Matthew 23:18 Parallel Translations

Again you say, 'To swear an oath by the altar doesn't mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gift on the altar means a person must keep his oath.'(GOD'S WORD®)

KJV:

And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

ASV:

And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.

BBE:

And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible.

DBY:

And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.

ERV:

And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.

WEY:

And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.'

WBS:

And whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

WEB:

'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?'

YLT:

'And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor!

Matthew 23:18 Cross References

XREF:

Matthew 23:17 "You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

Matthew 23:19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? (NASB ©1995)

Commentaries and Concordances

PNT:

23:18-20 Swear by the altar. That of the temple, the only altar known in Israel.
Sweareth by the gift. The offering placed on the altar.

MHC:

23:13-33 The scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the gospel of Christ, and therefore to the salvation of the souls of men. It is bad to keep away from Christ ourselves, but worse also to keep others from him. Yet it is no new thing for the show and form of godliness to be made a cloak to the greatest enormities. But dissembled piety will be reckoned double iniquity. They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party. Not for the glory of God and the good of souls, but that they might have the credit and advantage of making converts. Gain being their godliness, by a thousand devices they made religion give way to their worldly interests. They were very strict and precise in smaller matters of the law, but careless and loose in weightier matters. It is not the scrupling a little sin that Christ here reproves; if it be a sin, though but a gnat, it must be strained out; but the doing that, and then swallowing a camel, or, committing a greater sin. While they would seem to be godly, they were neither sober nor righteous. We are really, what we are inwardly. Outward motives may keep the outside clean, while the inside is filthy; but if the heart and spirit be made new, there will be newness of life; here we must begin with ourselves. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was like the ornaments of a grave, or dressing up a dead body, only for show. The deceitfulness of sinners' hearts appears in that they go down the streams of the sins of their own day, while they fancy that they should have opposed the sins of former days. We sometimes think, if we had lived when Christ was upon earth, that we should not have despised and rejected him, as men then did; yet Christ in his Spirit, in his word, in his ministers, is still no better treated. And it is just with God to give those up to their hearts' lusts, who obstinately persist in gratifying them. Christ gives men their true characters.

CONC:

Altar Anyone Bound Debtor Gift Guilty Lying Nothing Oath Obligated Offering Responsible Swear Sweareth Swears Takes

Altar Bound Gift Guilty Lying Means Oath Obligated Offering Responsible Swear Sweareth Swears

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GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

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