The Watchtower—Study Edition  |  October 2017

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

What Jewish practice caused Jesus to condemn the swearing of oaths?

OATHS had their proper place according to the Mosaic Law. However, their use became so common in the everyday life of Jesus’ contemporaries that there was the tendency to reinforce practically any utterance by swearing to it. This frivolous practice was intended to add credence to one’s statements; yet, Jesus twice denounced it. Instead, he taught: “Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no.”​—Matt. 5:33-37; 23:16-22.

According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, that “the inclination of the Jewish people to confirm all possible statements by an oath” was very strong may be discerned from passages of the Talmud, which painstakingly specifies which oaths were to be considered binding and which were not.

Jesus was not alone in condemning these abuses. For example, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus said of a Jewish sect: “Swearing they avoid, regarding it as worse than perjury, for they say that one who is not believed without an appeal to God stands condemned already.” The Jewish apocryphal writing known as the Wisdom of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus, (23:11) likewise states: “A man given to swearing is lawless to the core.” Jesus, then, condemned the practice of taking oaths lightly. If we speak the truth at all times, we should not have to take an oath to make our words more believable.

Owa Ọkhẹ (Na Ruẹ Vbe Iko)  |  October 2017

U Ka Rẹn Ra?

U Ka Rẹn Ra?

Vbọzẹe ne Jesu na gbodan ye vbene Ivbi e Ju ya gha vẹn ihẹn hẹ?

ZẸ VBENE Uhi e Mosis khare, ọ mwẹ ẹghẹ nọ khẹke ne Ivbi e Ju ya gha vẹn ihẹn. Sokpan vbe ẹghẹ e Jesu, te emwa wa gha ruẹ gberra egbe sẹrriọ wẹẹ, te iran vẹn ihẹn ye emwi ne iran rhirhi taa ne emwa mieke na yaeyi. Ọna ẹre ọ si ẹre ne Jesu na gbodan yọ igbava. Ọ keghi rhie adia na ne iran: “Deghẹ ‘Ẹẹn’ nọ wẹẹ ‘Ẹẹn’ Deghẹ ‘Ẹo’ nọ wẹẹ ‘Ẹo.’”—Mat. 5:33-37; 23:16-22.

Ebe na tie ẹre Theological Dictionary of the New Testament keghi kha wẹẹ, “Iyobemwihia ẹre Ivbi e Ju ghaa vẹn ihẹn yi.” Ughaghe emwi nọ si ẹre ne Ivbi e Ju na gha vẹn ihẹn vbenian, ọre ne ebe uhi ọghe Ivbi e Ju na tie ẹre Talmud, na hae ye ugan emwi hia nọ dekaan emwi ne a vẹn ihẹn yi; ke ne ai sẹtin su gọ kẹ kevbe ne a gha sẹtin su gọ.

Ẹi re Jesu ọkpa ẹre ọ gbodan ye uyinmwẹ na. Vbe igiemwi, oghẹn ọkpa ọghe ugamwẹ Ivbi e Ju vbe gbodan yọ. Ọtokha ọghe Ivbi e Ju na tie ẹre Flavius Josephus keghi gbẹn vbekpa iran wẹẹ: “Iran i vẹn ihẹn rhunmwuda iran yayi wẹẹ, ọmwa nọ vẹn ihẹn, khọ sẹ ọmwa nọ mema taa ohoghe. Iran vbe yayi wẹẹ, ọmwa ne ai sẹtin ya ẹmwẹ ọnrẹn yi, sokpan wẹẹ ọ ka vẹn ihẹn nẹ, keghi re ọmwa ohoghe ọghe ohanabe.” Ebe eso ne Ivbi e Ju gbẹn nọ ma deba Evbagbẹn Nọhuanrẹn na tie ẹre Wisdom of Sirach, ra Ecclesiasticus, (23:11) keghi kha wẹẹ: “Ọmwa nọ vẹn ihẹn vbe ẹghẹ hia keghi ọmwa nọ wa rraa uhi.” Ọna ẹre ọ si ẹre ne Jesu na wẹẹ ne ima ghẹ gha vẹn ihẹn ye emwi ne ẹi mwẹ esa. Ma ghaa taa ẹmwata vbe ẹghẹ hia, esa i rrọọ ne ima ya gha vẹn ihẹn ne emwa mieke na ya ẹmwẹ ne ima taa yi.