Again, you have heard that it has been said by them of old time, You shall not perjure yourself, but shall perform unto the Lord your oaths:
All Commentaries on Matthew 5:33 Go To Matthew 5
Hilary of Poitiers
AD 368
The law had prescribed a penalty for false swearing, so that the ritual of an oath might hold false testimony in check. … But faith removes the need for using an oath. It establishes in truth the dealings of our life. Once the inclination to deceive has been checked, it enjoins simplicity in speaking and hearing. … Therefore those who are living in the simplicity of faith have no need for the ritual of an oath. With such people, what is, always is, and what is not, is not. For this reason, their every word and deed are always truthful.
