Matthew 5:35 Commentary: Earth as Footstool, Jerusalem as Great King's City

In first-century Judaism, oaths were woven into daily speech and legal practice. The Mishnah (Nedarim) records forms of swearing “by Jerusalem” or “by the earth,” as Gill documents. People used these substitutes thinking they could avoid taking God’s name in vain while still making a binding commitment. The practice was common enough that the rabbis debated its validity: some ruled that an oath “as Jerusalem” meant nothing unless the speaker intended something offered in Jerusalem (Gill, citing the Gemara). Jesus steps into this culture with a radical claim: these evasions do not work. He traces earth and Jerusalem back to their Creator. The phrase “footstool of his feet” echoes Isaiah 66:1, where God says heaven is His throne and earth His footstool. This image comes from ancient Near Eastern practice: a king’s footstool showed his dominion over a conquered territory. Calling earth God’s footstool makes it a sign of His rule, not a neutral object to swear by. Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was celebrated in the Psalms as the place where the “great King” (God) dwells (Psalm 48:2). By adding these examples, Jesus shows that all things belong to God, and therefore all oaths, whether they use God’s name directly or not, invoke Him. The Sermon on the Mount context is key: Jesus is correcting the tradition of the elders (v.33-37), calling His disciples to a truthfulness that needs no oath at all.

The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 5:35. The verse is stable across the manuscript tradition, with only minor differences in word order (e.g., the position of ἐστιν) that do not affect meaning.

Matthew 5:35 has been central in Christian discussions of oath-taking. Early church writers like Tertullian and Origen cited this passage to argue against swearing in everyday life. During the Reformation, Anabaptist groups used it to reject all oaths, including in courts and civic offices, while Reformed and Catholic traditions permitted solemn oaths taken in God’s name for serious matters. The imagery of earth as God’s footstool also shaped Christian worship, appearing in hymns and liturgies that stress God’s majesty (drawing on Isaiah 66 and Psalm 99). In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the verse is read as part of Christ’s fulfillment of the Law, calling believers to a higher standard of truthfulness that mirrors God’s own faithfulness.

Three-point outline

1. What we swear by reveals what we trust. The Jews used earth and Jerusalem as guarantees, thinking they were safe substitutes for God. Jesus says those things are God’s, so the oath still reaches Him.
2. Creation belongs to God. Earth is His footstool, lowly but sacred. Jerusalem is His city. Swearing by them treats them as neutral, but they are charged with His presence.
3. Honest speech needs no crutch. Jesus goes on to say, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’” (v.37). The goal is not better oaths but no oaths, speech that stands on its own.

Five-point outline

1. Jesus forbids swearing by the earth because it is God’s footstool (Isa 66:1).
2. Jesus forbids swearing by Jerusalem because it is the city of the great King (Ps 48:2).
3. These prohibitions expand the third commandment: do not misuse what belongs to God.
4. The earth and Jerusalem are not ours to use as bargaining chips.
5. The solution is not to find new things to swear by, but to speak with integrity.

Illustration hooks

• A child promises a friend “I swear on my mom’s life” as a way to be believed. The gesture feels powerful, but it’s using someone else’s worth to prop up your word. Jesus says your own word should be enough.
• In court, witnesses swear on a Bible. The practice assumes the Bible is holy. Jesus’ point is deeper: everything is holy because God made it. So swearing by the earth is just as serious as swearing by God.
• People today say “I swear to God” casually, even in lies. Jesus invites us to drop the drama and speak plainly.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Is it wrong to say “I swear to God” in everyday speech, or is that a sin?
• Does Jesus forbid all oaths, including legal oaths in court?
• What’s the difference between a promise and an oath, and should Christians make promises?

This verse is part of Jesus’ teaching on oaths in the Sermon on the Mount. The Jews of His day had developed a system of substitute oaths that seemed to avoid God’s name but still carried weight. Jesus exposes these evasions by showing that every created thing belongs to God. Swearing by the earth or Jerusalem is still swearing by the Creator who owns them.

Discussion questions

1. Read Matthew 5:33-37 aloud. What is Jesus forbidding, and what reasons does He give for each example?
2. Why did first-century Jews think swearing by the earth or by Jerusalem was acceptable? What does that reveal about their view of God?
3. Jesus calls the earth God’s footstool and Jerusalem the city of the great King. What do these titles tell us about God’s relationship to creation?
4. How does this passage challenge the way you use words to make promises or to convince others?
5. In what situations do you feel pressure to add extra weight to your promises (e.g., “I swear,” “honest”)?
6. What would it look like in your daily life to let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No”?
7. How does this teaching about oaths connect with Jesus’ larger theme of the Kingdom of God in the Sermon on the Mount?