearing does not deal with taking an oath in the law court. During His trial by the high priest, our Lord did not resent being put on His oath. On rare and solemn occasions we may have to bare our heads before God and ask Him to corroborate our word. But how different is this from the frequent and flippant use of expletives and extravagances of speech. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 5

1  Jesus' sermon on the mount:
3  The Beattitudes;
13  the salt of the earth;
14  the light of the world
17  He came to fulfill the law
21  What it is to kill;
27  to commit adultery;
33  to swear
38  He exhorts to forgive wrong,
43  to love our enemies;
48  and to labor after perfection

What do the individual words in Matthew 5:36 mean?

Neither by the head of you shall you swear because not you are able one hair white to make or black
μήτε ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ σου ὀμόσῃς ὅτι οὐ δύνασαι μίαν τρίχα λευκὴν ποιῆσαι μέλαιναν

μήτε  Neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μήτε  
Sense: and not, neither … nor, not so.
κεφαλῇ  head 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: κεφαλή  
Sense: the head, both of men and often of animals.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὀμόσῃς  shall  you  swear 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ὄμνυμι 
Sense: to swear.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
δύνασαι  you  are  able 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Singular
Root: δύναμαι  
Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
μίαν  one 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
τρίχα  hair 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: θρίξ 
Sense: the hair of the head.
λευκὴν  white 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: λευκός  
Sense: light, bright, brilliant.
ποιῆσαι  to  make 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
μέλαιναν  black 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μέλας  
Sense: black.

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 5:36?

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