Catena Aurea [Latin + English] on Matthew 5:33-37

Author	Work	Latin	English
Gloss	Unknown	Docuerat supra dominus non esse iniuriam proximo inferendam, prohibendo iram cum homicidio, concupiscentiam cum adulterio, et dimissionem uxoris cum libello repudii; nunc autem consequenter docet ab iniuria Dei abstinendum, cum prohibet non solum periurium tamquam malum, sed etiam iuramentum tamquam mali occasionem; unde dicit iterum audistis quia dictum est antiquis: non periurabis. Dicitur enim in Levitico: non periurabis in nomine meo; et ne creaturas facerent sibi deos, praecepit reddere Deo iuramenta, et non iurare per creaturas; unde subditur redde autem domino iuramenta tua; idest, si iurare contigerit, per creatorem iurabis, non per creaturam; unde dicitur in Deuteronomio: dominum Deum tuum timebis, et per nomen eius iurabis.	The Lord has taught to abstain from injuring our neighbor, forbidding anger with murder, lust with adultery, and the putting away a wife with a bill of divorce. He now proceeds to teach to abstain from injury to God, forbidding not only perjury as an evil in itself but even all oaths as the cause of evil, saying, You have heard it said by them of old, You shall not forswear yourself it is written in Leviticus, You shall not forswear yourself in My name (Lev 19:12); and that they should not make gods of the creature, they are commanded to render to God their oaths, and not to swear by any creature, Render to the Lord your oaths; that is, if you shall have occasion to swear, you shall swear by the Creator and not by the creature. As it is written in Deuteronomy, You shall fear the Lord your God, and shall swear by His name
Jerome	Commentary on Matthew	Hoc autem quasi parvulis fuerat lege concessum, ut quomodo victimas immolabant Deo, ne eas idolis immolarent, sic et iurare permitterentur in Deum non quod recte hoc facerent, sed quod melius esset Deo hoc exhibere quam Daemoniis.	This was allowed under the Law, as to children; as they offered sacrifice to God, that they might not do it to idols, so they were permitted to swear by God; not that the thing was right, but that it were better done to God than to demons.
Pseudo-Chrysostom	Opus Imperfectum, Homily 12	Nemo enim frequenter iurat qui non aliquando periuret; sicut qui fecit consuetudinem multa loqui, aliquando loquitur importuna.	For no man can swear often, but he must sometimes forswear himself; as he who has a custom of much speaking will sometimes speak foolishly.
Augustine	Contra Faustum, 19,23	Quia vero periurare grave peccatum est, longius autem remotus est a periurio qui nec iurare consuevit quam qui verum iurare proclivis est, maluit nos dominus non iurantes non recedere a vero, quam verum iurantes, appropinquare periurio; unde subdit ego autem dico vobis: non iurare omnino.	Inasmuch as the sin of perjury is a grievous sin, he must be further removed from it who uses no oath, than he who is ready to swear on every occasion, and the Lord would rather that we should not swear and keep close to the truth, than that swearing we should come near to perjury.
Augustine	On the Sermon on the Mount, I, 51	In quo Pharisaeorum iustitiam, quae est non peierare, confirmat: non enim potest periurare qui non iurat. Sed quoniam ille iurat qui adhibet Deum testem, considerandum est ne contra hoc praeceptum domini apostolus fecisse videatur, quia saepe hoc modo iuravit cum dixit: quae scribo vobis ecce coram Deo, quia non mentior. Et: testis est mihi Deus, cui servio in spiritu meo. Nisi forte quis dicat tunc cavendam esse iurationem cum aliquid dicitur per quod iuratur: ut non iuraverit, quia non dixit per Deum, sed dixit testis est mihi Deus. Ridiculum est hoc putare; sed tamen etiam sciat hoc modo iurasse apostolum dicentem: quotidie morior per gloriam vestram, fratres. Quod ne quis ita existimet dictum tamquam si diceretur: vestra gloria me fecit quotidie mori, Graeca exemplaria diiudicant, in quibus quod scriptum est, ni tin kauchisin himeteran, idest per gloriam vestram, non nisi a iurante dicitur.	This precept also confirms the righteousness of the Pharisees, not to forswear; inasmuch as he who swears not at all cannot forswear himself. But as to call God to witness is to swear, does not the Apostle break this commandment when he says several times to the Galatians, The things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not (Gal 1:20). So the Romans, God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit (Rom 1:9). Unless perhaps someone may say, it is no oath unless I use the form of swearing by some object; and that the Apostle did not swear in saying, God is my witness. It is ridiculous to make such a distinction; yet the Apostle has used even this form, I die daily, by your boasting. That this does not mean, 'your boasting has caused my dying daily,' but is an oath, is clear from the Greek.
