Matthew 23:22

22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

Matthew 23:22 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 23:22

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; (See Gill on Matthew 5:34), 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.

Matthew 23:22 In-Context

20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.