Matthew 5:37

KJV1611 – Modern English

But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No': for whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἔστω δὲ ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν, Ναὶ, ναί· Οὒ, οὔ: τὸ δὲ περισσὸν τούτων ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐστιν.

Transliteration

Estō de the logos of-you, Nai, nai; Ou, ou: the de perisson of-these from the ponērou estin.

Grammar Details

• *Estō*: present active imperative, 3rd person singular - let it be!
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and
• *logos*: nominative masculine singular - word/speech
• *Nai*: adverb - yes
• *Ou*: adverb - no
• *perisson*: nominative neuter singular - excess/abundance
• *ponērou*: genitive masculine/neuter singular - of evil/evil one
• *estin*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - is

Word Meanings

• *Estō*: let it be/be
• *logos*: word/speech/statement
• *Nai*: yes/indeed/truly
• *Ou*: no/not
• *perisson*: excess/abundance/surplus
• *ponērou*: evil one/evil/wicked (could refer to Satan or to evil in general)

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything more comes from the evil one.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  But your comunicacion shalbe ye ye: nay nay. For whatsoeuer is more then yt cometh of yvell.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But your communicacion shalbe, yee, yee: nay, nay. For what soeuer is more then that, commeth of euel.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But let your communication be Yea, yea: Nay, nay. For whatsoeuer is more then these, commeth of euill.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But let your communication be yea, yea, nay nay. For whatsoeuer is more then these, commeth of euyll.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ‹But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.›

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'no.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil `one'.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil [one] .

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But let your words be simply, Yes or No: and whatever is more than these is of the Evil One.

• World English Bible (2000)

  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Let your word be‘Yes, yes’ or‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.

Referenced Verses

• Jas 5:12 : 12 But above all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no,' 'no'; lest you fall into condemnation.
• Matt 13:19 : 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
• Matt 13:38 : 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,
• 2 Cor 1:17-20 : 17 When I therefore was intending this, did I act lightly? Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be yes, yes, and no, no? 18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yes and no. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him was yes. 20 For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
• Col 3:9 : 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its deeds.
• Col 4:6 : 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
• 2 Thess 3:3 : 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from evil.
• Eph 4:25 : 25 Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
• Matt 15:19 : 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
• John 8:44 : 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you wish to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not abide in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
• John 17:15 : 15 I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.
• 1 John 2:13 : 13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.
• 1 John 5:18 : 18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who is born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
• Matt 6:13 : 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
• 1 John 3:12 : 12 Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.