Matthew 23:21

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells

King James Version (1611)
And who so shall sweare by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

King James Version
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

English Standard Version
And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

New American Standard Bible
"And the one who swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells in it.

New Century Version
And the person who swears by the Temple is really using the Temple and also everything in the Temple.

Amplified Bible
"And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.

Legacy Standard Bible
And whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears both by the sanctuary and by Him who dwells within it.

Berean Standard Bible
And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

Contemporary English Version
And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there.

Complete Jewish Bible
And someone who swears by the Temple swears by it and the One who lives in it.

Darby Translation
And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it.

Easy-to-Read Version
And anyone who uses the Temple to make a promise is really using the Temple and God, who lives in it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And whosoeuer sweareth by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

George Lamsa Translation
And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

Good News Translation
and when he swears by the Temple, he is swearing by it and by God, who lives there;

Lexham English Bible
And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.

Literal Translation
And the one swearing by the Holy Place swears by it, and by the One dwelling in it.

American Standard Version
And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

Bible in Basic English
And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is.

Hebrew Names Version
He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who is living in it.

International Standard Version
The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there.1 Kings 8:13; 2 Chronicles 6:2; Psalm 26:8; 132:14;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And he who sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by whatever abideth in it.

Murdock Translation
And he who sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And who so sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by hym that dwelleth therin.

English Revised Version
And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

World English Bible
He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who is living in it.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein.

Weymouth's New Testament
he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he that swerith in the temple, swerith in it, and in hym that dwellith in the temple.

Update Bible Version
And he that swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells therein.

Webster's Bible Translation
And whoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it.

New English Translation
And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it.

New King James Version
He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells [fn] in it.

New Living Translation
And when you swear ‘by the Temple,' you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it.

New Life Bible
Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, promises by it and by Him Who is in it.

New Revised Standard
and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he that hath sworn by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him who dwelleth therein;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And whosoever shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth in it.

Revised Standard Version
and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And whosoever sweareth by the teple sweareth by it and by hym yt dwelleth therin.

Young's Literal Translation
and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and who so sweareth by the temple, sweareth by the same, and by him that dwelleth therin.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

Simplified Cowboy Version

Contextual Overview

¹³ "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. "You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count. "Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse. "You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I'm telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation. "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God's news! How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn't let me. And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He's come, bringing God's rule!'" ¹⁴Religious Fashion Shows Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer. "Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor' and ‘Reverend.' "Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ. "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. ¹⁵ "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. ¹⁶"You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. ²³"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? ²⁵"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. ²⁷"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds. ²⁹"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count. ³³"Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and by: 1 Kings 8:13, 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chronicles 6:2, 2 Chronicles 7:2, Psalms 26:8, Psalms 132:13, Psalms 132:14, Ephesians 2:22, Colossians 2:9

Reciprocal: Psalms 11:4 - the Lord's Isaiah 66:1 - The heaven

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And whoso shall swear by the temple,.... As we have before seen they used to do, and as appears from what the poet says w:

Ecce negas, jurasque mihi per templa tonantis Non credo: jura, verpe, per Anchialum.

In which he intimates, that if the Jew swore by the temple, he would not believe him; as well he might not, since such an oath was accounted nothing; but bids him swear by Anchialus, that is, by אלוה

חי, "Chi Eloah", or חי עליון, "Chi Alon", or "Elion, the living God", or הי העולם, "Chi Haolam, he that lives for ever" x; and suggests, that he should then believe him. Now our Lord, though he did not allow of such swearing, yet justly argues, that he that sweareth by the temple, not only "sweareth by it", which could not be a witness of what was swore; but he must be interpreted to swear by the inhabitant of it, and by him that dwelleth in it; that is, God, for whom it was built, to whom it was dedicated; where he was worshipped, and where he vouchsafed to reside; taking up his dwelling between the cherubim upon the mercy seat, in the most holy place; from whence he communed with men, and gave tokens of his presence; and who only could be the proper witness of the truth, or falsehood, of what was swore; and therefore an oath, by the temple, ought to be looked upon as if made by God himself, and so to be sacred and binding.

w Martial. Epigr. l. 11. Ep. 60. x Vid. Selden. Prolegomena ad lib. de Successionibus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Him that dwelleth therein - That is, God. The temple was his house, his dwelling. In the first, or Solomon’s temple, he dwelt between the cherubims in the most holy place. He manifested himself there by a visible symbol, in the form of a cloud resting on the mercy-seat, 1 Kings 8:10, 1 Kings 8:13; Psalms 80:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:21. Whoso shall swear by the temple — Perhaps it is to this custom of swearing by the temple, that Martial alludes, lib. xi. epist. 95.

Ecce negas, jurasque mihi per templa Tonantis;

Non credo; jura, Verpe, per Anchialum.

"Behold, thou deniest, and swearest to me by the temples of Jupiter; I will not credit thee: swear, O Jew, by the temple of Jehovah."

This word probably comes from היכל יה heical Yah, the temple of Jehovah. This seems a better derivation than אם חי אלהים im chai Elohim, as God liveth, though the sound of the latter is nearer to the Latin.

By him that dwelleth therein. — The common reading is κατοικουντι, dwelleth or INHABITETH, but κατοικησαντι, dwelt or DID inhabit, is the reading of CDEFGHKLM, eighty-six others; this reading has been adopted in the editions of Complutum, Colineus, Bengel, and Griesbach. The importance of this reading may be perceived by the following considerations. In the first Jewish temple, God had graciously condescended to manifest himself - he is constantly represented as dwelling between the cherubim, the two figures that stood at each end of the ark of the covenant; between whom, on the mercy seat, the lid of the ark, a splendour of glory was exhibited, which was the symbol and proof of the Divine presence. This the Jews called שכינה Shekinah, the habitation of Jehovah. Now the Jews unanimously acknowledge that five things were wanting in the second temple, which were found in the first, viz.,

1. The ark;

2. The holy spirit of prophecy;

3. The Urim and Thummim;

4. The sacred fire; and

5. The שכינה Shekinah.

As the Lord had long before this time abandoned the Jewish temple, and had now made the human nature of Jesus the Shekinah, (see John 1:14, the Logos was made flesh, εσκηνωσεν, and made his tabernacle - made the Shekinah,-among us,) our Lord could not, with any propriety, say that the supreme Being did now inhabit the temple; and therefore used a word that hinted to them that God had forsaken their temple, and consequently the whole of that service which was performed in it, and had now opened the new and living way to the holiest by the Messiah. But all this was common swearing; and, whether the subject was true or false, the oath was unlawful. A common swearer is worthy of no credit, when, even in the most solemn manner he takes an oath before a magistrate; he is so accustomed to stake his truth, perhaps even his soul, to things whether true or false, that an oath cannot bind him, and indeed is as little respected by himself as it is by his neighbour. Common swearing, and the shocking frequency and multiplication of oaths in civil cases, have destroyed all respect for an oath; so that men seldom feel themselves bound by it; and thus it is useless in many cases to require it as a confirmation, in order to end strife or ascertain truth. Matthew 5:37.