Augustine	De Mendacio, 15	Sed pleraque in verbis intelligere non valentes, in factis sanctorum colligimus quemadmodum oporteat accipi quod facile in aliam partem duceretur, nisi exemplis revocaretur. Iuravit apostolus in epistolis suis, et sic ostendit quomodo accipiendum est quod dictum est dico autem vobis non iurare omnino, ne scilicet iurando, ad facilitatem iurandi veniatur, ex facilitate autem iurandi veniatur ad consuetudinem, a consuetudine in periurium decidatur. Et ideo non invenitur iurasse nisi scribens, ubi consideratio cautior non habet linguam praecipitem. Et tamen dominus omnino ait non iurare: non enim concessit ut id liceret scribentibus. Sed quia praecepti violati reum Paulum praesertim in epistolis conscriptis nefas est dicere, est intelligendum illud quod positum est, omnino, ad hoc positum, ut quantum in te est non affectes, vel quasi pro bono cum aliqua delectatione appetas iusiurandum.	But what we could not understand by mere words, from the conduct of the saints we may gather in what sense should be understood what might easily be drawn the contrary way, unless explained by example. The Apostle has used oaths in his Epistles, and by this shows us how that ought to be taken, I say to you, Swear not at all, namely, lest by allowing ourselves to swear at all we come to readiness in swearing, from readiness we come to a habit of swearing, and from a habit of swearing we fall into perjury. And so the Apostle is not found to have used an oath but only in writing, the greater thought and caution which that requires not allowing of slip of the tongue. Yet it is the Lord's command so universal, Swear not at all, that He would seem to have forbidden it even in writing. But since it would be an impiety to accuse Paul of having violated this precept, especially in his Epistles, we must understand the words at all as implying that, as far as lays in your power, you should not make a practice of swearing, not aim at it as a good thing in which you should take delight.
Augustine	Contra Faustum, 19,23	In scriptis ergo ubi est consideratio maior, pluribus locis apostolus iurasse invenitur, ne quisquam putaret etiam verum iurando peccari, sed potius intelligeret humanae fragilitatis corda non iurando tutius a periurio conservari.	Therefore in his writings, as writing allows of greater circumspection, the Apostle is found to have used an oath in several places, that none might suppose that there is any direct sin in swearing what is true; but only that our weak hearts are better preserved from perjury by abstaining from all swearing whatever.
Jerome	Commentary on Matthew	Denique considera, quod hic salvator non per Deum iurare prohibuit, sed per caelum, per terram et per Hierosolymam et per caput tuum: hanc enim per elementa iurandi pessimam consuetudinem semper habuere Iudaei. Qui iurat, aut veneratur aut diligit eum per quem iurat; Iudaei autem per Angelos et urbem Ierusalem et templum et elementa iurantes, creaturas venerabantur Dei honore; cum in lege praeceptum sit ut non iuremus nisi per dominum Deum nostrum.	Lastly, consider that the Savior does not here forbid to swear by God, but by the Heaven, the Earth, by Jerusalem, by a man's head. For this evil practice of swearing by the elements the Jews had always, and are thereof often accused in the prophetic writings. For he who swears, shows either reverence or love for that by which he swears. Thus when the Jews swore by the Angels, by the city of Jerusalem, by the temple and the elements, they paid to the creature the honor and worship belonging to God; for it is commanded in the Law that we should not swear but by the Lord our God.
Augustine	On the Sermon on the Mount, I, 51	Vel ideo additum est neque per caelum, quia Iudaei non putabant se teneri iuramento, si per ista iurassent; ac si dicat: cum iuras per caelum et terram, non te arbitreris non debere domino iusiurandum tuum, quia per eum iurare convinceris cuius caelum thronus est et cuius terra scabellum est; quod non est sic dictum quasi habeat Deus collocata membra in caelo et in terra, ut nos cum sedemus: sed illa sedes Dei iudicium significat. Et quoniam in hoc universo mundi corpore maximam speciem caelum habet, sedere in caelo dicitur tamquam praestantior sit excellenti pulchritudine vis divina; terramque dicitur calcare, quod minimam speciem ordinet in extremis. Spiritualiter autem sanctas animas caeli nomine significat, et terrae, peccatrices: quoniam: spiritualis omnia iudicat. Peccatori autem dictum est: terra es et in terram ibis. Et qui in lege manere voluit, sub lege ponitur; et ideo congruenter dicit scabellum pedum eius. Sequitur neque per Hierosolymam, quia civitas est magni regis; quod melius dicitur quam si diceret mea, cum tamen hoc dixisse intelligatur. Et quia ipse utique est dominus. Domino iusiurandum debet qui per Hierosolymam iurat. Sequitur neque per caput tuum iuraveris. Quid enim poterat quisquam magis ad se pertinere arbitrari quam caput suum? Sed quomodo nostrum est ubi potestatem faciendi unum capillum album aut nigrum non habemus? Propter quod dicitur quia non potes unum capillum album facere aut nigrum. Ergo Deo debet iusiurandum quisquis etiam per caput suum iurare voluerit. Et hinc etiam cetera intelliguntur.	Or, it is added, By the Heaven, &c. because the Jews did not consider themselves bound when they swore by such things. As if He had said, When you swear by the Heaven and the Earth, think not that you do not owe your oath to the Lord your God, for you are proved to have sworn by Him whose throne the heaven is, and the earth His footstool; which is not meant as though God had such limbs set upon the heaven and the earth, after the manner of a man who is sitting; but that seat signifies God's judgment of us. And since in the whole extent of this universe it is the heaven that has the highest beauty, God is said to sit upon the heavens as showing divine power to be more excellent than the most surpassing show of beauty; and He is said to stand upon the earth, as putting to lowest use a lesser beauty. Spiritually by the heavens are denoted holy souls, by the earth the sinful, seeing He that is spiritual judges all things (1 Cor 2:15). But to the sinner it is said, Earth you are, and to earth you shall return (Gen 3:19). And he who would abide under a law, is put under a law, and therefore He adds, it is the footstool of His feet. Neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King; this is better said than 'it is mine,' though it is understood to mean the same. And because He is also truly Lord, whoso swears by Jerusalem, owes his oath to the Lord. Neither by your head. What could any think more entirely his own property than his own head? But how is it ours when we have not power to make one hair black or white? Whose then swears by his own head also owes his vows to the Lord; and by this the rest may be understood.
