Jesus tells his listeners in Matthew 5:34 "to swear not at all" and in here presents examples of unacceptable swearing.
The Apostle has used oaths in his Epistles, and by this shows us how that ought to be taken, I say unto you, Swear not at all, namely, lest by allowing ourselves to swear at all we come to readiness in swearing, from readiness we come to a habit of swearing, and from a habit of swearing we fall into perjury.
(informal) To vigorously affirm the truth of a statement, knowing that the failure to do so may result in a punishment from God.
In English, a person might say, "I cross my heart," or "may God strike me dead if I'm lying," or simply, "I swear I'll pay you back." The implication is that the oath "guarantees" the person is telling the truth and has good intentions. Jesus now says flatly that His disciples should not take an oath, at all.
If a person asks something from you, do not make a promise, because doing so would instill false hope into said person. Not to say we shouldn't do what others need us to, but in the passage above, it teaches us not to give an untrue sense of security to anyone.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Matt 23:16-22 (NIV)
We are to be a people so well known for living Truth and not deception that our word is our bond making vows unnecessary. Our lives should back up our words. All oaths tend to do is emphasize the wickedness in a man's heart.
Jesus tells his listeners in Matthew 5:34 "to swear not at all" and in here presents examples of unacceptable swearing.
Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29, CSB: No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.
This is to say that when it comes to telling the truth, we shouldn't need anything else except our word. James tells us simply, “let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no.” That's it! When you say “yes,” it should mean “yes.” When you say “no,” it should mean “no.”
We can also take God's name in vain when we use it to swear an oath such as "I swear to God." If we lie or do not follow through on the oath, we have taken His name in vain. But as bad as all these misuses of the Lord's name are, there is still an even more serious way in which we can take His name in vain.
The expression, once considered taboo in polite conversation, has become as commonplace as “that's cool” or “see you later” in American parlance. The acronym, OMG, is nearly as ubiquitous.
A curse implies damning or punishing someone, while a swear word suggests blasphemy — invoking a deity to empower your words.
The Bible says it's OK to take an oath. In fact, the Westminster Confession of Faith says "it is a sin to refuse an oath touching any thing that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority."[1] In the Previous Page we saw that the Bible has a high view of oaths.
Galatians 5:19–21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: ... drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
According to the Theogony of Hesiod, if a god or goddess of Olympus lied or broke an oath after swearing not to do so over the water of Styx, the guilty deity would suddenly stop breathing and fall into some sort of coma.
Proverbs 18:21, NASB: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21, NLT: The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 16:28, ESV: A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28, KJV: A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.
This is the second verse of the antithesis on the command: "eye for an eye". In one of the most famous verses in the New Testament, Jesus here rejects revenge and retaliation, instead telling his followers to turn the other cheek.
Swearing by anything that belongs to God or is under His control comes too close to swearing by the Lord. He has described heaven as God's throne, earth as His footstool, and Jerusalem as His city. Swearing an oath by what He owns is just a substitute for swearing by the Lord Himself.
Mark 5:36, ESV: But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36, KJV: As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Proverbs 24:16 is an encouraging verse that says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” At first glance, this passage may not seem reassuring.
The LORD desires to be with us and will show His wrath toward those who would sever this relationship! 23:16 הַנְּבִאִים הַנִּבְּאִים (han-ne-vi-Im han-nib-be-Im) “the prophets, the ones prophesying (to you)” literally: of the prophets who prophesy.
Jesus condemns their valuation of gold and of the temple. At the same time, Jesus is repeating an earlier criticism, condemning the practice of offering extra promises on top of one's sincere word. In this case, the Pharisees even taught that one such oath should be binding, while others were not.