Matthew 23:20

The Darby Translation

He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it.

King James Version (1611)
Who so therefore shall sweare by the Altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

King James Version
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

English Standard Version
So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

New American Standard Bible
"Therefore, the one who swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.

New Century Version
The person who swears by the altar is really using the altar and also everything on the altar.

Amplified Bible
"Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.

Berean Standard Bible
So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

Contemporary English Version
Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it.

Complete Jewish Bible
So someone who swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it.

Easy-to-Read Version
Whoever uses the altar to make a promise is really using the altar and everything on the altar.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Whosoeuer therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore he who swears by the altar, he swears by it and by everything that is on it.

Good News Translation
So then, when a person swears by the altar, he is swearing by it and by all the gifts on it;

Lexham English Bible
Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it.

Literal Translation
Then the one swearing by the altar swears by it, and by all things on it.

American Standard Version
He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

Bible in Basic English
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it.

Hebrew Names Version
He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.

International Standard Version
Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

Etheridge Translation
He therefore who sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it.

Murdock Translation
He therefore who sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that is upon it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who so therfore sweareth by the aulter, sweareth by it, and by all thynges theron.

English Revised Version
He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

World English Bible
He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it and by all things thereon.

Weymouth's New Testament
He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor he that swerith in the auter, swerith in it, and in alle thingis that ben ther on.

Update Bible Version
He therefore that swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things upon it.

New English Translation
So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

New King James Version
Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.

New Living Translation
When you swear ‘by the altar,' you are swearing by it and by everything on it.

New Life Bible
Whoever makes a promise by the altar, promises by it and by everything on it.

New Revised Standard
So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He therefore that hath sworn by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that is upon it;

Douay-Rheims Bible
He therefore that sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things that are upon it.

Revised Standard Version
So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Whosoever therfore sweareth by ye aultre sweareth by it and by all yt there on is.

Young's Literal Translation
`He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore who so sweareth by the altare, sweareth by the same, and by all that is theron:

Mace New Testament (1729)
whoever swears by the altar, swears not only by the altar, but by every thing upon it.

Simplified Cowboy Version

Contextual Overview

¹³ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for *ye* do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor. [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it. And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it. And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance. Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Thus also *ye*, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just, and ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets: and *ye*, fill ye up the measure of your fathers. Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell? Therefore, behold, *I* send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city; so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon *you*, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord. ¹⁴ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat: all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not, but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger. And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments], and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But *ye*, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all *ye* are brethren. And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens. Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for *ye* do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in. ¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves. ¹⁶ Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. ¹⁷ Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor. ¹⁹ [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it. ²¹ And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it. ²² And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Hebrews 6:16 - swear

Cross-References

Genesis 23:7
And Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,

Genesis 23:10
And Ephron was dwelling among the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, in the ears of the sons of Heth, [even] of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

Genesis 23:14
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

Genesis 25:9
And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which was opposite to Mamre—

Genesis 50:5
My father made me swear, saying, Behold, I die; in my grave which I have dug myself in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. And now, let me go up, I pray thee, that I may bury my father; and I will come again.

Genesis 50:13
and his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought along with the field, for a possession of a sepulchre, of Ephron the Hittite, opposite to Mamre.

2 Samuel 24:24
And the king said to Araunah, No; but I will in any case buy [them] of thee at a price: neither will I offer up to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings without cost. And David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

2 Kings 21:18
And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whosoever therefore shall swear by the altar,.... Not that Christ allowed of swearing by the altar, or by the temple, or by heaven, or by any creature, animate or inanimate; for such swearing is elsewhere disapproved of by him, and forbid, but if a man did swear by the altar, he ought to know, and consider that he not only

sweareth by it, but by all the gifts, and offerings that are brought, and laid upon it,

and by all things thereon; whatever gifts and sacrifices are offered upon it; which, by being put there, become holy, as the altar itself: so that he that swears by the altar, swears also by the gifts of the altar; and consequently, according to their own traditions, such oaths must be binding.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:20. Whoso - shall swear by the altar — As an oath always supposes a person who witnesses it, and will punish perjury; therefore, whether they swore by the temple or the gold, (Matthew 23:16), or by the altar or the gift laid on it, (Matthew 23:18), the oath necessarily supposes the God of the temple, of the altar, and of the gifts, who witnessed the whole, and would, even in their exempt cases, punish the perjury.