Matthew 23:22

The Darby Translation

And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne

King James Version (1611)
And he that shall sweare by heauen, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

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

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

New Century Version
The person who swears by heaven is also using God's throne and the One who sits on that throne.

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

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And whoever 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.

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

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.

Complete Jewish Bible
And someone who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and the One who sits on it.

Easy-to-Read Version
Whoever uses heaven to make a promise is using God's throne and the one who is seated on it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he that sweareth by heauen, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

George Lamsa Translation
And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him 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.

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

Literal Translation
And the one swearing by Heaven swears by the throne of God, and by the One sitting on it.

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

Bible in Basic English
And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it.

Hebrew Names Version
He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, 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.Psalm 11:4; Matthew 5:34; Acts 7:49;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And whosoever sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of Aloha, and by Him who sitteth thereon.

Murdock Translation
And he who sweareth by heaven, sweareth by throne of God, and by him that sitteth on it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he that sweareth by heauen, sweareth by the seate of God, and by hym that sitteth theron.

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

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he that swerith in heuene, swerith in the trone of God, and in hym that sittith ther on.

Update Bible Version
And he that swears by the heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon.

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

New English Translation
And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

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

New Life Bible
Whoever makes a promise by heaven, promises by the throne of God and by Him Who sits there.

New Revised Standard
and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he that hath sworn by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him who sitteth thereupon.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon.

Revised Standard Version
and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he that sweareth by heve swereth by the seate of God and by hym that sytteth theron.

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.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And who so sweareth by heauen, sweareth by the seate of God, and by him that sytteth theron.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Simplified Cowboy Version
The cowboy who gives his word by heaven gives his word on the Boss's throne and by the one who sits on it.

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

by the: Matthew 5:34, Psalms 11:4, Isaiah 66:1, Acts 7:49, Revelation 4:2, Revelation 4:3

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he that shall swear by heaven,.... As the Jews were wont to do in common, but did not look upon such an oath as obligatory on them; :-, though such an one

sweareth by the throne of God; for heaven is God's throne, where he sits, and, in an eminent manner, displays the glory of his majesty:

and by him that sitteth thereon, by God himself. Thus swearing by anything that has any relation to God, is implicitly swearing by him; and therefore ought to be considered as binding, as if he was expressed in it; since an appeal cannot be made to things inanimate, nor indeed to any creature, but to God, the searcher of hearts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The throne of God - Heaven is his throne, Matthew 5:34. It is so called as being the place where he sits in glory. Jesus says, here, that all who swear at all do, in fact, swear by God, or the oath is good for nothing. To swear by an altar, a gift, or a temple is of no force unless it be meant to appeal to God himself. The essential thing in an oath is calling God to witness our sincerity. If a real oath is taken, therefore, God is appealed to. If not it is foolish and wicked to swear by anything else.