King James Bible
"But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:"
Jesus asserts his authority to reinterpret the Law, contrasting his teaching with traditional rabbinic interpretations. This formula appears throughout the Sermon on the Mount, establishing Jesus as one who speaks with divine authority rather than merely citing other teachers. Jesus prohibits oath-taking entirely, going beyond the Old Testament's warnings against false oaths. He addresses the practice of using elaborate oaths to manipulate truth, calling his followers to such integrity that their simple word suffices. Jesus exposes how seemingly indirect oaths still invoke God's presence, as heaven serves as his throne according to Isaiah 66:1. This reveals that attempts to make 'lesser' oaths while avoiding God's name still implicate the divine, making all oath-taking problematic.