Matthew 5:34-37

But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Read all of Matthew 5 · Words of Christ are set in red.

2 songs meet this passage

  • “Took an oath by the blood on my hand, won't break it”

    Natural · Imagine Dragons

    strains against Matthew 5:34-37

    Jesus warns against binding oaths sworn in intensity; this vow sealed in violent imagery underscores the song's hardened, cutthroat ethic.

  • “Swearin' on a Bible, baby, I'd never leave ya”

    Tequila · Dan + Shay

    strains against Matthew 5:33-37

    The broken vow invoked lightly here stands against Jesus' teaching that oaths should be unnecessary because our word should simply be trustworthy; the song uses the image poetically but it underscores a promise not kept.

Elsewhere in Matthew 5