Chrysostom	Homily 17 on Matthew	Attendite autem, quod elementa mundi extollit, non ex propria natura, sed ex habitudine quam habent ad Deum, ne idololatriae daretur occasio.	Note how he exalts the elements of the world, not from their own nature, but from the respect which they have to God, so that there is opened no occasion of idolatry.
Rabanus	Commentarium in Matthaeum, 2.6	Qui autem iurare prohibuit*, quomodo loqui oporteat docuit, subdens sit autem sermo vester: est, est, non, non; idest quod est, sufficiat dicere: est; quod non est, sufficiat dicere: non est. Sive ideo dicitur bis, est, est, non, non, ut quod ore affirmas, operibus probes; et quod verbis negas, factis non confirmes. *[Note: All published copies of CA have prohibuit. Rabanus commentary in Migne has "non prohibuit" PL 107:824-826]	Having forbidden swearing, He instructs us how we ought to speak, Let your speech be yea, yea; nay, nay. That is, to affirm anything it is sufficient to say, 'It is so'; to deny, to say, 'It is not so.' Or, yea, yea; nay, nay, are therefore twice repeated, that what you affirm with the mouth you should prove in deed, and what you deny in word you should not establish by your conduct.
Hilary of Potiers	Commentary on Matthew	Vel aliter. In fidei simplicitate viventibus iurare opus non est cum quibus semper quod est, est, quod non, non; et per hoc eorum et opus et sermo omnis in verbo est. Hieronymus. Evangelica igitur veritas non recipit iuramentum, cum omnis sermo fideli pro iuramento sit.	Otherwise, they who live in the simplicity of the faith have not need to swear, with them ever, what is is, what is not is not; by this their life and their conversation are ever preserved in truth.
Jerome	Commentary on Matthew	Evangelica igitur veritas non recipit iuramentum, cum omnis sermo fideli pro iuramento sit.	Therefore Evangelic verity does not admit an oath, since the whole discourse of the faithful is instead of an oath.
Augustine	On the Sermon on the Mount, I, 51	Quapropter qui intelligit non in bonis sed in necessariis iurationem habendam, refrenet se quantum potest, ut non ea utatur nisi in necessitate, cum videt pigros esse homines ad credendum quod utile est credere, nisi iuratione firmetur. Hoc ergo est bonum et appetendum, quod hic dicitur sit sermo vester: est, est, non, non. Quod autem his abundantius est, a malo est, idest, si iurare cogeris, scias de necessitate venire infirmitatis eorum quibus aliquid suades; quae utique infirmitas malum est. Itaque non dixit: quod amplius est, malum est; tu enim non malum facis qui bene uteris iuratione, ut alteri persuadeas quod utiliter persuades; sed a malo est illius cuius infirmitate iurare cogeris.	And he who has learned that an oath is to be reckoned not among things good, but among things necessary, will restrain himself as much as he may, not to use an oath without necessity, unless he sees men loathe to believe what it is for their good they should believe, without the confirmation of an oath. This then is good and to be desired, that our conversation be only, yea, yea; nay, nay; for what is more than this comes of evil; that is, if you are compelled to swear, you know that it is by the necessity of their weakness to whom you would persuade anything; which weakness is surely an evil. What is more than this is thus evil; not that your do evil in this just use of an oath to persuade another to something beneficial for him; but it is an evil in him whose weakness thus obliges you to use an oath.
Chrysostom	Homily 17 on Matthew	Vel a malo est, idest ab infirmitate eorum quibus lex iurare permisit. Ita enim Christus non monstrat veterem legem Diaboli esse; sed a veteri imperfectione ducit ad abundantem novitatem.	Or, of evil, that is, from their weakness to whom the Law permitted the use of an oath. Not that by this the old Law is signified to be from the Devil, but He leads us from the old imperfection to the new abundance.