Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. New Living Translation Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. English Standard Version And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Berean Standard Bible Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Berean Literal Bible Neither shall you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. King James Bible Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. New King James Version Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. New American Standard Bible Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. NASB 1995 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. NASB 1977 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Legacy Standard Bible Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Amplified Bible Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. Christian Standard Bible Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Holman Christian Standard Bible Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. American Standard Version Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. Contemporary English Version Don't swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. English Revised Version Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. GOD'S WORD® Translation And don't swear an oath by your head. After all, you cannot make one hair black or white. Good News Translation Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. International Standard Version Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. Majority Standard Bible Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. NET Bible Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. New Heart English Bible Neither should you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Webster's Bible Translation Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. Weymouth New Testament And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. World English Bible Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionnor may you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black; Berean Literal Bible Neither shall you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. Young's Literal Translation nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black; Smith's Literal Translation Neither shouldst thou swear by thy head, for thou cant not make one hair white or black. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleNeither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. Catholic Public Domain Version Neither shall you swear an oath by your own head, because you are not able to cause one hair to become white or black. New American Bible Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. New Revised Standard Version And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleNeither shall you swear by your own head, because you cannot create in it a single black or white hair. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Neither shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make in it a certain hair black or white. NT Translations Anderson New Testamentneither shall you swear by your head, for you can not make one hair white or black. Godbey New Testament Haweis New Testament neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. Mace New Testament neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. Weymouth New Testament And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Worrell New Testament Worsley New Testament Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Oaths and Vows…35or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.… Cross References James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment. Matthew 23:16-22 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ / You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? / And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ ... Isaiah 66:1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be? Acts 7:49 ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be? Ecclesiastes 5:2-5 Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few. / As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words. / When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. ... Leviticus 19:12 You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. Numbers 30:2 If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised. Deuteronomy 23:21-23 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. / But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin. / Be careful to follow through on what comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth. Psalm 50:14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High. Psalm 76:11 Make and fulfill your vows to the LORD your God; let all the neighboring lands bring tribute to Him who is to be feared. Jeremiah 7:9-11 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’? / Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD. Zechariah 8:17 do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD. 2 Corinthians 1:17-20 When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” and also “No, no”? / But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” / For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.” ... Hebrews 6:16-18 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. / So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. / Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged. Romans 14:11 It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” Treasury of Scripture Neither shall you swear by your head, because you can not make one hair white or black. shalt. Matthew 23:16-21 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! … because. Matthew 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Luke 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? Jump to Previous Able Black Hair Head Mayest Oath Swear WhiteJump to Next Able Black Hair Head Mayest Oath Swear WhiteMatthew 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. Nor shall you make an oath by your head In this phrase, Jesus continues His teaching on the integrity of speech and the importance of truthfulness. The Greek word for "oath" is "ὅρκος" (horkos), which refers to a solemn promise or vow. In the cultural and historical context of the time, making oaths was a common practice to assert the truthfulness of one's words. However, Jesus challenges this practice by emphasizing that one's word should be sufficient without the need for additional guarantees. The phrase "by your head" indicates a personal guarantee, as the head was considered a symbol of one's life and identity. Jesus is teaching that even invoking something as personal as one's own head should not be necessary if one is living a life of integrity and truthfulness. for you cannot make a single hair white or black Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, delivering the Sermon on the Mount, a foundational teaching moment in His ministry. 2. The Sermon on the Mount A significant event where Jesus taught His disciples and the gathered crowd about the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. 3. The Disciples The primary audience of Jesus' teachings, representing those who follow Him and seek to live according to His teachings. 4. The Crowd The larger group of people present during the Sermon on the Mount, representing the broader audience of Jesus' message. 5. The Jewish Context The cultural and religious backdrop of Jesus' teachings, where oaths and vows were common practices. Teaching Points Integrity in SpeechJesus calls us to be people of our word, where our "yes" means yes, and our "no" means no, without the need for additional assurances. Acknowledging God's Sovereignty By stating that we cannot change the color of a single hair, Jesus reminds us of our limitations and God's ultimate control over creation. Avoiding Superficial Promises The emphasis is on living truthfully and avoiding the need for oaths, which can often be used to manipulate or deceive. Trust in God's Provision Recognizing our inability to control even small aspects of life should lead us to trust in God's provision and plan. Living Authentically Our lives should reflect the truth of our words, demonstrating authenticity and reliability in all our interactions.(36) By thy head.--This is apparently chosen as an extreme instance of a common oath in which men found no reference to God. Yet here, too, nothing but an implied reference to Him fits it to be an oath at all. He made us, and not we ourselves, and the hairs of our head are not only numbered, but are subject in all their changes to His laws, and not to our volition.Verse 36. - For thou canst not, etc. As each of the other objects included a reference to God, so does also thy head. For even that recalls to mind the power of God, since every hair of it bears the stamp of his handiwork. Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Norμήτε (mēte) Conjunction Strong's 3383: Nor, neither, not even, neither?nor. From me and te; not too, i.e. neither or nor; also, not even. should you swear ὀμόσῃς (omosēs) Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular Strong's 3660: A prolonged form of a primary, but obsolete omo, for which another prolonged form omoo is used in certain tenses; to swear, i.e. Take oath. by ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. your σου (sou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. head, κεφαλῇ (kephalē) Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Strong's 2776: From the primary kapto; the head, literally or figuratively. for ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. you cannot δύνασαι (dynasai) Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible. make ποιῆσαι (poiēsai) Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. a single μίαν (mian) Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. hair τρίχα (tricha) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 2359: Hair (of the head or of animals). Genitive case trichos, etc. of uncertain derivation; hair. white λευκὴν (leukēn) Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 3022: White, bright, brilliant. From luke; white. or ἢ (ē) Conjunction Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than. black. μέλαιναν (melainan) Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 3189: Black. Apparently a primary word; black. Links Matthew 5:36 NIVMatthew 5:36 NLT Matthew 5:36 ESV Matthew 5:36 NASB Matthew 5:36 KJV Matthew 5:36 BibleApps.com Matthew 5:36 Biblia Paralela Matthew 5:36 Chinese Bible Matthew 5:36 French Bible Matthew 5:36 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Matthew 5:36 Neither shall you swear by your head (Matt. Mat Mt) |
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