Matthew 5:33 is the thirty-third verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse is the opening of either the third or fourth antithesis, beginning the discussion of oaths.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by

them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself,

but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

"Again you have heard that it was said to them

of old time, 'You shall not make false vows,

but shall perform to



the Lord your vows,'

The New International Version Bible translates the passage as:

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the

people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep

the oaths you have made to the Lord.'

This verse moves the discussion from divorce to oaths. Gundry feels this was done by the author of Matthew as the discussion of oaths at Deuteronomy 23:22-24 comes just prior to the discussion of divorce beginning at Deuteronomy 24:1. Other scholars feel that the discussion of oaths naturally follows the discussion of divorce as one of the major legal issues of the day was over marriage vows.

Gundry notes that the introductory phrases of the antithesis has slowly been shrinking, in this verse it reverts to the full length of Matthew 5:21, renewed by the addition of the opening again. Unlike the previous antitheses this verse does not contain a direct quotation form

The Greek term translated as "make false vows" in the WEB in Greek is epiorkeo. This literally means "commit perjury," but it can also mean "break and oath," which Hill feels is a much more reasonable translation. Albright and Mann translate it as the much less restrictive "do not make vows rashly."

References

• Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
• France, R.T. The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary. Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985.
• Gundry, Robert H. Matthew a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.
• Hill, David. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981
• Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975