Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Matthew 23:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Says a temple oath implicates temple and God's dwelling.
Read It With
- Matthew 23:13–23:24
Matthew 23:21 says a temple oath implicates temple and God's dwelling; within Matthew 23:13–23:24, it contributes to this controlling movement: Jesus pronounces woes over shutting the kingdom, exploitative or zealous practice, casuistry about oaths, and meticulous tithing that neglects justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Says a temple oath implicates temple and God's dwelling. This precise contribution belongs inside “Woes confront blocked access and distorted priorities” because Jesus pronounces woes over shutting the kingdom, exploitative or zealous practice, casuistry about oaths, and meticulous tithing that neglects justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
What Remains True
Because Matthew 23:21 says a temple oath implicates temple and God's dwelling, faithful readers should preserve this verse's exact role, first setting, affected people, and the complete movement of Matthew 23:13–23:24 before naming an enduring conclusion.
How It Can Shape Life
- For Matthew 23:21, first state this verse-specific contribution—says a temple oath implicates temple and God's dwelling; then explain it inside Matthew 23:13–23:24; preserve the source-controlled uncertainty—Verse numbering and manuscript inclusion vary around the widow-house saying; gnat and camel rhetoric critiques proportion, not Jewish practice as ridiculous.; and refuse this misuse: These woes do not authorize antisemitism, ridicule observant Jews, abandon careful practice, or let Christians ignore their own exploitation and gatekeeping.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Matthew 23:13–23:24 — Woes confront blocked access and distorted prioritiesSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Matthew 23:13–23:24, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control without treating one edition as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file data/sblgnt/text/Matt.txt, Matthew 23:13–23:24
Open the Matthew Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for the expressions actually discussed in this thought unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data TAGNT rows for Matthew 23:13–23:24
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Matthew with Translators' and Textual Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, historical, Jewish-background, and Synoptic notes for this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Matthew PDF, printed pp. 1808-1867, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 23:13–23:24
Open source ↗